This has to be one of my favourite sci-fi stories, can’t wait to read more of Wells’ works. I do agree that it was quite hard to read. Classic really ain’t my style, so I had to listen to an audiobook while physically reading it, but I’m glad I did because it was amazing. The way he described the Martians in such a grotesque way yet their intelligence is just so strange, and the Tripods are the most iconic aliens of anything in the Sci-Fi world. Also, loved the review, hope you get recognised much more 😀
One thing I remember about my first encounter with the book: I read it in one sitting on a rocking chair on my grandmother's porch when I was 10, and, boy, it had me in its grip...tho my butt got pretty sore from sitting in one spot so long! I guess I was more taken by it than you were, but I did very much enjoy your look at the book from the various angles you bring up.
I first read The War Of The Worlds way back in the 1970's and have loved it ever since. It is my most read book, with no competition. Everytime I've read it I've been amazed at how someone from Victorian England could imagine such things!! What a genius H.G was! I liked your review, your being considerably younger than myself made it the more interesting. Well done you for having such a wide view of a massive subject. Nothing more attractive in the world than an intelligent woman...x
I read War of the Worlds when I was about 12, at summer camp, if I recall correctly (that was 1967!). I was an avid reader back then and ate it up. I didn't have much time to read it, but managed to read bits and pieces when I could. I had already seen the 1953 movie on TV and loved that. Over the years, I'd watch for it to be shown on local TV and even came late to a get together with friends so I could catch it. I now can watch the movie on demand and enjoy rewatching it, especially the first half. As to the book, I know I was a bit surprised at the three-legged Martian machines instead of the very futuristic-looking floating ships from the movie. I also was a bit confused with some of the English geography and terms (e.g., a curate). Back then, I couldn't check on my phone for a map or a definition. I don't think it scared me or made me anxious. I just enjoyed the science fiction. Maybe I should reread the book and see what I think of it now.
I struggled with all the exposition and descriptions myself, and couldn't even finish the book since there was hardly a story going in in-between the long expositions.
Though I did very much like tWotW, I think the Island of Dr. Moreau is Wells' most impactful work for me personally. I do recommend that one to anyone, over most works (I should really wait to comment until watching entire video, glad you read it). I found the Spielberg adaptation of tWotW to be an excellent modern adaptation.
Solid review :) I know this is a science-fiction classic but I've never gotten around to it (although funnily enough I did recently buy a novel by H.G. Wells 'Men Like Gods'). Also don't apologise for longer reviews, just makes for a better video :)
Hi, I just found this video, and I enjoyed hearing what you had to say about the War of the Worlds! This is a book that I had a copy of many years ago, but it’s one of those that I just never got around to reading, yet one I was still always interested in getting to. Of course, since then, that copy had been lost somewhere along the way. Anyway, I ended up buying a new copy of the book, along with a few others by H.G. Wells…and a couple days ago, I finally finished reading the War of the Worlds. Overall, I thought the book was very good, and I’m just glad that I finally read it! I enjoyed watching your review here…you brought up some interesting points and had a lot of good information about the book. Just subscribed!
I have read the original H.G. Wells book, and I thought it was a pretty interesting read. I loved the 1953 film adaptation with its memorable flying machine designs that are different from the original film's tripods. The Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg version was actually my first exposure to The War of the Worlds, though there's not much I remembered aside from that version's tripod designs.
I read this book. I liked it, but not loved it. I saw 3 other movie versions that were interesting. The first one was called H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, which is a British version. It was almost exactly like the book. Another one was entitled, The True Story of the War of the Worlds. I think it was a British movie set up like a documentary. This last one was also set up like a documentary called The Great Martian War or something like that. They used film footage from WW I to create the story of how all the nations of Europe came together to fight off the invaders; then the Americans came in to help. I actually saw this one on the History Channel.
Glad you gave a shout out to Welles' broadcast, which I've never heard - but I believe it was a matter of timing of when you joined the show as to how likely you were to believe there was a real invasion taking place in NJ, and also a matter of gullibility I suppose. The original movie adaptation is definitely worth viewing, as is "Island of Lost Souls", the first screen adaptation of "Island of Dr Moreau" which is only very rarely aired these days, but I highly recommend it.
Good point: those listening from the very beginning were probably well aware that what they were hearing was fiction. Yes, Island of Lost Souls is a very good film. Didn't bother me like the book did, but it would have to be very disturbing indeed to do that. :)
@@Weiselberry The mental image conjured up by the brain, inspired by the written word, especially by someone as gifted as Wells, is always going to be more intense than what the eye sees on film. But still, "Lost Souls" disturbs me, and Laughton's spot on creepy performance doesn't hurt.
Yes, I watched the original miniseries (really liked it) and The Final Battle (liked it but not as much) back in March 2017. Fortunately I was doing mini reviews back then, so you can see what I had to say about it at the time (ua-cam.com/video/5K-hvbmuqXg/v-deo.html ), though my mini reviews were apparently MUCH less detailed back then.
My intro too was via the 53 version, the novel I was introduced by the Jeff Wayne Musical which was also based on the original book, and it scared me way more than the movie did.
An interesting and entertaining review for a fascinating book, your insightful analysis of the War of the Worlds and how you connect Wells almost Nostradamus like ability to imagine what the World would bring forth in terms of technology, weapons and War within a not too distant future was such a great watch, it's something I hadn't really thought about. I've read the book and liked it but also felt it was a little cold perhaps because I'd seen the 50's film first and listened to the Orson Welles broadcast quite a few times, it's on a Citizen Kane DVD I have, I love the story surrounding it. Listening to War of the Worlds in the dark as you nod off to sleep sounds like a very restful night, I'm sure your Mum slept very well lol. Another terrific review, you inspired me to think and imagine, you also strangely made me want to look at WW1 tanks again with new eyes, they're odd, almost futuristic, steampunk on tracks, I could imagine a villager believing them to be Alien in origin if one came through an isolated village, such an interesting time period. I'm excited to find and read the Day of St Anthony's fire, I've actually read a little about this outbreak ages ago, I was bored and began looking up the name meanings for Anthony and Francis because they're my second and third given names and eventually St Anthony's fire and France came up, I've also always been interested in outbreaks, well a little less now lol, but I am sure I'll enjoy reading more about this one in particular, it's symptoms were so strange, like something that would affect a Star Trek away team. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
Great stuff, as always! I have not previously heard of the Fuller book, but it sounds intriguing, to say the least. I may have to add that to my infinitely-expanding booklist. As for WAR OF THE WORLDS, I have to say it is one of my favorite science fiction novels. My only complaint regarding the book is that the pacing could be a little better. It does get bogged down a little here and there, but other than that I really enjoy it. I can definitely see the reasoning behind your critiques, though, and I suspect the narrative tone doesn't work for a great many readers. I think I have read the novel about three times now, and for me it improves with every reading. Regarding the adaptations, my favorite is by far the classic movie from the 1950's, which to me remains the best of all alien-invasion flicks, bar none. Thanks for sharing your wonderful insights and I will look forward to your next video.
