| Product: |
War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells |
| Date: |
29/01/08 (172 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A gripping and classic piece of science fiction
Disadvantages: None!
"No one would have believed in the early years of the 21st century that our world was being watched by intelligences greater than our own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns, they observed and studied, the way a man with a microscope might scrutinize the creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency, men went to and fro about the globe, confident of our empire over this world. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded our planet with envious eyes and slowly, and surely, drew their plans against us..."
The War Of The worlds is one of the most famous and influential science fiction novels ever written. It first appeared in 1898 and remains the main inspiration for the numerous alien invasion themed films and television shows that have followed through the years.
The novel is told from the first person by a narrator. The narrator is a perfectly normal and respectable Victorian gentleman living in sleepy Surrey. The book is related as his account of the extraordinary events of several years ago.
The first chapter conveys much scientific information about Mars (Wells had a background in science). The narrator meets with an astronomer friend of his and is intrigued by the stories of strange lights and gases coming from the red planet. "The chances of anything man-like on Mars are a million to one," the astronomer reassures him. Then comes the first 'falling star'. Huge cylinders begin to crash land on commons and in woods around London. The narrator is excited by all the events and talk of men from Mars but considers it something of a shame that these poor creatures are liable to be either dead already or a sitting duck for the military authorities to destroy should they choose that option. The sleepy, summer atmosphere set up by Wells is shattered when the Martians emerge from their cylinders and pits in huge mechanical tripods armed with a terrifying 'heat ray' weapon. Soon the narrator is caught up in the panic and joins the refugees as the Martians lay waste to everything around them...
Clocking in at 172 pages, The War Of The Worlds sets up its story and then takes the reader on a hugely entertaining and often creepy journey. The narrator meets a young soldier who gives an account of how the Martians destroyed the army formations guarding the common. "Bows and arrows agaisnt lightning," says the soldier. Our narrator takes flight and Wells fleshes some vivid descriptions of refugees streaming out of London and the Martian tripods scuttling around the horizon as army batteries of field-guns hopelessly attempt to halt their progress to no avail. The tripods are described at one point as 'vast spider-like machines, nearly a hundred feet high, capable of the speed of an express-train, and able to shoot out a beam of intense heat.' The contrast and unequal battle between humanity and the technological and destructive Martians is chilling and very absorbing.
Soon we are in a world underfoot. The imagery of a dead London reminds one of apocalyptic films and end of the world stories but Wells did it before most of them and the unique setting and period detail make The War Of The Worlds extra special. There are numerous amazing set-pieces and situations in the novel. In one tense chapter the narrator holes up in a ruined building with a Curate and sees for himself exactly how the Martians feed!
Wells includes lots of anatomical detail of the hideous Martians and they are a genuinely terrifying enemy. More than anything they seem strangely indifferent as if they are undertaking a routine task before the real work begins. The routine task is the colonisation of Earth! A strange red weed begins to sprout in and around London and the Martians use a powerful black gas on every area that they've secured...
It's unsuprising that the book has influenced several films. Wells has a very cinematic element to his writing especially when describing crowds of refugees or action. There is a passage where a battleship steams towards two tripods in the sea to protect a ship carrying refugees abroad. Tension is also created when the narrator describes the still of the night as batteries of soldiers wait to suprise tripods with field-guns hidden in woods and hedges. A description of a rare hit on a tripod from a shell is described in the following way; 'A violent explosion shook the air, and a spout of water, mud and shattered metal shot far up into the sky. As the camera of the heat-ray hit the water, the latter had immediately flashed into steam. In another moment a huge wave, like a muddy tidal bore but almost scaldingly hot, came sweeping round the bend up-stream...'
There is a lot of subtext to the novel. Wells uses the Curate to criticise religion and the narrator bickers and fights with him constantly; "What good is a religion if it collapses under calamity? Think of what earthquakes and floods, wars and volcanoes have done to men! Did you think God had exempted Weybridge? He is not an insurance agent."
The parallel between Western colonisation of indigenous peoples and the Martian assault is part of the inspiration for the book. Given our treatment of other humans around the world and species of animals, the narrator suggests we are simply recieving a dose of our own medicine. "Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?" he asks.
The destruction of towns like Shepperton and Weybridge was apparently a bit of fun on the part of the author. He used to cycle around these areas and decide which place the Martians would burn to the ground!
Ostensibly though The War Of The Worlds is a science-fiction/horror/adventure story that supplies much food for thought and some amazing imagery that still resonates today. It has descriptive prose and a very gripping and exciting story.
If you've only ever seen the US film versions you should get around to reading the very British and very brilliant original novel by HG Wells.
The Everyman edition also has a very interesting introduction by Arthur C Clarke.
Summary: A great book
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