Tag Archives: Classics

The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the first men in the moon

Title: The First Men in the Moon
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Science fiction
Dates read: 26th – 17th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1901
5th sentence, 74th page: “They’re not seeking us, or thinking of us.”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

When penniless businessman Mr Bedford retreats to the Kent coast to write a play, he meets by chance the brilliant Dr Cavor, an absent-minded scientist on the brink of developing a material that blocks gravity. Cavor soon succeeds in his experiments, only to tell a stunned Bedford the invention makes possible one of the oldest dreams of humanity: a journey to the moon. With Bedford motivated by money, and Cavor by the desire for knowledge, the two embark on the expedition. But neither are prepared for what they find – a world of freezing nights, boiling days and sinister alien life, on which they may be trapped forever.

Thoughts

The second to last book in my H.G. Wells novel run. I seem to be ripping through them ridiculously quickly. It is yet another fun, engaging and thrilling read. Another tale that I loved and found ridiculously engaging. I think that the very mention of the moon made me feel light and floaty while reading this. Something that was a little more surreal than the other Wells books so far.

This is another story that I’m going to have to read another ten times to truly “get” what’s going on. There is just something ridiculously fun about the multi-layers in this story. The way that they’re built upon one another, so you’re not only taken on an adventure across the moon, in a battle with moon-Martians.

The characters in this novel are fun and witty. Which is why it’s understandable that this is such a well-known classic. They’re relatable and accessible. Easy to listen to and see. And definitely an enjoyable bunch of companions to take on the journey with you. Not the kind of book that I would leave collecting dust on my shelves – it’s going to be one that I’ll read again and again and again.

There’s not many stories in my collection that are based on the moon. Yet, it’s something that I am fascinated by. After all, we look up at it every night. And people have actually set foot on the moon…

 <- The War of the Worlds ReviewThe Food of the Gods Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the war of the worlds

Title: The War of the Worlds
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Science fiction
Dates read: 24th – 26th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1898
5th sentence, 74th page: Save for the sound we lay quite still in the scullery; I for my part scarce dared breathe, and sat with my eyes fixed on the faint light of the kitchen door.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

With H.G. Wells’ other novels, The War of the Worlds was one of the first and greatest works of science fiction ever to be written. Even long before man had learned to fly, H.G. Wells wrote this story of the Martian attack on England. These unearthly creatures arrive in huge cylinders, from which they escape as soon as the metal is cool. The first falls near Woking and is regarded as a curiosity rather than a danger until the Martians climb out of it and kill many of the gaping crowd with a Heat-Ray. These unearthly creatures have heads four feet in diameter and colossal round bodies, and by manipulating two terrifying machines – the Handling Machine and the Fighting Machine – they are as versatile as humans and at the same time insuperable. They cause boundless destruction. The inhabitants of the Earth are powerless against them, and it looks as if the end of the World has come. But there is one factor which the Martians, in spite of their superior intelligence, have not reckoned on. It is this which brings about a miraculous conclusion to this famous work of the imagination.

Thoughts

This is a surprisingly intense story. The last few H.G. Wells books that I’ve read have felt a little more humorous, and so this one kind of took me by surprise. It is far more dark and dangerous. A little more serious and definitely one I’m going to have to read again multiple times to truly understand what I’ve actually been reading. Although, even on my first read through… I seriously enjoyed it and can completely understand why it is a classic!

I’m always a sucker for a first person POV. And it’s not something I tend to come across so much in classics that were written in the 1800s. Actually, off the top of my head, it’s the first classic of this era that I’ve enjoyed the first person POV. It gave a unique voice and feeling to the story that I really wasn’t expecting. And one I was kind of sad to close the pages on. Although, again, very different from the glimpses I’ve caught of the movie.

Although I absolutely ripped through this story and found it quite easy to get through. It was still quite an intense read. There is a lot going on throughout and there are multiple moments when you really just have to sit back and absorb what you’ve just read.

