The Invisible Man
H. G. Wells
Read by Alex Foster
The Invisible Man (1897) is one of the most famous science fiction novels of all time. Written by H.G. Wells (1866-1946), it tells the story of a scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility and uses it on himself. The story begins as the Invisible Man, with a bandaged face and a heavy coat and gloves, takes a train to lodge in a country inn whilst he tries to discover the antidote and make himself visible again. The book inspired several films and is notable for its vivid descriptions of the invisible man--no mean feat, given that you can't see him! (4 hr 54 min)
Chapters
| Chapters 01-02 | 22:41 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 03-04 | 24:25 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 05-07 | 29:14 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 08-10 | 18:34 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 11-12 | 18:27 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 13-14 | 17:19 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 15-17 | 26:32 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 18-19 | 18:36 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapter 20 | 19:50 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 21-22 | 21:26 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapter 23 | 19:31 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 24-26 | 21:27 | Read by Alex Foster |
| Chapters 27-28 | 36:03 | Read by Alex Foster |
Reviews
Fantastic!
Daniel Tore
A gripping story of either an evil genius or a man driven to extremes by necessity. H.G. Wells was a gifted writer and filled his works with social commentary. This story has a subtle moral on society. A man given what should be an amazing superpower instantly believes himself to be beyond society and even the ruler of it. In the end [spoiler] he learns that outside of society and its rules one is powerless. A good indication of Wells's socialism. Very well read by Mr. Foster.
Great Classic, Great Narration
Karii
As others have stated, I wish our narrator would have done more books! This was a great listen - I’ve always wanted to read this book (as I do most classics), but I don’t ever have the time between work, parenting and facilitating a book club lol so this was the perfect option. H G Wells always did an amazing job of describing the sense and feel of what was happening; really visual descriptions that bring you straight into the scenes. The Invisible Man is one of those classics that should always be read, a great plot, great twists, and of course an awesome exploration of what one MIGHT do should they find themselves invisible to those around them.
8.5 out of 10
A LibriVox Listener
The books ok. Little slow going, and tedious at times...could just be my preferences. I can see how it would appeal to some people. My grandpa, for example. Reader is really nice. Pleasant voice, nice rhythm often as not, can be annoying at times, due to completely unnecessary stops and some stuttering. The plot is fairly interesting, depending on what you like. On the whole, this is a very nice book, great narration, and a pretty good read. I give it 4 and 1/2 stars because it is not perfect, but ok. I definatly recommend you try it.
Very good!
Stephen D.
Alright, before I give a book analysis: I originally wanted to title this review “The Invisible Review” and leave this part blank. I decided it wasn’t worth it. With that out of the way, this story is incredible, yet it requires some patience to listen to, as it’s not exactly a NASCAR-speed book. Alex Foster does a great job with this H. G. Wells classic, I listen to it quite often! This tale is probably best for ages 11 and above. ….wow, this review turned out to be a mess, I apologize to all the confused review-surfers out there!
One of the many to read before you die
TR
It was a good story for its time. I appreciate the idea and everything else that has come about from this book. Wells does a good job in not presenting too many characters to keep up with, and the details of the setting and characters are sufficient and not overbearing. A good read that will make you see what may be invisible to others.
Where are my glasses?
Kevin Michael
A wonderful way to listen knowing your dreams of all the past readings in one's life brought back to the memory by an illustrated, author.such as H.G. Wells is sublime creative genius. Every chapter takes an individual journey to one more picture the listener carefully identifies from the words of a classic tale. Each time the story tells of an encounter in meta-fiction writing, the urge to see a clearer picture of what the book creates in the imagination of an artist without instruction is obvious to many. It is no wonder why these words have contributed to so many creative acts.Headphones on, body relaxed, and glasses off. A delightful way to spend an afternoon. Thank you, kindly for sharing.
TJ
It's tolerable, at best. The concept is great and there are some profoundly clever moments. It moves, however, at a snail's pace, which really hampers the excitement and tension that is meant to be building. The ending is as dull as you could possibly fathom, to the point that it's almost not worth bothering. This is definitely one of HG Wells's weakest stories. Way too much wasted potential.
titoune
The main character is just wicked there's nothing to make us like him. Moreover, the other characters are -for me- flat. Chapter 8 is very brief and could have been taken out of the book. In chapter 27, the invisible man writes a letter where he states that the reign of "invisible man the first " starts on that day... That made me laugh very hard.