Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Invisible Man

I'm not gonna' lie. Last night I wasn't sleepy. I was going to try to take advantage of that, and I sat down to try to work on a paper I am thinking of writing, comparing early American and contemporary Chinese foreign policy - I had the diaries of George Washington at hand - and I couldn't bring myself to be productive. So I picked up one of the many works I have been meaning to read for, well, my entire life. I read H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man in a single sitting, from cover to cover.

Good book, well written, fascinating even, and to say it hammers home its allegory is an understatement. This is a work about the gollum gone mad, science unleashing powers it cannot control. You know the tale - its what drives religious fundamentalists, Luddites, and Mimaws to fear technology everywhere.

That said, if you're looking for a life-lesson that is fully original, this may not be the book for you, at least if you've already partaken of the heavy draughts that are Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (two of my favorite books) . If course, if want to revisit the theme, or if you just want a truly compelling read (I found myself breathing fast when the pace of the plot quickened), read it. You won't be disappointed.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pan's Labyrinth

You never respond to email, but I know you'll read this. Don't look at the link right before bedtime.

Anonymous said...

A Scanner Darkly

And while we're on the subjects of terror, duality, film, and Keanu Reeves, I thought you should watch this.

My only response: Why?

Eric Drummond Smith said...

Pan's Labyrinth horrorfies me (mispelling intentional). I cry tears of unfathomable horror. Fication. And stuff. And Keanu Reeves scares me.