I can see the roots of a lot of modern stories in this novel. You can understand why Wells is one of the forefathers / founding fathers of the science fiction genre. I’m so glad that I’ve had the pleasure of reading this, and I look forward to pursuing it a few more times in my future.

 <- The Invisible Man ReviewThe First Men in the Moon Review ->

Image source: New York Reviews

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the invisible man

Title: The Invisible Man
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Humour, Science fiction
Dates read: 23rd – 24th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1897
5th sentence, 74th page: Finally all the chairs were turnhed up on to the counters, leaving the floor clear.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.

Thoughts

I remember first hearing the name Griffin in a TV show called Sanctuary. Griffin is the ancestor of the invisible girl in the story. I knew that it was a reference to classical literature (Griffin’s friends were John Druitt, Nikola Tesla & Dr. Watson), but I didn’t know which story and / or author. So when I started reading this H.G. Wells novel, I literally screamed with joy. I finally got to read the literature that included the character! And it was honestly far better than I had ever expected.

So far in my little H.G. Wells run that I seem to be having this month, this is definitely the most humorous of the tales. There is just something that is kind of sickly hilarious about an invisible man running around, trying to find a way to be “seen” again. There is a very serious undertone, but mostly I just found this funny and easy. It had me smiling at a time that I was really stressing, and for that I’m thankful. I also now have the fantastic image of a naked, sneezing, insane man running around. Which is definitely a weird, funny one to have in your head.

To top off the kind of hilarious imagery of a naked, sneezing man running about trying to find a way to be recognised is the fact that it all takes place in a tiny, quaint town. The juxtaposition is somewhat hilarious and the way it completely turns the world as it is known on its head… completely unforgettable and priceless. Although Griffin doesn’t truly start to crack until halfway through the story, even the lead up, and the slight hints are enough to leave you grinning.

Thus far, this is definitely my favourite H.G. Wells book. Not only is it very witty and humorous, it reminds us that we all need to be acknowledged and recognised. And if we’re not… well, we all go a little bit insane. Definitely a classic that I’ll be picking up again and again in the future.

 <- The Island of Dr. Moreau ReviewThe War of the Worlds Review ->

Image source: Penguin Random House

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the island of dr moreau

Title: the Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Science fiction
Dates read: 2nd – 17th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1895
5th sentence, 74th page: I dropped the whip and snatched at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Edward Prendick is shipwrecked in the Pacific. Rescued by Doctor Moreau’s assistant he is taken to the doctor’s island home where he discovers the doctor has been experimenting on the animal inhabitants of the island, creating bizarre proto-humans…

Thoughts

I really struggled to get all of the way through this novel. It wasn’t bad, I just really wasn’t in the mood for the convoluted nature that I’m beginning to associate with H.G. Wells’ writing. There’s always about a thousand things going on and some brilliant symbolism… which means that if I’m not quite as clued in as I’d like… it becomes more than a little difficult to truly get into the book. So, since I wanted to move another book out of my currently reading pile (it’s just getting beyond a joke at the moment), I decided to skim read through.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this story. And I’ll definitely be reading it again. There was something that just sat below the surface of the words which was both haunting and brilliant. An excellent commentary on our world. and, more important to my own life, the status of science. Just because we can, it doesn’t mean that we should… but I’m never sure where the line is. I know that Dr. Moreau definitely crossed it… but that’s about the extent of my opinion on this to be honest.

There are a lot of stories which explore the question – who is more human? The man or the beast? This did so in a far more obvious and graphic manner than almost any of the stories that I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far. It was intense, gave me some incredibly visual consequences and a very intriguing adventure. One in which I’m pretty sure that I missed half of the integral points… after all, I was just skim reading and not 100% into it.

The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of those stories that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. There is something hauntingly familiar about it while it manages to be completely unique and impossible to forget. Although, I did keep thinking about one of the Spy Kids movies while I was reading it… the one with the nutty scientist alone on an island filled with his own creations…

 <- The Time Machine ReviewThe Invisible Man Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover anne of green gables word cloud classics

Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Series: Anne of Green Gables #1, Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Family
Dates read: 5th – 11th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1908
5th sentence, 74th page: Isn’t that a perfectly elegant name?