I never read the book, but I have listened to the radio broadcast. I hooked up my ipod touch to my record player. It's one of those throw backs so It has vintage look, but also has audio input, CD player, Cassette, tape in addition to being a record player...so I thought it was very cool to listen to that on a vintage looking machine. I do own the 50s movie too. =)
Cool review. *The War of the Worlds* is my favorite H.G. Wells novel. I find it very engrossing, and the sort of scattered flow of the plot and lack of full knowledge/understanding of what's going on on a larger scale really feels authentic to me, thinking back to events like 9/11, or even the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone tries to absorb what information they can without knowing how accurate any of it might actually be at the time, especially when different aspects contradict each other. And if you're like me, you can't help thinking ahead for different directions things could potentially go, just in case. I don't think I've ever read another book that captured that feeling for me as well as this one. Wells not giving his characters names is a pretty common thing. Some people like to imagine/believe that Wells himself is the narrator/protagonist of some of his stories, although that reference to himself would seem to void that idea in this case. The 1960 *The Time Machine* adaptation (which I love) cleverly alluded to that idea without anyone coming right out and saying it. I just watched the 1953 adaptation earlier this year for the first time since I was a kid. It is surprisingly bleak, and the cinematography is a big step up from most other '50s scifi movies. I liked it way more than I expected to, and definitely recommend checking it out again. I mostly enjoyed the 2005 Spielberg film, although I didn't appreciate that they just had to have Tom Cruise do some hero stuff, which undercut the attempt of portraying things from a normal, everyman perspective. I also don't like a certain aspect of the ending, which I won't spoil if you still plan on watching it, but people who have seen it will probably know what I'm talking about. The 2005 Asylum release is fine, for a low-budget, direct-to-video attempt to cash in on the release of the Spielberg version. This is back before every Asylum movie was complete junk. The 2005 (the year of *War of the Worlds,* apparently) Pendragon Pictures release was intended to be a completely faithful adaptation, which is why it's 3 hours long. I don't know whether it actually lived up to its claims of faithfulness, as I gave up pretty early on. It felt like a high schooler figured out how to put color filters over a lot of flatly shot footage of people walking around and really bad CGI, and decided that was enough to make a movie. I gave away my copy to a college professor who was teaching a science fiction literature course. I warned her about what to expect. I think those are all the versions that I have seen (or at least tried to watch), although I do have the Orson Welles radio drama on CD. I thought it was fun. Back in the early '70s, Marvel started a series of stories featuring a character called Killraven, who battles against the Martians in the future, during their second invasion. I haven't read those, but I know they have a pretty high reputation. Thanks again for the review. I never know what you're going to be talking about next, but I'm always excited when I see one of your videos pop up.
Is that illness also known as the "dancing plague"? The book sounds fascinating. The War Of The Worlds is one of my favorite stories and one of the few books I listen to again and again(I have to listen to audiobooks because I'm not s strong reader) I truly love how it all feels like a sanitized news report or documentary. Yet it still connects because the narrator is so open about his personal feelings. There truly is a sense of imminent ever present danger throughout. You provided a very thorough description of the story. Thank you so much for the review.
The 1951 incident in France is referred to as "Le Pain Maudit" (the cursed bread). If I remember correctly, Fuller did mention the "dancing plague" briefly, but it was something different. (I'd definitely read a book on the subject if there is one...) I recommend the book, provided you're up for an alarming and tragic read.
Great review ! I must add that the 1897 versions (the two monthly periodicals released in the USA and the British Empire) are the only "true" versions. The first edition printed books from 1898 are already shortened. The most relevant thing taken out was in the "Dead London" part of the 1897 story-release where the narrator comes across human corpses in the Wimbledon sports facility, which had been mutilated and dissected by the now dead martians. The description of that scene caused a very large outcry in Britain that kiosks selling the "Pearson's Magazine" were destroyed. One other major thing which got redacted was a (small but distinct) illustration of the "flying machine". YES. In the 1897 editions you have a picture of a FLYING MACHINE(!!) closing the "Thunderchild" chapter : Surely the first picture of a UFO in (modern) history. The illustration is based on a glider of French design which flew in the Paris area around 1894/95. But still. The illustration was used to depict self propelled and flying, alien technology. Outstanding, I think, considering it was 1897...
I read War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. They both have an interesting pattern. These books build to a climax then peters out. In War of the Worlds the fighting ends about halfway through the book. After that the narrator is wandering about. The narrator has a limited perspective. In a way it's the kind of a story that is told from the perspective of the least important character. The focus of the story is Martian technology and biology. Do you know if this style of writing is unique to H.G. Wells or a popular style in the 1890s? War of the Worlds may also give some insights into the philosophy of H.G. Wells.
Hi! Another classic and one of my all time favorite sci-fi books is ‘Dune’. Considering there is a new movie adaptation coming out soon, have considered reading the book? If you already have read it, what did you think of it? Will you review the movie when it comes out? Thanks for the videos, and look forward to see more! Almost forgot...Happy Thanksgiving!
I've considered reading Dune off and on for a few years, even before the latest movie was announced. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but sometime I'd like to read it. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
@@Weiselberry ‘Dune’ can be a difficult book to get through the first time you read it. It is a thick book with a lot of interweaving plots, concepts unique to the story and a lot of characters to keep track of. I think in the long run it was worth the time and effort. But like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ it took me a couple of readings of ‘Dune’ for me to really wrap my head around everything that was going on in the story. I sort of felt sorry for anyone who saw the David Lynch film based of the book who never read it. They had NO CLUE of what was going on in what must have seemed like an extremely weird and complex story!
