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The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
Audiobook5 hours

The War of the Worlds

Written by H.G. Wells

Narrated by Simon Vance

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

First published by H. G. Wells in 1898, The War of the Worlds is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of a narrator intones, "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's."

Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about odd atmospheric disturbances taking place on Mars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London. At first, the Martians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavy gravity, even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when their spaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as death machines 100 feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to the surrounding land. Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside to the evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England's military suffers defeat after defeat. With horror, the narrator describes how the Martians suck the blood from living humans for sustenance and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so much as corralled.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 9, 2009
ISBN9781400182848
Author

H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells is considered by many to be the father of science fiction. He was the author of numerous classics such as The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The War of the Worlds, and many more. 

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Reviews for The War of the Worlds

Rating: 3.7683418254232732 out of 5 stars
4/5

3,721 ratings160 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wonderful. Riveting and well read. Much different than screen adaptations I've seen and am very glad to have read the book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The classic tale that is now legendary for causing a panic as a radio play many years later. Wells was fascinated by the "canals" on Mars, and that shows in his story of Martians attacking the world. One place where this story has an edge on so many of the genre is the way Wells manages to use an obvious scientific fact as a resolution to the story. So often science fiction contains much more fiction than science.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this book. Bit slow and lengthy at times but a great plot and great theme to it. Hardcore sci fi right here. :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Got it in a book sale one summer when I was quite young -- nine or so, I think -- and scared myself silly with it. Never quite got up the courage to revisit, since then. I remember liking it a lot, but I also remember the nightmares about alien invasions.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    1950's martians invade earth. I suppose for the 1950's this was a great sci-fi book. The writing is lovely and descriptive, even though the plot advances slowly. I feel that many of the sub-plots are never developed. I read the free Kindle-version from Amazon and at about the 70% mark pages were out of order, repeated, etc, for about 7-10 pages.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Der ungekrönte König des Genres, das wohl berühmteste Hörspiel aller Zeiten. Unerreicht - unerreichbar - brilliant und folgenreich.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this one a lot more than The Time Machine by Mr. Wells. I'll always remember this one, rather unfortunately, for events having nothing to do with it. I finished 5 or 10 minutes before some explosions at the plant I work on and wound up locked in the building for about 6 hours. Kind of funny now in retrospect.But otherwise I enjoyed it. I liked the fast pace and the surprising ending. He had kind of alluded to it throughout the book but the sudden feeling was well done. I also really liked the ending with his family, I didn't expect that. For the length it was really good. Definitely recommend if you're going to be reading some SF classics.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    1950's martians invade earth. I suppose for the 1950's this was a great sci-fi book. The writing is lovely and descriptive, even though the plot advances slowly. I feel that many of the sub-plots are never developed. I read the free Kindle-version from Amazon and at about the 70% mark pages were out of order, repeated, etc, for about 7-10 pages.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this quick, classic novel. I knew the story already from the many adaptations in popular culture, but this book was interesting enough, and suspenseful enough, to keep me interested and turning pages. It is always fun to read the original story as well to compare it to the movies I have seen dealing with it. The Tom Cruise movie I enjoyed very much, and it did keep with the general themes and plots of the book. A good read I would recommend to any fans of science fiction.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed reading this classic by H.G. Wells and can understand how it inspired so many authors to explore 'alien invasion' after reading it. The narrator describes the events of the invasion in the past tense, so I struggled to understand how those listening to the reading over the radio could possibly think it was happening in the present. As I was reading it, I was trying to identify 'the passage' that could have inspired such panic but alas, I couldn't. Once I gave up this quest I was able to enjoy the writing and the developing plot. The most poignant part of the book was when the soldier was discussing the fate of human beings in years and decades to come and how their relationships with the martians would change. The soldier also claimed to know what type of human being would die in the early stages of the invasion and the characteristics it would take to survive.I wanted to linger here and explore this further but the main character left the soldier and continued his journey to look for his wife, and this depth of analysis was cut short in my opinion.All in all, a great classic and an easy read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A brilliant science fiction novel that captures well the tension in Europe of the time. With our current scientific knowledge it is relatively easy to pick holes in the plot but provided you can suspend your disbelief you are in for an enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I downloaded this for free for my Kindle. I have never read this before (I have seen a couple bad movies