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Best-selling Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published the first book in her charming series in 1908, making it a literary favorite for more than a hundred years. Published as a children’s novel, the story of Anne Shirley, an orphan, was inspired by the author’s childhood adventures on rural Prince Edward Island. It follows Anne’s journey as she moves to a farm on Prince Edward Island to live with a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them with farming chores. The story follows Anne as she makes a home and comes of age on the island.

  • This chic and inexpensive edition comes with a heat-burnished cover, foil stamping, luxurious endpapers, and a smaller trim size that’s easy to hold.
  • The widely popular novel has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages since its first publication.

Anne of Green Gables has been one of the world’s most charming coming-of-age stories for more than a century.

Thoughts

I didn’t really know what to expect when I picked this classic up. I know that a lot of people enjoy the story. And that is honestly the extent of my knowledge. It made it a pleasant surprise when I realised how much I loved this. Especially when Anne is such an unbelievably relatable character. Probably my favourite classics lead since I started trying to expand on my classics knowledge.

This is an incredibly sweet coming of age story. Mostly because it is all about love and family.  Not the family we are necessarily born into, but the one that we choose. Or, that fate chooses for us in any case. It’s not just about the two people who choose to parent Anne, it is about their relationship as siblings. The relationships they’ve formed with the rest of the town and Anne’s desire to fit into a bigger world.

Normally I find coming of age stories a little bit of a hard slog and not that engaging. But, this isn’t like that. It is impossible to put down, funny and filled with so much light and compassion that I won’t be able to forget this story. Not for a long time yet.

The language in this story is one of my favourite things… the language that Montgomery uses is open, relatable and simple. The long-winded, intense dialogue that fills Anne’s head is a great counterpoint to this. The ramblings and intensity are a great way to show the jumpy thought process that Anne follows. Probably what makes her so damn relatable… because I kind of go off on the same fanciful tangents.

<- Moby-DickAnna Karenina ->

Image source: Amazon

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the time machine

Title: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves:  Book to Film, Classics, Science fiction, Time travel
Dates read: 11th October – 1st November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1895
5th sentence, 74th page: There were, perhaps, a couple of hundred people dining in the hall, and most of them, seated as near to me as they could come, were watching me with interest, their little eyes shining over the fruit they were eating.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

“I’ve had a most amazing time….”

So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him his reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes…and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth. There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well. Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machine will continue to enthrall readers for generations to come.

Thoughts

This novel was nothing like what I expected. Probably because I expected it to be like the movie that I saw when I was much younger. Tip: this is NOTHING like the movie. It’s brilliant, and engaging and not the kind of story that I’m going to forget, but I may as well have had no connection between the movie and the book – because there is really nothing common between the two.

I’ve slowly been working my way through the pile of classics in my shelves. I love reading them, but sometimes they can be a bit of a hard slog just because of the difference in language style. Yet, somehow, even though this was written 1895, it is the most approachable classic I’ve ever read. Something about the language and style is more contemporary than many other classics. Which makes it a good introduction for many who haven’t really delved into the world of classics.

This is an intensely scientific novel. Some of the theories and discussions in here are ones that I’ve read about or heard from other science academics. Mind boggling theories which make time travel sound completely plausible. And terrifyingly likely. Maybe not something that we necessarily want to begin to play with.

The symbolic paths that humanity could take are beautifully represented in this story. if we went the “higher” path described, our society would be governed by prettiness. Yet, if we take the under path, our lives would be ruled by mechanical industry. As to which route we’re going to take… I just hope that global warming doesn’t destroy the world before our ancestors can find out.

 <- The Food of the Gods ReviewThe Island of Dr. Moreau Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Fairy Tales from Around the World by Andrew Lang

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for fairy tales from around the world book cover

Title: Fairy Tales from Around the World
Author: Andrew Lang
Series: Barnes & Noble Leatherbound
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fairy tales
Dates read: 20th January – 3rd October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Barnes & Noble
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: This old man told him to beware o’ the next beasts that he should meet, for they were of a very different kind from any he had yet seen.