I wanted you to know that I took your advice and purchased WOW Blue Ray. It fixed up everything I did not like about the original DVD. Including the wires to hold up the Martians Tri Pods. I say many details in the filing I had never seen before. It was truly wonderful. Nice tip and thank you!
I just finished reading this book for a research project and this review shines light on the different perspectives which i defiantly enjoyed! Probably gonna read it again to get a better understanding tho
Thanks for mentioning Fuller - I’m interested to learn more. I agree that first chapter is chilling and contains one of my favorite lines “…watched by intellects both vast and cool.” My initial reading of the book as a kid was confounded by a misprinted copy with whole chapters being repeated. I prefer the 50s movie. Have a good one!
I enjoyed reading War of the Worlds, it kind of blew me away with how many things he actually predicted in this book. I have also read The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, haven't read Island of Dr. Monreau yet. I'll have to check it out.
Stumbled on your channel... I enjoyed it. You seem so cool and laid back ... Best wishes be safe be well stay happy... Not much of a reader unless it's comics, your channel is cool.
Have you come across the 1990's series Great Books?---they devote an episode to THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, narrated by Donald Sutherland. It is quite nicely , if modestly, done. You might find it of interest as an addenda to your finishing the book recently. Thanks for your comments. I am a student of Wells and this book in particular, and have been working on a complete history of "all things War of the Worlds" for the first 100 years (a book called, surprise, The First 100 Years of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS!---1898 to 1998). A project that I really started in the 70's and have worked on and off on since. (got a copy of Wells' handwritten original text when he expanded it from the serialized version, an interesting study in itself). I very much enjoyed your comments about the Fuller book too. I came across that story way back in almost pre-Leary days, and even thought about making a movie about it. Fascinating stuff...including the "stuff" itself. ;-7
I haven't come across Great Books, no. Sounds interesting, though. As does your 100 years project! Based on what I found just putting this video together, there's plenty of material out there to cover in a book, and that's not even including the apparent resurgence The War of the Worlds has enjoyed in the last several years. As I was reading The Day of St. Anthony's Fire, I wondered if there were any films made about the incident, and if there weren't, why on earth not? It has great potential. Or, if not a film, a two-part miniseries perhaps, following first the event and then its aftermath.
Ms Jerome: As usual I thoroughly enjoyed this critique of the War of the Worlds. You are quite entertaining, because of your breadth of knowledge in each film and book you critique. But you’re also very entertaining regardless of whatever subject you choose, due to your above average skill with the English language: and Ms. Jerome, you know how to use vocal cadences to engage your audience. I don’t think I have recommended much to you. Incidentally I recently saw Safety Last with Harold Lloyd. Ms. Jerome, if you have not as yet seen David & Lisa, starring Janet Margolin, and Keir Dulles: you may enjoy it! Thanks for your efforts, Scott
Aw, thank you! :) I actually just watched David & Lisa this past summer. I did a mini review on it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/aU73OATeeMA/v-deo.html
Wells was such a visionary in his writing. I probably didn't like this one as much as some of his other books, but I can see the appeal for readers. Anyhow, enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Take care.
It's so cool hearing you say Woking and Leatherhead 😂😂😂. Good review. I believe the Martians were a metaphor for the British Empire and the colonial expansion of the age. Wells was a lifelong socialist. I hope you find the time one day to listen to Jeff Wayne's musical version. Personally, I think it's the best of the adaptations and the album comes with some beautiful art work. PS. That image of you reading the book to your Mother, by candlelight was really heartwarming.
in all my 29 years, besides The Lord of the Rings, this is my favorite book that I ever read. not the same now, but when I first read it in 4th grade, it terrified the hell out of me lol
Great video. Thanks for sharing your review. If you ever find it, I'd suggest watching the animated movie - 'War of the Worlds: Goliath'. It's a sequel to the original story. Humans have reverse-engineered the alien technology to make weapons and united to fight against a second invasion. Featuring Teddy Roosevelt and Nikola Tesla. It's cheesy but pretty good. It's got strong 'Independence Day' vibes.
there musical concept album from 1970s both are great songs are great i love the song HMS thunderchild check it out war of world inspire me to write my own alien invasion novel it been on back burner for years now but still working on it
@@SJHFoto while your comparison and assessment are seemingly mostly accurate, they still present a generalization of the generational differences. Modern generations still have periodic entertainment. Publications and productions that come out weekly or monthly or with even greater distance between release dates. Whether it's comics, web-series, magazines, TV shows, etc. And plenty of modern readers understand the historical context within which a story was written and how it was written. And plenty of modern readers enjoy older texts, whether they know how it was originally presented/consumed or not. Oftentimes, the long, drawn-out dialogue and descriptions had less to do with padding to fill a monthly release, and more to do with the fact that certain publishers paid writers a certain amount of money per word. I and many people I know, as well as many people in general (it's easy enough to do an online search for statistics) enjoy many stories that were originally periodical publications from the 19th and early 20th century. I don't think it's strictly a matter of time period. I think it's merely a matter of some stories having better pacing, and some authors being better at pacing than others.
I agree that it has to do more with the individual style, not the age of the book. The author/narrator intended The War of the Worlds to be read as sincere documentation of an event, which is why certain sections read like an article in a scientific journal or like an eyewitness account in a newspaper. The narrator is careful to be accurate with his descriptions, which can make the text dry and laborious (not necessarily tedious, though: I didn't use that word). Wells wrote other books in the same decade that have a more traditional narrative style, and those require less effort of concentration.
I did a couple mini reviews back when I watched the 1963 movie and the 1981 miniseries. I watched them so close together that the reviews ended up in the same video (which you can watch here if you like: ua-cam.com/video/oHYiFGyga3o/v-deo.html ). Thanks! :)
Now here's something not everyone knows. They made a TV movie that dramatized the famous Orson Wells radio production called The Night That Panicked America in 1975. It showed for the first time on a Friday with a ton of stars including Vic Morrow, Will Greer, Paul Shenar as Orson Wells, John Ritter, Cliff De Young, and Tom Bosley. They even have Casey Kasem as one of the Mercury players and directed by Joseph Sargent, director of Jaws 4 The Revenge. The movie was on UA-cam a few years back. Couldn't find movie but I did find the old TV movie credit and trailer. Also has a minute or so narration ua-cam.com/video/EEU0ZrGw9Mo/v-deo.html
Great review. The prospect of the destruction of civilisation must’ve been really shocking and frightening to readers of the time. I much prefer the books by John Wyndham who you mention at the end of your video. I find his writing much more vivid and engaging. Have you read Wyndham’s “The Midwich Cuckoos”?