about it) but was eager to read the original story. Overall I liked the story. I thought parts of it were a bit drawn out and boring; but overall it was definitely worth reading...and much better than any of The War of the Worlds movies I have seen.The nameless narrator of this book tells about green capsules that fall to Earth. Inside them are strange tripod/octupus like creatures that use a heat-rays to destroy a number of people early on. The book follows the narrator as he struggles through the English countryside trying to make it back to his wife. Then for a while he tells the story of his brother in London and of the second Martian weapon they face, that of a black cloud which instantly kills people. Then the story winds back to the original narrator as he makes his way to London to see the final destruction of the Martians.Like most classics, this story is most outstanding for the story it told at the time it told it. There are probably better books out there now (Christopher John's Tripod series comes to mind) about alien invasion; but for the time this was a very forward thinking book.The description in the book is very well done and, it is, for the most part very readable and enjoyable. Wells does an excellent job of creating suspense at certain times in the book. He also does an excellent job at showing humanity both at its best and its worst. It is amazing how inhumane some of the humans in this book behave when they are in a panic. The most colossal tragedies this book show that there is space for great heroics and great evil in a time of mass destruction.I also enjoyed the irony behind how the Martians finally meet there death; it was suiting and says interesting things about evolution in general.There were some things I did not like about this book. Some of the parts just went on too long. There is a portion where the narrator spends forever describing every minute aspect of the Martians which was slow, another portion where the narrator is making his way across the countryside that was boring, and the part where the narrator is trapped in a collapsed house seemed to drag on forever. Wells gives great attention to the narrators situation but doesn't ever go outside of the narrators sphere of influence to see what is happening world-wide or what kind of reaction the rest of the world is having. Also the characters were pretty sketchy...this was definitely more of an adventure driven novel than a character driven one.Should you read it? Well if you like sci-fi and are interested in alien invasion then this is a must; this is pretty much the story that inspired a lot of later sci-fi stories. A lot of the story is very enjoyable, engaging and intriguing; but as with many classics there are portions that drag on a bit. I never found the language or writing difficult to understand, so that means this novel has aged well with time. If you are not a sci-fi fan, interested in post-apocalyptic stories, or alien invasion I would probably skip this in favor of something else.If you do really like this story and haven't read the Tripods trilogy by Christopher John I recommend that you do; the story is similar in tone, more character driven, and a wonderful read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Spannende klassieker, zonder meer. Ondanks zijn mythische status zeker geen topper.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the Daddy (Granddaddy?) of all alien invasion stories. I had to remind myself that while it seemed unoriginal in places, it is in fact the original that more recent books have copied. Martians land on earth just outside London and begin a program of domination. Eventually they succumb to bacterial infection so humanity is saved through no action of their own. Some of the alien technology is truly prophetic, e.g. the heat-ray (laser). And the examination of human reaction under such dire circumstances was fascinating. The language is rather dated, but for me that added to the charm.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was the fourth Wells novel I read, and definitely my least favorite. Everyone knows the story, whether from Orson Wells' radio broadcast or the multitudes of movie versions - Martians land on Earth to populate it, since Mars is becoming uninhabitable, and when all seems lost, are foiled due to Earth's bacteria. I fully expected it to be exciting, but it was dull and slow, and took me days to get through despite being a thin, tiny book.The main problem was the main character - what a boring, pompous, smug know-it-all. He thought he was superior to everyone he came across, and it made me want to strangle him. And then there was the snooze-worthy exposition on the biological makeup of the aliens and conjecture on the possible paths mankind's evolution might take. And finally there was the sheer coincidences - the main character just HAPPENS to be in the spot where the aliens first land after launching themselves from Mars and just HAPPENS to be where another pod falls later on, trapping him in a house and enabling him to view their work. And how stupid is the aliens' choice for a landing zone? Yes, let's conquer a world by landing all of our troops on a frickin' island.If you'd believe it, I was actually wishing for the appearance of Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The grand-daddy of Earth invasion stories has HG Wells typically marrying the mundane and parochial with the fantastic. How his characters struggle to throw off the shackles of their prejudices and preconceptions. Wells is acutely aware of the limitations of man - he seems to me to marvel at the precociousness and naivety of our human endeavours. The magnificence of the scientific crusade is exaggerated by the impossibility of us ever living up to it. We are at once incompetent and irrrepressible. It seems a wonderfully pragmatic and optimistic viewpoint. Hurray for HG Wells, even if he does invent the bain of so many sci-fi stories, the anti-climatic deus ex machina ending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    They came from Mars, with deadly heat-rays and giant fighting machines. Nobody is quite sure what they want, but it seems like they both feed off humans and want humans to be their slaves. Nothing humans try seems to stop them as the Martians begin their terror and death across Earth. Now, the world won’t ever be the same.This was a recommendation from my partner about what to read next. He’s into the classics and since I like science fiction/fantasy, he thought I would enjoy one of the firsts.Reading this was kind of crazy to me since it was written in 1897. H.G. Wells was thinking of all this advanced technology that the Martians