Synopsis

Fairy Tales from Around the World is a treasure trove of the world’s best-loved fairy and folk tales. It features more than 100 fairy tales representing more than fifty nations, all selected from The Blue Fairy Book and eleven other collections compiled by Andrew Lang. The book also includes more than 100 illustrations by H.J. Ford that bring their magic and marvels vividly to life.

Fairy Tales from Around the World is one of Barnes & Noble’s Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world’s greatest authors in an exquisitely designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging and a silk-ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensible cornerstone for any home library.

Thoughts

It took me a long, long, long time to read this. But that’s just because it was one of those slowly enjoyed books. Like a really expensive chocolate. It was delicious to just sit there and savour it. closing my eyes with pleasure at the end of each tale. Or sometimes whooping out loud when a story was particularly familiar and I could place my modern day version quickly…

The illustrations that accompany this beautiful book completely swept me away. They were stunning, and more than a little distracting. But in the best way possible. They bought to life the stories – jumping at you from the page, but did so in a way that still felt timeless and classic – like the tales contained in this giant volume.

I originally bought this book because the cover is just stunning. There is something that brings out my nostalgia as soon as I look at this book… even if I hadn’t had a chanced to read over half of the fairy tales in this collection. Fairy tales + childhood = nostalgia. But the themes were also very adult… these really aren’t the stories you read as a child. They’re something far more fun, intense and dark… perfect for a little late night reading before you head off to bed.

I love that the first story in this is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I have recently read a modern remake of this (North Child) and I loved that I finally got to sink my teeth into the original. There was also the original Aladdin (or some of it), Beauty and the Beast… so many tales. More than enough to keep me occupied again and again and again in the years to come…

 <- Gray’s AnatomyThe Complete Cthulu Mythos Tales ->

Image source: Barnes & Noble

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the wind in the willows book cover

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading
Dates read: 2nd – 6th August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Oxford
Year: 1908
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘When they went,’ continued the Badger, ‘the strong winds and persistent rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Join in the delights and disasters on the riverbank with Mole and his new friends, Ratty, Badger, and fun-loving Toad. There’s never a dull moment!

Thoughts

I found this a hard book to get through. Not because it was bad writing, not because it was bad in any way, shape or form. But I just felt like not much was happening. And, since I recently read Mark Twain, which is kind of similar in its rambling manner, I needed something with a bit more direction to it. So, although I didn’t mind this story, it’s definitely one I will be picking up again in the future when I’m more in the mood for this style of storyline.

Part of me was quite surprised that I didn’t love this book more, I remember Toad and Badger incredibly well from the movie I used to love as a child. And, I think, in hindsight, I probably would have loved this book as a child too. I’ve just picked up some incredibly amazing, more grown up books recently, so wanted to read more of those as opposed to a children’s book that was a little disjointed and mostly about a lot of fun between four great funs. Or at least, that’s how I still experience this.

What I loved about the movies as a child, and what I loved about this book as an adult is mostly the fact that this is a story about friendship and loyalty. The four friends, even though they are incredibly different they still stick together. My friendship group is kind of like this myself, we are so intensely different, yet, we’re always there for each other, no matter what the circumstances…

<- The Prophet and Other TalesClassic Westerns: Zane Grey ->

Image source: Amazon

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for journey to the centre of the earth book cover

Title: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Author: Jules Verne
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading, Science fiction
Dates read: 30th – 31st July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1864
5th sentence, 74th page: I got up from my granite bed and went out to enjoy the magnificent spectacle that lay unfolding before my eyes.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s great adventure begins by chance when a scrap of paper drops out of an ancient book he has just bought. The coded inscription reveals the existence of a passageway leading to the centre of the earth and that the entrance lies within the crater of an extinct volcano in Iceland.