Thanks! I haven't gotten to that one yet, but I still intend to. I read The Day of the Triffids in 2017 and The Kraken Wakes in 2018, so I'm overdue for another dose of Wyndham...
How about "Who Goes There?" By John W. Campbell? Or perhaps it's recently-discovered and released extended version "Frozen Hell." It is the creative inspiration for 1952's "The Thing From Another World" and more famously John Carpenter's 1982 "The Thing."
Good review. I've always enjoyed the Orson Welles adaptation (some versions online sound better than others.) One thing I've wondered about was this, the Martian Machines had 3 legs, and tri-pods are very stable, as long as they are stationary. Something with three legs trying to move will fall right over. Maybe that's why the 1953 version had the machines floating along? Thanks again D5
The 1953 movie couldn't afford to do stop-motion tripods. The warships we got were due to budgetary restrictions. And even then, they tried giving the warships three electrical discharge rays to mimic tripod legs...until it proved to be a safety hazard on set. But you can still see the energy legs in the first two shots of the warship rising from the crater.
Thanks for this it was great. I kind of think the invasion of southeast England makes sense. If the Martians have been watching us they would have seen that all the shipping activity on our rather wet home would center there at that time. Also when you have the island you have a secure base...and a food supply.
The book was not very personal and it makes the reader feel distant, like you said. But perhaps that was done to make it feel more like an actual thing that happened. Like a historical report.
I actually follow a channel on Naval history that got into the "H.M.S. Thunderchild" from the book as a special and even did a reading of Chapter 17, "The Thunderchild" roughly this time last year. If you want to check out his reading of that chapter you can find it here. ua-cam.com/video/dqyPQ4_1nF0/v-deo.html
Would like to see you review the classic 1953 movie version along with other notable 1950's sci fi classics such as: The Day the Earth Stood Still Them! Forbidden Planet Journey to the Center of the Earth Conquest of Space The Thing from Another World Invaders from Mars The Incredible Shrinking Man It Came from Beneath the Sea Earth vs the Flying Saucers 20 Million Miles to Earth When Worlds Collide and some from the 60's: The Time Machine Fantastic Voyage Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea First Men in the Moon The Valley of Gwangi and let's end with 1971's Andromeda Strain
@@Weiselberry Thank you for your reply. After giving it some thought, I think the film I would most enjoy seeing you review would be 1969's "They Shoot Horses Don't They?". It stars Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Red Buttons, and Gig Young and is set amidst a dance marathon during the Great Depression.
I did not enjoy the book very much. It was curiously flat. It was strange to read a science fiction book set at a time when people still used horses for transport, and before radio. Jeff Wayne's concept album of War of the Worlds was better.
Yes, I had to keep reminding myself that it was for the most part a pre-motor vehicle society. The mad rush from one place to another might have included a few cars, but many more horses, which makes the whole picture even more chaotic to me. I also found it near-impossible to picture people wearing the appropriate clothing for the era. I'll have to check out this musical...
My first book review with you. I'm typing during your 'opening credits'. I'll be curious if you've found old-radio programs of this - the Orson Welles from Halloween Night to the various '70s and '80s re-do's. Lordy, let's hope you've never found the Richard Burton version...sigh. You can download AS adequate versions from ARCHIVE.ORG's Audio / Old Time Radio subsections.) LATER NOTES: excellent review, covering so many aspects. This is a childhood favorite, as were HG's other books you mentioned. Re-reads in my 20s were surprising because, I found, the books quickly devoured. As I read more history, I realize HG was an imperialist of the Old School and these politics didn't seem to fester as much in these "pop novels" in his early years as his writings spewed in later ones. It's notable to remember that HG was likely unaware or disconnected from world movements of the 1850s onwards (assassinations of world leaders across the globe, radical social movements, willingness to destroy establishments, etc. All of this was due to lack of global communications. Ted Turner's refusal to get TV stations across the globe in those decades certainly inhibited HG's and a few other folks' timely understanding of global events.
Like much of Wells work the content is brilliant but the writing style is more in line with his non-fictional pieces about society. The book is to a large extent an excuse for social commentary. One of the reasons I despise the Speilberg film despite its great visuals is its utter cowardice. It drops all the social commentary, the class criticism, the religious criticism, the military criticism, its all gone and left with no meaning - when its the main thrust of the books messaging.
UPDATE: I reviewed the 1953 movie! Watch the video here: ua-cam.com/video/svlhLP2IO7s/v-deo.html
IT IS TRUE! | You do have a very pleasant voice, Jerome, which is why you are a successful reviewer and personality. Thanks.
You've got the cutest voice out there. Hard to believe it was released today. wow
She does don’t she! War of the worlds is such a hard story to read for me. It doesn’t have as much heart as Hg Wells other famous stories
I have heard of that story about the bread in France in the 50’s, really scary.
This has to be one of my favourite sci-fi stories, can’t wait to read more of Wells’ works.
I do agree that it was quite hard to read. Classic really ain’t my style, so I had to listen to an audiobook while physically reading it, but I’m glad I did because it was amazing. The way he described the Martians in such a grotesque way yet their intelligence is just so strange, and the Tripods are the most iconic aliens of anything in the Sci-Fi world.
Also, loved the review, hope you get recognised much more 😀
One thing I remember about my first encounter with the book: I read it in one sitting on a rocking chair on my grandmother's porch when I was 10, and, boy, it had me in its grip...tho my butt got pretty sore from sitting in one spot so long! I guess I was more taken by it than you were, but I did very much enjoy your look at the book from the various angles you bring up.
When I read this novel I read it with the voice of Richard Burton in my head. It actually works!
This is the first video Ever w 2000 views and zero 👎. Congratulations!!