had that blew my mind thinking of the time period it was written in - I can’t imagine what it was like for those who read it when it originally came out. Science Fiction wasn’t even a genre at that time - instead, Wells’ stories were called “stories of science” and his novels, “scientific romances”.Reading this novel also gave me an idea of where others have gotten their ideas from as well.Now, I both read and listened to the audiobook of this novel read by Christopher Hurt - which was really lovely to listen to while I was getting my new journal ready for the upcoming new year. The book’s narrator was, in all honesty, a bit boring - there were some bits I would read/listen to where I couldn’t tell you exactly what happened, but I could still summarize it and therefore, would proceed on instead of rereading it (if that makes sense…).Overall, I think you have to take into consideration the time period this was written in and how it impacted Science Fiction writing following it. This was a huge deal - it hadn’t been done before! Nowadays, there’s so many layers and everything has been done. If you read this with the eyes of someone from 1897, it will change how you view the book for sure.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved the book. It was so exciting. Couldn't put it down. 5 Stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Finally read this alien classic.  It's odd that SO many place names are mentioned constantly to be tedious (probably to seem more real, to ground it in England) while none of the characters even have names (probably to generalize it for the world.)  But this doesn't seem to make sense either, since it seems to want to do opposite things.  The chapter missing from the serial was my favorite - can't imagine the book without it.  I liked the book!  It seems very ahead of 1898 and I swear I had a so-vivid-it's-still-memorable dream that was just like the aliens with the Heat-Ray --but that is probably because this book is just one of those things that is so entrenched in the culture at this point.  Another Wells/Verne checked off so I can start reading all the steampunk.Book #124 I have read of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Martians being eradicated by bacteria is so incredibly plausible after the pandemic.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Better than his Invisible Man, but not as good as his Time Machine (which still rates as one of my top Sci Fi stories). Here the earth is invaded by Martians, and we hear the tale from the point of view of one survivor. I thought the end was good, and made sense from a scientific point of view (though a few other details were a little bit more difficult to accept). Tedious in some places, but overall worth reading, as it was such an influential contribution to the genre, and is quite good in places.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was entertaining, though I wouldn't say brilliant, obviously ground breaking at the time. The narrator of the story wasn't as much a hero as an observer who was occasionally brave. Wells does a great job of instilling dread in the reader (definitely would have been even better if I didn't know how it ended) and I really like the philosophy of how the human race was to survive and eventually overcome the alien menace over time. I always remember it was "Chicken Pox" that did the aliens in, but I didn't hear that virus specifically mentioned in the book, so I guess that was just something they added to one of the movies.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Digital audiobook performed by Christopher HurtClassic science-fiction horror. Residents of a small community outside London are puzzled and curious about the “meteor” that has landed in a nearby field. But it’s clearly a manufactured rather than a natural object. And they notice that there is an effort – from the inside – to open the vessel. Thus begins the horror that becomes an invasion from Mars.I knew the basic premise going in. I knew about the Orson Welles’ radio broadcast that caused panic (despite an introduction advising that this was a dramatic reading of a work of fiction). But I’d never read the original. The first-person narrative lends a sense of urgency and immediacy to the narrative. The reader feels completely immersed in the story. Wells includes significant tension; while there are a few moments of respite, I found it a very anxiety-producing read. I like that he leaves much to the reader’s imagination, which heightens the suspense. Christopher Hurt did a fine job narrating the audio book. There’s something about that clipped British accent that just draws me in.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I know, I know - a classic that I'm just now reading. Prior to this I had only ever seen the Tom Cruise film adaptation! Better late than never. The fact that this was written when it was - before electronics and technology as we know it was incredible. It set the tone for science fiction as we know it. The parts I didn't love were the constant name dropping of towns (If I saw the word Woking one more damn time...) and the slow build - sometimes on the point of boring drudgery. Overall though it's a fantastic piece of literature - even if my lazy ass brain had to struggle through parts of it. It definitely made me want to watch more film versions if nothing else.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    H.G. Wells' science fiction classic "The War of the Worlds" actually holds up fairly well, despite all of the years that have passed since he wrote it. (Mostly in the fiction department -- the science not as much, but it's still all tolerable.)Our narrator is on the front lines when the Martian invasion of Earth begins and gives a first-hand account of humanity's struggle. It's an enjoyable and quick read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my classic read pick for May 2020. It bears little resemblance to the 1950s movie version I so loved as a kid--pretty much only the heat ray and the twist ending. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. It's an intense read. Wells nailed the human psychological aspect in how people responded in different ways to the alien attack. I also enjoyed how steeped the book is in the Victorian era in which it was written. It adds a lot to the drama when you must rely on bicycles, horses, trains, ships, and telegraph wires. A classic still well worth reading over a century after it was written.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first time that I have ever read the War of the Worlds. I have been meaning to for a while now, but just never quite got around to it.

