The Invisible Man

Herbert George WellsApr 2015

3.9

Word count: 60K words
Chapters: 29

Summary

The Penguin English Library edition of The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells: 'People screamed. People sprang off the pavement... The Invisible Man is coming! The Invisible Man!' With his face swaddled in bandages, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, and his hands covered even indoors, Griffin, the new guest at The Coach and Horses, is at first assumed to be a shy accident victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process that has made him invisible, and he is locked in a struggle to discover the antidote. Forced from the village and driven to murder, he seeks the aid of an old friend, Kemp. The horror of his fate has affected his mind, however, and when Kemp refuses to help, he resolves to wreak his revenge.

Editor's review

The Invisible Man turns a seemingly tempting scientific breakthrough into an experiment on human nature. Wells does not stop at the spectacle of invisibility; he lets Griffin, through poverty, suspicion, and loss of control, expose his selfishness and violence step by step, so that suspense always serves the inquiry into power, responsibility, and solitude. The novel moves briskly: the strange guest at the inn, the exposure of his identity, and the pursuit and conflict that follow advance layer upon layer, giving it both the readability of popular adventure and Wellsian social satire. Read today, it still reminds us that technology itself does not distinguish good from evil; what determines the outcome is the person who uses it and the situation that person is in. It suits a concentrated weekend read and can also serve as an introduction to the history of science fiction or to discussions of technological ethics. After reading, ask: if you had the power to go unseen, where would restraint come from?

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic science fiction and suspenseful adventure, and want to see how a high concept drives plot.
Students and general readers concerned with technological ethics, the limits of power, and personal responsibility.
Readers of English literature who prefer short works, strong pacing, and a satirical edge.
Deep readers interested in solitude, marginality, and the unraveling of human nature.

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a warm, healing story with positive human relationships.
Younger readers sensitive to violent conflict and moral darkness.
Science fiction fans expecting rigorous physical explanation and hard-SF technical detail.

Reading tips

Read first along the suspense line, noting how each of Griffin's choices changes his situation.
After finishing, discuss technological ethics: which human weaknesses does invisibility amplify?
If reading in English, record how bystanders react to Griffin and note the satirical details in different scenes.

Copyright information
The Invisible Man
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
CHAPTER XXVII
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE EPILOGUE

FAQ

Is The Invisible Man only a science-fiction adventure?

Not only. The invisibility premise drives the suspense plot, but the work is more concerned with how, once scientific power is cut loose from responsibility, an individual is pushed toward loss of control by fear, desire, and isolation; beneath the adventure shell lies a clear moral and social allegory.

Why does invisibility not bring Griffin freedom?

Invisibility prevents him from living under a normal identity; he can only wrap himself in bandages and wear dark glasses. Others' suspicion and his own predicament intensify each other, and the power drives him into deeper isolation and conflict.

Do I need to know Victorian scientific background before reading?

No. You can enter it simply as a story about power and responsibility. For a deeper reading, note the period's mixture of hope and unease about scientific progress; this will help you understand the novel's satirical target.

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About the author

Herbert George Wells Author · British · 1866–1946

Herbert George Wells (1866–1946) was a British novelist, journalist, sociologist and historian, and is regarded as the father of science fiction. Public information on the details of his early life and writing career is limited, yet the character of his work is clear: science fiction such as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds uses scientific speculation to explore social and human questions, with bold imagination and calm narration, while history books such as A Short History of the World and The Outline of History set out the course of human civilization in an accessible style. His works foresaw the aeroplane, the tank and nuclear weapons, and have deeply influenced later science fiction. This site holds 29 of his works, spanning foreign literature, science fiction, world history and history reading.