I first read The War Of The Worlds way back in the 1970's and have loved it ever since. It is my most read book, with no competition. Everytime I've read it I've been amazed at how someone from Victorian England could imagine such things!! What a genius H.G was! I liked your review, your being considerably younger than myself made it the more interesting. Well done you for having such a wide view of a massive subject. Nothing more attractive in the world than an intelligent woman...x
I read War of the Worlds when I was about 12, at summer camp, if I recall correctly (that was 1967!). I was an avid reader back then and ate it up. I didn't have much time to read it, but managed to read bits and pieces when I could. I had already seen the 1953 movie on TV and loved that. Over the years, I'd watch for it to be shown on local TV and even came late to a get together with friends so I could catch it. I now can watch the movie on demand and enjoy rewatching it, especially the first half. As to the book, I know I was a bit surprised at the three-legged Martian machines instead of the very futuristic-looking floating ships from the movie. I also was a bit confused with some of the English geography and terms (e.g., a curate). Back then, I couldn't check on my phone for a map or a definition. I don't think it scared me or made me anxious. I just enjoyed the science fiction. Maybe I should reread the book and see what I think of it now.
I struggled with all the exposition and descriptions myself, and couldn't even finish the book since there was hardly a story going in in-between the long expositions.
Though I did very much like tWotW, I think the Island of Dr. Moreau is Wells' most impactful work for me personally. I do recommend that one to anyone, over most works (I should really wait to comment until watching entire video, glad you read it). I found the Spielberg adaptation of tWotW to be an excellent modern adaptation.
Solid review :) I know this is a science-fiction classic but I've never gotten around to it (although funnily enough I did recently buy a novel by H.G. Wells 'Men Like Gods').
Also don't apologise for longer reviews, just makes for a better video :)
Hi, I just found this video, and I enjoyed hearing what you had to say about the War of the Worlds! This is a book that I had a copy of many years ago, but it’s one of those that I just never got around to reading, yet one I was still always interested in getting to. Of course, since then, that copy had been lost somewhere along the way. Anyway, I ended up buying a new copy of the book, along with a few others by H.G. Wells…and a couple days ago, I finally finished reading the War of the Worlds. Overall, I thought the book was very good, and I’m just glad that I finally read it! I enjoyed watching your review here…you brought up some interesting points and had a lot of good information about the book. Just subscribed!
Thanks! I'm glad you ended up enjoying the book after all that time.
I have read the original H.G. Wells book, and I thought it was a pretty interesting read. I loved the 1953 film adaptation with its memorable flying machine designs that are different from the original film's tripods. The Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg version was actually my first exposure to The War of the Worlds, though there's not much I remembered aside from that version's tripod designs.
I read this book. I liked it, but not loved it. I saw 3 other movie versions that were interesting. The first one was called H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, which is a British version. It was almost exactly like the book. Another one was entitled, The True Story of the War of the Worlds. I think it was a British movie set up like a documentary. This last one was also set up like a documentary called The Great Martian War or something like that. They used film footage from WW I to create the story of how all the nations of Europe came together to fight off the invaders; then the Americans came in to help. I actually saw this one on the History Channel.
Glad you gave a shout out to Welles' broadcast, which I've never heard - but I believe it was a matter of timing of when you joined the show as to how likely you were to believe there was a real invasion taking place in NJ, and also a matter of gullibility I suppose. The original movie adaptation is definitely worth viewing, as is "Island of Lost Souls", the first screen adaptation of "Island of Dr Moreau" which is only very rarely aired these days, but I highly recommend it.
Good point: those listening from the very beginning were probably well aware that what they were hearing was fiction. Yes, Island of Lost Souls is a very good film. Didn't bother me like the book did, but it would have to be very disturbing indeed to do that. :)
@@Weiselberry The mental image conjured up by the brain, inspired by the written word, especially by someone as gifted as Wells, is always going to be more intense than what the eye sees on film. But still, "Lost Souls" disturbs me, and Laughton's spot on creepy performance doesn't hurt.
I enjoyed the review, thank you. This is one of my absolute favorite books. Have you considered reviewing the 1953 film adaptation?
Yes, I have! When I get the chance to I watch it again, I'll probably review it. :)
I love this idea!
I'm not sure if you've read 1984 by George Orwell but I'd be interested to know if you liked one or the other better!
I just revisited the V Miniseries (Final Battle) from the '80s, so this was quite timely. Are you familiar with that series at all?
Yes, I watched the original miniseries (really liked it) and The Final Battle (liked it but not as much) back in March 2017. Fortunately I was doing mini reviews back then, so you can see what I had to say about it at the time (ua-cam.com/video/5K-hvbmuqXg/v-deo.html ), though my mini reviews were apparently MUCH less detailed back then.
My intro too was via the 53 version, the novel I was introduced by the Jeff Wayne Musical which was also based on the original book, and it scared me way more than the movie did.
An interesting and entertaining review for a fascinating book, your insightful analysis of the War of the Worlds and how you connect Wells almost Nostradamus like ability to imagine what the World would bring forth in terms of technology, weapons and War within a not too distant future was such a great watch, it's something I hadn't really thought about. I've read the book and liked it but also felt it was a little cold perhaps because I'd seen the 50's film first and listened to the Orson Welles broadcast quite a few times, it's on a Citizen Kane DVD I have, I love the story surrounding it. Listening to War of the Worlds in the dark as you nod off to sleep sounds like a very restful night, I'm sure your Mum slept very well lol. Another terrific review, you inspired me to think and imagine, you also strangely made me want to look at WW1 tanks again with new eyes, they're odd, almost futuristic, steampunk on tracks, I could imagine a villager believing them to be Alien in origin if one came through an isolated village, such an interesting time period. I'm excited to find and read the Day of St Anthony's fire, I've actually read a little about this outbreak ages ago, I was bored and began looking up the name meanings for Anthony and Francis because they're my second and third given names and eventually St Anthony's fire and France came up, I've also always been interested in outbreaks, well a little less now lol, but I am sure I'll enjoy reading more about this one in particular, it's symptoms were so strange, like something that would affect a Star Trek away team. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
Great stuff, as always! I have not previously heard of the Fuller book, but it sounds intriguing, to say the least. I may have to add that to my infinitely-expanding booklist. As for WAR OF THE WORLDS, I have to say it is one of my favorite science fiction novels. My only complaint regarding the book is that the pacing could be a little better. It does get bogged down a little here and there, but other than that I really enjoy it. I can definitely see the reasoning behind your critiques, though, and I suspect the narrative tone doesn't work for a great many readers. I think I have read the novel about three times now, and for me it improves with every reading. Regarding the adaptations, my favorite is by far the classic movie from the 1950's, which to me remains the best of all alien-invasion flicks, bar none. Thanks for sharing your wonderful insights and I will look forward to your next video.