    It is written as a narrative, from the perspective of one gentleman who lives very close to the landing site of the first Martian invader. He goes to see the landing site at Horsell sandpits, and is there when the first Martian attacks. Following more aggressive attacks from the invaders, he sends his wife of to Leatherhead to be with family, and he heads into London. He meets with various individuals, some of which he gets on with, and has to hide with a curate who he doesn't like much, as the Martians rampage across the south east.

    It is quite forward looking for a Victorian / Edwardian science fiction book. He is trying to describe lasers and other devices, but he does not have the technological vocabulary to describe them as we would now. The dialogue is quite stilted, but given the time this was written and set, I would not expect anything different. What Wells does manage to convey is the terror that the population, and himself and his companions experience, and the despair and helplessness that he feels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    H G Wells' War of The World - the book that spawned a thousand alien invasion movies, frequently featuring Will Smith wise-cracking his way through a bit of world-saving. From Independence Day to Mars Attacks!, the influence of the novel on the science fiction genre can not be underestimated.

    To call this a science fiction novel, though, is to miss a significant part of the subtext, the commentary on events in late 19th century Britain.

    Narrated by an unnamed protagonist, we see through his eyes the unfolding of events when Martians land on Earth, in southern England, from the initial curiosity of the indigenous population, to the fear and panic when they realise these alien creatures are intent on destruction, to the beginning of rebuilding when nature defeats the Martians. So far, so science fiction.

    But there are various themes that, for me, are far more important than the science fiction element. The book was written at a time when the British Empire was at its height; European countries had a habit of colonising overseas territories, imposing their laws and moral codes upon the indigenous populations. In War of the Worlds, an Imperial power itself becomes the victim of imperial aggression, allowing Wells, through the protagonist's thoughts, to dwell on this: 'I felt....a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among animals. With us it would be as with them, to lurk an watch, to run and hide; the fear and empire of man had passed.'

    Then there is much on Darwinism, survival of the fittest and the process of evolution; the Martians are described as having large brains, being of very high intelligence, but lacking the ability to move any great distance without the aid of machinery. