- The Time Machine

As it often the case with classic literature made into films, the book is different than the film, more complex, nuanced, truly Wells at his best. This is a relatively short book with time travel a fascinating theme, easy to read and enjoy. This particular paperback is well constructed and was a pleasure with which to share some time.

Great book, good quality, I gave it to my grandson who loves to read

Interesting that he begins his time traveling adventure in London, to the year 801,701 in the future, which is also in London. I suppose being grounded in one place enables him to see familiar sites now and then (along the Thames, for instance). The whole book is a futuristic glimpse, with some of his observations and commentary on expectations of life at the time (Victorian London), towards a rather dark possible future. His ideas that "family" need not be as it was structured, but that we could disengage from those family units (sounds Matrix-like), also apparently reflects his own philosophy. His view that the Eloi (idle upper class) eventually have their brains turn to mush due to too much comfort, and no mental or physical strain; whereas the Morlocks, due to their need to work, work the machinery, and requirement to be cunning to capture their, um, food - are essentially the survivors of the lot. So a bit of class moralizing here. The book reminds me a bit of a Dr Who episode where one race of people stuck on a distant planet devolves to two tribes - the sevetem (survey team), and the tesh (techs). Over time they have forgotten their common ancestry.

My favorite author wrote this all time great sci-fi. He was ahead of his time and his knowledge of science and the plan of the Creator was amazing. Many sci-fi books about alien life visiting earth have relied on the foundation he built with his imagination. A good quality paperback at an affordable price.

WELL'S MOST POPULAR AND ONE OF HIS BEST WORKS..ALSO SOMEWHAT PROPHETIC..WITH GLOBAL WARMING POSSIBLY MAKING LIFE ON THE SURFACE OF THE PLANET UNBEARABLE.. EVOLUTIONARY EVENTS COULD SUIT WHOEVER IS LEFT TO ADAPT TO LIFE BELOW THE SURFACE...AND EAT AND FARM THOSE ABOVE..LITERALLY!....CERTAINLY A REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE. HIS WAR OF THE WORLDS BOOK NOW LOOKS LIMP....SINCE WE NOW KNOW THAT LIFE ON MARS IF ANY WOULD BE ONLY BACTERIAL..IF THAT BUT WELLS OTHER STORIES AND NOVELS PUT HIM AMONG THE BEST WRITERS IN ENGLISH

I'm so glad I finally read this classic! As a child, I had watched the old PBS series Wishbone, and I loved the retelling of this story, but I could never remember the title or author. It's one of the first science fiction stories ever published, way back in 1895, near the turn of the century. Recently I finished a collection of sci-fi stories from the 1930s, and I can see why HG Wells is considered the Father of Science Fiction. Many tropes and devices had their origins in Wells' first classic, the Time Machine. The first two chapters are told from a narrator's first-person POV, but the rest of the story is told to the narrator by the Time Traveler, the main character. He built a time machine that took him 800,000+ years into the future where he met two kinds of people, the indolent, weak, unintelligent Elois (a name used only once in the entire book) and the albino, beast-like Morlocks. Though based on evolutionary principles of the survival of the fittest, the insight into the two facets of humanity is fascinating, as it actually parallels the Bible's teachings of the two sides of humanity, both sentient races showing sinful corruption in different ways. I personally didn't care for the switching of perspectives. The first time the first-person narrator speaks in on page 6. Then in chapter 3, the rest of the book until the last two pages tells the story from the Time-Traveller's perspective as he told it to the narrator, but still in first-person. C.S. Lewis uses this technique in Perelandra, but it works so better there because we're immediately pulled into the narrator's first-person POV and relate to him and know his goal. We don't care nearly as much for HG Wells' narrator as we do for the Time-Traveller himself. But it is done correctly and clearly. As to entertainment, there were a couple of slow parts, and I was so dissatisfied with the ending. However, I can still recommend this book as a classic sci-fi and free from graphic violence (though there is a little), sex, and foul language. I recently heard that a true sci-fi is one where if you took the science out of the story, it would all fall apart—you can't have the story without the science. That is definitely true in this story. Favorite quotes: “The fire burned brightly, and the soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles that flashed and passed in our glasses.” (p. 1) “'Time is only a kind of space.'” (p. 3) “The Journalist too, would not believe at any price, and joined the Editor in the easy work of heaping ridicule on the whole thing.” (p. 16) “I suppose a suicide who holds a pistol to his skull feels much the same wonder at what will come next as I felt then.” (p. 19) “I never met people more indolent or more easily fatigued.” (p. 31) “What, unless biological science is a mass of errors, is the cause of human intelligence and vigour? Hardship and freedom: conditions under which the active, strong, and subtle survive and the weaker go to the wall...” (p. 36) “The bare thought of it was an actual physical sensation. I could feel it grip me at the throat and stop my breathing. In another moment I was in a passion of fear and running with great leaping strides down the slope.” (p. 40) “Then suddenly the humour of the situation came into my mind: the thought of the years I had spent in study and toil to get into the future age, and now my passion of anxiety to get out of it.” (p. 46) “Either I missed some subtle point or their language was excessively simple—almost exclusively composed of concrete substantives and verbs. There seemed to be few, if any, abstract terms, or little use of figurative language.” (p. 46, spoken of the unintelligent) “There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change.” (p. 95)

An excellent period piece that sends the reader from the 19th century to the year 802701, the Time Machine not only highlights class differences from 19th century England, but also reminds us of our most instinctive fears: being alone and afraid in a dark unknown realm.

Classic literature in pocket size!!! Yes please!

Beautiful story! Great narration! Enjoy to reading!

great but great price

I assumed when I bought this that, because it was published in 1895 that it wouldn't be easy to read, How wrong I was. My lesson learned from this is great writing is understandable and engaging for generations to come.

Take a close look at the book size, before deciding your purchase.

Great Book but the publishers have really dropped the ball on quality. Was looking to buy and build a collection of some great novels. Its nice to be able to buy have a collection at the reasonable price but you also have to be able to read the book as well. The typeface and font size leave a lot to be desired. Unless you have a magnifying glass, some super strong reading or perfect 20/20 vision give this a miss.