I never read the book, but I have listened to the radio broadcast. I hooked up my ipod touch to my record player. It's one of those throw backs so It has vintage look, but also has audio input, CD player, Cassette, tape in addition to being a record player...so I thought it was very cool to listen to that on a vintage looking machine. I do own the 50s movie too. =)
Cool review. *The War of the Worlds* is my favorite H.G. Wells novel. I find it very engrossing, and the sort of scattered flow of the plot and lack of full knowledge/understanding of what's going on on a larger scale really feels authentic to me, thinking back to events like 9/11, or even the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone tries to absorb what information they can without knowing how accurate any of it might actually be at the time, especially when different aspects contradict each other. And if you're like me, you can't help thinking ahead for different directions things could potentially go, just in case. I don't think I've ever read another book that captured that feeling for me as well as this one.
Wells not giving his characters names is a pretty common thing. Some people like to imagine/believe that Wells himself is the narrator/protagonist of some of his stories, although that reference to himself would seem to void that idea in this case. The 1960 *The Time Machine* adaptation (which I love) cleverly alluded to that idea without anyone coming right out and saying it.
I just watched the 1953 adaptation earlier this year for the first time since I was a kid. It is surprisingly bleak, and the cinematography is a big step up from most other '50s scifi movies. I liked it way more than I expected to, and definitely recommend checking it out again.
I mostly enjoyed the 2005 Spielberg film, although I didn't appreciate that they just had to have Tom Cruise do some hero stuff, which undercut the attempt of portraying things from a normal, everyman perspective. I also don't like a certain aspect of the ending, which I won't spoil if you still plan on watching it, but people who have seen it will probably know what I'm talking about.
The 2005 Asylum release is fine, for a low-budget, direct-to-video attempt to cash in on the release of the Spielberg version. This is back before every Asylum movie was complete junk.
The 2005 (the year of *War of the Worlds,* apparently) Pendragon Pictures release was intended to be a completely faithful adaptation, which is why it's 3 hours long. I don't know whether it actually lived up to its claims of faithfulness, as I gave up pretty early on. It felt like a high schooler figured out how to put color filters over a lot of flatly shot footage of people walking around and really bad CGI, and decided that was enough to make a movie. I gave away my copy to a college professor who was teaching a science fiction literature course. I warned her about what to expect.
I think those are all the versions that I have seen (or at least tried to watch), although I do have the Orson Welles radio drama on CD. I thought it was fun.
Back in the early '70s, Marvel started a series of stories featuring a character called Killraven, who battles against the Martians in the future, during their second invasion. I haven't read those, but I know they have a pretty high reputation.
Thanks again for the review. I never know what you're going to be talking about next, but I'm always excited when I see one of your videos pop up.
*Three* versions released in 2005? I had no idea! Thanks for the informative and thorough comment!
Is that illness also known as the "dancing plague"? The book sounds fascinating.
The War Of The Worlds is one of my favorite stories and one of the few books I listen to again and again(I have to listen to audiobooks because I'm not s strong reader) I truly love how it all feels like a sanitized news report or documentary. Yet it still connects because the narrator is so open about his personal feelings. There truly is a sense of imminent ever present danger throughout. You provided a very thorough description of the story. Thank you so much for the review.
The 1951 incident in France is referred to as "Le Pain Maudit" (the cursed bread). If I remember correctly, Fuller did mention the "dancing plague" briefly, but it was something different. (I'd definitely read a book on the subject if there is one...) I recommend the book, provided you're up for an alarming and tragic read.
They mentioned the cursed bread in a episode of The Ghost Whisperer.
Great review !
I must add that the 1897 versions (the two monthly periodicals released in the USA and the British Empire) are the only "true" versions. The first edition printed books from 1898 are already shortened. The most relevant thing taken out was in the "Dead London" part of the 1897 story-release where the narrator comes across human corpses in the Wimbledon sports facility, which had been mutilated and dissected by the now dead martians. The description of that scene caused a very large outcry in Britain that kiosks selling the "Pearson's Magazine" were destroyed.
One other major thing which got redacted was a (small but distinct) illustration of the "flying machine". YES. In the 1897 editions you have a picture of a FLYING MACHINE(!!) closing the "Thunderchild" chapter : Surely the first picture of a UFO in (modern) history.
The illustration is based on a glider of French design which flew in the Paris area around 1894/95. But still. The illustration was used to depict self propelled and flying, alien technology. Outstanding, I think, considering it was 1897...
I read War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. They both have an interesting pattern. These books build to a climax then peters out. In War of the Worlds the fighting ends about halfway through the book. After that the narrator is wandering about. The narrator has a limited perspective. In a way it's the kind of a story that is told from the perspective of the least important character. The focus of the story is Martian technology and biology. Do you know if this style of writing is unique to H.G. Wells or a popular style in the 1890s? War of the Worlds may also give some insights into the philosophy of H.G. Wells.
Hi! Another classic and one of my all time favorite sci-fi books is ‘Dune’. Considering there is a new movie adaptation coming out soon, have considered reading the book? If you already have read it, what did you think of it? Will you review the movie when it comes out? Thanks for the videos, and look forward to see more! Almost forgot...Happy Thanksgiving!
I've considered reading Dune off and on for a few years, even before the latest movie was announced. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but sometime I'd like to read it. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
@@Weiselberry ‘Dune’ can be a difficult book to get through the first time you read it. It is a thick book with a lot of interweaving plots, concepts unique to the story and a lot of characters to keep track of. I think in the long run it was worth the time and effort. But like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ it took me a couple of readings of ‘Dune’ for me to really wrap my head around everything that was going on in the story. I sort of felt sorry for anyone who saw the David Lynch film based of the book who never read it. They had NO CLUE of what was going on in what must have seemed like an extremely weird and complex story!
I wanted you to know that I took your advice and purchased WOW Blue Ray. It fixed up everything I did not like about the original DVD. Including the wires to hold up the Martians Tri Pods. I say many details in the filing I had never seen before. It was truly wonderful. Nice tip and thank you!
I'm happy to hear you're so satisfied!
I just finished reading this book for a research project and this review shines light on the different perspectives which i defiantly enjoyed! Probably gonna read it again to get a better understanding tho
Thanks for mentioning Fuller - I’m interested to learn more. I agree that first chapter is chilling and contains one of my favorite lines “…watched by intellects both vast and cool.” My initial reading of the book as a kid was confounded by a misprinted copy with whole chapters being repeated. I prefer the 50s movie. Have a good one!
