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Description edit
With his face swaddled in bandages, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses and his hands covered even indoors, Griffin - the new guest at the Coach and Horses - is at first assumed to be a shy accident victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his subsequent descent into madness.
Characters/People edit
- Mr. Griffin: The protagonist, the invisible man.
- Dr. Kemp: A scientist living in the town of Port Burdock. He was at medical college with Griffin, who comes to his house to hide after Griffin's transformation into the "invisible man." Kemp has a hard time accepting the fact that his friend, who he had not seen for years, suddenly appears uninvited and invisible, but eventually he overcomes his shock and sits down and talks with Griffin
- Mr. Hall: Husband of Mrs. Hall and helps her run the Coach and Horses Inn. He is the first person in Iping to notice that the mysterious Griffin is invisible: when a dog bites him and tears his glove, Griffin retreats to his room and Hall follows to see if he is all right, only to see Griffin without his glove and handless (or so it appears to Hall).
- Mrs. Hall: Wife of Mr. Hall and the owner of the Coach and Horses Inn. A very friendly, down-to-earth woman who enjoys socializing with her guests, Mrs. Hall is continually frustrated by the mysterious Griffin's refusal to talk with her, and his repeated temper tantrums.
- Mr. Thomas Marvel: Jolly old tramp unwittingly recruited to assist the Invisible Man as his first visible partner. He carries around the Invisible Man's scientific notebooks for him and, eventually, a large sum of money that Griffin had stolen from a bank. Eventually Thomas grows afraid of his unseen partner and flees to Port Burdock, taking both the notebooks and the money with him, where he seeks police protection
- Col. Adye: Chief of police in the town of Port Burdock. He is called upon by Dr. Kemp when the Invisible Man turned up in Kemp's house talking of taking over the world with his "terrible secret" of invisibility. A very able-bodied and reliable officer, Adye not only saves Kemp from the Invisible Man's first attempt on his life but also spearheads the hunt for the unseen fugitive.
- Dr. Cuss: A doctor living in the town of Iping.
- Mr. Bobby Jaffers: A constable in the town of Iping. He is called upon by Mr. and Mrs. Hall to arrest Griffin after they suspected him of robbing the Reverend Bunting. Like most of the people in Iping, Jaffers was both openminded and adaptable - He overcame his shock at the discovery that Griffin was invisible quickly, determined to arrest him in spite of this.
- The Rev Mr Bunting: A vicar in the town of Iping. Dr. Cuss went to see him following his first encounter with Griffin. Bunting laughed at Cuss' claims of an invisible hand pinching his nose, but the next night his home was burgled by the Invisible Man himself.
- Mr. Teddy Henfrey: Clock jobber in Iping.
- Mr. Huxter: Add a description of this character.
- Millie
- Mr. Fearenside
- Mr. Sandy Wadgers
- Mr. Hee
- Mr. Wicksteed
- Mr. Heelas: Neighbor of Kempe.
- Mrs. Bunting
- Fletcher
- Janny
- George
- Mr. Cuss
Quotes edit
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“" Its horrible enough. But I'm wounded and in pain, and tired - Great God! Kemp!”
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“"-and you, you little pot-bellied, leathery-faced son of an old boot, couldn't have the elementary manners-"”
the Mariner -
“Everywhere there is a sound of closing shutters and shoving bolts, and the only visible humanity is an occasional flitting eye under a raised eyebrow in the corner of a window pane.”
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“The game is only beginning. There is nothing for it, but to start the Terror. This announces the first day of the Terror. Port Burdock is no longer under the Queen, tell your Colonel of Police, and the rest of them; it is under me - the Terror! This is day one of year one of the new epoch, - the Epoch of the Invisible Man. I am Invisible Man the First.”
Invisible Man -
“He is mad...inhuman. He is pure selfishness. He thinks of nothing but his own advantage, his own safety. I have listened to such a story this morning of brutal self-seeking! He has wounded men. He will kill them unless we can prevent him. He will create a panic. Nothing can stop him. He is going out now - furious!”
Doctor Kemp
Setting & Locations edit
First Sentence edit
The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking as it seemed from Bramblehurst railway station, and carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand.
Table of Contents edit
I. The Strange Man's Arrival
II. Mr. Teddy Henfry's First Impressions
III. The Thousand and One Bottles
IV. Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger
V. The Burglary at the Vicarage
VI. The Furniture That Went Mad
VII. The Unveiling of the Stranger
VIII. In Transit
IX. Mr. Thomas Marvel
X. Mr. Marvel's Visit to Iping
XI. In the "Coach and Horses"
XII. The Invisible Man Loses his Temper
XIII. Mr. Marvel Discusses his Resignation
XIV. At Port Stowe
XV. The Man Who Was Running
XVI. In the "Jolly Cricketers"
XVII. Dr. Kemp's Visitor
XVIII. The Invisible Man Sleeps
XIX. Certain First Principles
XX. At the House in Great Portland Street
XXI. In Oxford Street
XXII. In the Emporium
XXIII. In Drury Lane
XXIV. The Plan That Failed
XXV. The Hunting of the Invisible Man
XXVI. The Wicksteed Murder
XXVII. The Siege of Kemp's House
XXVIII. The Hunter Hunted
Epilogue
Glossary edit
- portmanteau: a blend of two (or more) words or morphemes into one new word. Examples: wikipedia (wiki + encyclopedia), Texarkana (Texas/Arkansas border), and Verizon (veritas + horizon)
- Remittance: A sum of money sent, esp. by mail, in payment for goods or services or as a gift.
- Expostulation: The act of expressing earnest opposition or protest.
- Poker: A metal rod with a handle, used for prodding and stirring an open fire.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 791 of 1286 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
This is book 47 of 70 in Science Fiction Masterworks. (publisher edition list)
This book is in Penguin's Top 100 Classics. (authoritative list)
This is book 83 of 101 in Penguin English Library. (publisher series)
This book is in Significant Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror). (community list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- H. G. Wells (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Malvina G. Vogel
- W. Warren Wagar (Introduction)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: C. Arthur Pearson
Country: Great Britain
Publication Date: 1897
ISBN: 978 0 14 143998 3
Page Count: 278
Publisher: C. Arthur Pearson
Country: Great Britain
Publication Date: 1897
ISBN: 978 0 14 143998 3
Page Count: 278
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: PZ3.W465 PR5774
- Dewey: 741.5973
Popular Tags
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Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Project Gutenberg: Free e-book, full text
- Librivox: Free audio book read by Alex Foster, Total Running Time: 4:54:05
Movie Connections edit
- The Invisible Man (IMDb): 1933
More Books Like This edit
Books with Additional Background Information edit
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