The professor travels to Iceland accompanied by his nephew, Axel, a keen young geologist. Together with a Swiss guide, they descend into the bowels of the earth where an amazing prehistoric world awaits them.

Writting in 1864, Journey to the Centre of the Earth established Verne as a pioneer of science fiction. This edition has been revised and improved for a modern readership.

Thoughts

This is my second Jules Verne story and, if anything, I think it was better than the first. I kind of loved it. It was incredibly fun, engaging and the voice of the narrator was incredibly relatable, even today. The mad scientist for an uncle, the lovestruck nephew (and narrator). Everything about this story and voice drew me in from the very beginning. Which is why I read it so quickly – the voice that told such an incredible story was impossible to get out of my head, even now.

I must admit, I generally skim read classics a little more than the more contemporary and modern tales. Simply because the amount of information that reading every single word provides tends to overwhelm me and I find skim reading stops me from getting bogged down in the details, without losing out on the storyline. The last quarter of this novel, I did skim read a little. But, mostly, I actually read every word like I would with most other novels I pick up. There is just something about the storyline and writing that was far more approachable (maybe because it was translated), and I actually didn’t want to miss a single moment of the storyline.

My biggest problem with this storyline was the fact that I kept on picturing Brendan Fraser in my head when I was reading the story. I’ll give you a hint, the book and the film, not really like one another at all. Normally that would bother me a little and I would find that I prefer one over the other. But I think that the adaptation and the original are both brilliant, equally so. After all, the movie is a modern adaptation and the book was written in 1864. There are many different aspects which make both versions amazing and impossible to put down.

I can’t wait to reread this story in another year or so. I know that there will be so many more themes and aspects in the storyline that I’ll pick up on and that will make me fall in love again and again. After all, that’s one of the things that I love most about classics – they have so many layers and hidden meanings that take me much longer to find and enjoy.

<- More classics reviewsMore science fiction reviews ->
Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for adventures of huckleberry finn word cloud classics book cover

Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Contemporary, Race
Dates read: 15th – 10th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1884
5th sentence, 74th page: That’s a Frenchman’s way of saying it.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

No home library is complete without the classics! Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a keepsake to be read and treasured.

One of the most popular books of all-time, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been both venerated and vilified since it was first published in 1885. The story of a young abused boy on the run and his friendship with a runaway slave is about loyalty, compassion, and doing what is right, and it remains one of Mark Twain’s greatest achievements. Now available as part of the Canterbury Classics series, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers.

Thoughts

This is my first ever Mark Twain, and it certainly makes me glad that I have more of his books on my shelves. There was something fun and easy about his writing. Which I don’t often find in classics. For something which was published many, many, many years ago, this was kind of amazing. The meandering storyline was something that I would have loved as a child – living on a river free of every kind of responsibility, living on the land… that’s the kind of childhood that I would have loved.

One thing I tend to struggle with when reading is storylines that don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Tales that are a little more meandering and random I find a little harder to get hooked into. They don’t grab and keep my attention as well as stories which you need to keep reading to find out exactly what happens. Although this did follow that meandering trend, I didn’t find myself putting the book aside as frequently as I usually would. It still took me a little while to finish this considering how much I loved the writing style and language.

For a fantastic kids’ journey, the issues of racism and class are touched upon beautifully in this tale.  Huck’s original feelings towards Jim are those of someone who feels entitled and with power over someone who is almost four times his age. But, as the tale evolves, he begins to see Jim as a fellow person. One with his own desires, needs and wishes. Whilst there is no outright commentary on slavery, the underlying message felt strongly skewed towards this ideal. And it was one that I loved dearly.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the kind of story that drops you in a world any child would be happy in. Or at least, any child that was a bit of a ratbag like me. I would have loved travelling down the Mississippi on a raft, choosing my own life, dinner and making all of my own decisions. Alright, as an adult I’m well aware of how non-idyllic this would actually be. But as a child, this would have been wonderful.

<- Walden and Civil DisobedienceThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer ->

Image source: Amazon