I enjoyed reading War of the Worlds, it kind of blew me away with how many things he actually predicted in this book. I have also read The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, haven't read Island of Dr. Monreau yet. I'll have to check it out.
Stumbled on your channel... I enjoyed it. You seem so cool and laid back ... Best wishes be safe be well stay happy... Not much of a reader unless it's comics, your channel is cool.
Thanks!
Have you come across the 1990's series Great Books?---they devote an episode to THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, narrated by Donald Sutherland. It is quite nicely , if modestly, done. You might find it of interest as an addenda to your finishing the book recently. Thanks for your comments. I am a student of Wells and this book in particular, and have been working on a complete history of "all things War of the Worlds" for the first 100 years (a book called, surprise, The First 100 Years of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS!---1898 to 1998). A project that I really started in the 70's and have worked on and off on since. (got a copy of Wells' handwritten original text when he expanded it from the serialized version, an interesting study in itself). I very much enjoyed your comments about the Fuller book too. I came across that story way back in almost pre-Leary days, and even thought about making a movie about it. Fascinating stuff...including the "stuff" itself. ;-7
I haven't come across Great Books, no. Sounds interesting, though. As does your 100 years project! Based on what I found just putting this video together, there's plenty of material out there to cover in a book, and that's not even including the apparent resurgence The War of the Worlds has enjoyed in the last several years. As I was reading The Day of St. Anthony's Fire, I wondered if there were any films made about the incident, and if there weren't, why on earth not? It has great potential. Or, if not a film, a two-part miniseries perhaps, following first the event and then its aftermath.
Ms Jerome: As usual I thoroughly enjoyed this critique of the War of the Worlds. You are quite entertaining, because of your breadth of knowledge in each film and book you critique. But you’re also very entertaining regardless of whatever subject you choose, due to your above average skill with the English language: and Ms. Jerome, you know how to use vocal cadences to engage your audience.
I don’t think I have recommended much to you. Incidentally I recently saw Safety Last with Harold Lloyd.
Ms. Jerome, if you have not as yet seen David & Lisa, starring Janet Margolin, and Keir Dulles: you may enjoy it!
Thanks for your
efforts, Scott
Aw, thank you! :) I actually just watched David & Lisa this past summer. I did a mini review on it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/aU73OATeeMA/v-deo.html
Wells was such a visionary in his writing. I probably didn't like this one as much as some of his other books, but I can see the appeal for readers. Anyhow, enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Take care.
Thank you!
It's so cool hearing you say Woking and Leatherhead 😂😂😂. Good review. I believe the Martians were a metaphor for the British Empire and the colonial expansion of the age. Wells was a lifelong socialist.
I hope you find the time one day to listen to Jeff Wayne's musical version. Personally, I think it's the best of the adaptations and the album comes with some beautiful art work.
PS. That image of you reading the book to your Mother, by candlelight was really heartwarming.
Thank you for reviewing this, very interesting to hear your thoughts on the classics 🙆♀️
Glad you liked it!
in all my 29 years, besides The Lord of the Rings, this is my favorite book that I ever read. not the same now, but when I first read it in 4th grade, it terrified the hell out of me lol
Great video. Thanks for sharing your review.
If you ever find it, I'd suggest watching the animated movie - 'War of the Worlds: Goliath'.
It's a sequel to the original story.
Humans have reverse-engineered the alien technology to make weapons and united to fight against a second invasion.
Featuring Teddy Roosevelt and Nikola Tesla.
It's cheesy but pretty good.
It's got strong 'Independence Day' vibes.
The War of the Worlds is one of the best sci-fi novels of all time in my opinion. The only book which tops it for me is The Time Machine :)
there musical concept album from 1970s both are great songs are great i love the song HMS thunderchild check it out
war of world inspire me to write my own alien invasion novel it been on back burner for years now but still working on it
I've never finished it myself, saw snippits of the radio broadcast
It was a stunning review and you're lovely! 😍👍
I guess we both like movies and books. Do you write ? like stories, screenplays ?
WotW is a fun read. Honestly, I enjoyed most of the adaptations more than the original text though.
@@SJHFoto while your comparison and assessment are seemingly mostly accurate, they still present a generalization of the generational differences.
Modern generations still have periodic entertainment. Publications and productions that come out weekly or monthly or with even greater distance between release dates. Whether it's comics, web-series, magazines, TV shows, etc. And plenty of modern readers understand the historical context within which a story was written and how it was written. And plenty of modern readers enjoy older texts, whether they know how it was originally presented/consumed or not.
Oftentimes, the long, drawn-out dialogue and descriptions had less to do with padding to fill a monthly release, and more to do with the fact that certain publishers paid writers a certain amount of money per word.
I and many people I know, as well as many people in general (it's easy enough to do an online search for statistics) enjoy many stories that were originally periodical publications from the 19th and early 20th century.
I don't think it's strictly a matter of time period.
I think it's merely a matter of some stories having better pacing, and some authors being better at pacing than others.
I agree that it has to do more with the individual style, not the age of the book. The author/narrator intended The War of the Worlds to be read as sincere documentation of an event, which is why certain sections read like an article in a scientific journal or like an eyewitness account in a newspaper. The narrator is careful to be accurate with his descriptions, which can make the text dry and laborious (not necessarily tedious, though: I didn't use that word). Wells wrote other books in the same decade that have a more traditional narrative style, and those require less effort of concentration.
Day of the Triffids movie review would be great. Great review as expected👍!
I did a couple mini reviews back when I watched the 1963 movie and the 1981 miniseries. I watched them so close together that the reviews ended up in the same video (which you can watch here if you like: ua-cam.com/video/oHYiFGyga3o/v-deo.html ). Thanks! :)
@@Weiselberry I appreciate you letting me know. I'll certainly watch them. Your reviews are terrific. Keep em comin! Thanks👍!
Now here's something not everyone knows. They made a TV movie that dramatized the famous Orson Wells radio production called The Night That Panicked America in 1975. It showed for the first time on a Friday with a ton of stars including Vic Morrow, Will Greer, Paul Shenar as Orson Wells, John Ritter, Cliff De Young, and Tom Bosley. They even have Casey Kasem as one of the Mercury players and directed by Joseph Sargent, director of Jaws 4 The Revenge. The movie was on UA-cam a few years back. Couldn't find movie but I did find the old TV movie credit and trailer. Also has a minute or so narration ua-cam.com/video/EEU0ZrGw9Mo/v-deo.html
I loved the book THE TIME MACHINE. Of course the book had no blonde love interest such as the movie had.
It did have a little romance, though. :)
Great review. The prospect of the destruction of civilisation must’ve been really shocking and frightening to readers of the time. I much prefer the books by John Wyndham who you mention at the end of your video. I find his writing much more vivid and engaging. Have you read Wyndham’s “The Midwich Cuckoos”?
Thanks! I haven't gotten to that one yet, but I still intend to. I read The Day of the Triffids in 2017 and The Kraken Wakes in 2018, so I'm overdue for another dose of Wyndham...
This is digested best when listened to, I think. I listened to it while I worked.
War of the Worlds sounds intriguing. I'm going to have to do some research on it. When will your next Jane Eyre review be coming out?
Verrrry soon. :)
How about "Who Goes There?" By John W. Campbell? Or perhaps it's recently-discovered and released extended version "Frozen Hell." It is the creative inspiration for 1952's "The Thing From Another World" and more famously John Carpenter's 1982 "The Thing."
Good review. I've always enjoyed the Orson Welles adaptation (some versions online sound better than others.) One thing I've wondered about was this, the Martian Machines had 3 legs, and tri-pods are very stable, as long as they are stationary. Something with three legs trying to move will fall right over. Maybe that's why the 1953 version had the machines floating along? Thanks again D5
The 1953 movie couldn't afford to do stop-motion tripods. The warships we got were due to budgetary restrictions. And even then, they tried giving the warships three electrical discharge rays to mimic tripod legs...until it proved to be a safety hazard on set. But you can still see the energy legs in the first two shots of the warship rising from the crater.
Cool review 👍🏻
I just finished reading the book too and pretty much agree with your review. I liked it but didnt love it, the Martian Tripods are cool tho lol
Thanks for this it was great. I kind of think the invasion of southeast England makes sense. If the Martians have been watching us they would have seen that all the shipping activity on our rather wet home would center there at that time. Also when you have the island you have a secure base...and a food supply.
The book was not very personal and it makes the reader feel distant, like you said. But perhaps that was done to make it feel more like an actual thing that happened. Like a historical report.
That's definitely how it felt to me.
Brilliantly said.
Check out Ringworld by Larry Niven. Fascinating concept.
Wells was way ahead of his time.
Right on!
Great review :D
Can you review the Kraken wakes?
I discuss it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/WjeQy4AHn50/v-deo.html
idk why but you remind me of mia from the princess diaries and i mean this as a compliment
HG wells use to live in Portsmouth my hometown in the U.K. Charles Dickens Is also from here, he’s from Landport a very very run down deprived area
I believe Wells lived in Woking and hated it which is why it got destroyed by the heat ray.
@@gweflj Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, HG wells all Pompey authors, Pompey is the city of authors
I actually follow a channel on Naval history that got into the "H.M.S. Thunderchild" from the book as a special and even did a reading of Chapter 17, "The Thunderchild" roughly this time last year. If you want to check out his reading of that chapter you can find it here. ua-cam.com/video/dqyPQ4_1nF0/v-deo.html
Would like to see you review the classic 1953 movie version along with other notable 1950's sci fi classics such as:
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Them!
Forbidden Planet
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Conquest of Space
The Thing from Another World
Invaders from Mars
The Incredible Shrinking Man
It Came from Beneath the Sea
Earth vs the Flying Saucers
20 Million Miles to Earth
When Worlds Collide
and some from the 60's:
The Time Machine
Fantastic Voyage
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
First Men in the Moon
The Valley of Gwangi
and let's end with 1971's Andromeda Strain
You'll be happy to know that I am planning to review several of those movies sometime in the future. :)
@@Weiselberry Thank you for your reply. After giving it some thought, I think the film I would most enjoy seeing you review would be 1969's "They Shoot Horses Don't They?". It stars Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Red Buttons, and Gig Young and is set amidst a dance marathon during the Great Depression.
Imagine way back when hearing this over the radio thinking it was really happening.
I always preferred the Time Machine
I really enjoyed your review, just a little gripe, why is the vid only 480p???
I did not enjoy the book very much. It was curiously flat. It was strange to read a science fiction book set at a time when people still used horses for transport, and before radio. Jeff Wayne's concept album of War of the Worlds was better.
Yes, I had to keep reminding myself that it was for the most part a pre-motor vehicle society. The mad rush from one place to another might have included a few cars, but many more horses, which makes the whole picture even more chaotic to me. I also found it near-impossible to picture people wearing the appropriate clothing for the era. I'll have to check out this musical...
This is cool.
My father and family weren't fooled by the broadcast.
How could u Not watch a few of the films??
👍
My first book review with you. I'm typing during your 'opening credits'. I'll be curious if you've found old-radio programs of this - the Orson Welles from Halloween Night to the various '70s and '80s re-do's. Lordy, let's hope you've never found the Richard Burton version...sigh. You can download AS adequate versions from ARCHIVE.ORG's Audio / Old Time Radio subsections.) LATER NOTES: excellent review, covering so many aspects. This is a childhood favorite, as were HG's other books you mentioned. Re-reads in my 20s were surprising because, I found, the books quickly devoured. As I read more history, I realize HG was an imperialist of the Old School and these politics didn't seem to fester as much in these "pop novels" in his early years as his writings spewed in later ones. It's notable to remember that HG was likely unaware or disconnected from world movements of the 1850s onwards (assassinations of world leaders across the globe, radical social movements, willingness to destroy establishments, etc. All of this was due to lack of global communications. Ted Turner's refusal to get TV stations across the globe in those decades certainly inhibited HG's and a few other folks' timely understanding of global events.
Job WELLS done
You are simply amazing.
1 of the most important novels of all time! (Not that first garbage)
Like much of Wells work the content is brilliant but the writing style is more in line with his non-fictional pieces about society. The book is to a large extent an excuse for social commentary. One of the reasons I despise the Speilberg film despite its great visuals is its utter cowardice. It drops all the social commentary, the class criticism, the religious criticism, the military criticism, its all gone and left with no meaning - when its the main thrust of the books messaging.
Wow your cute 🥰
Cool your jets George Jetson.
U wasted 2 mins of my life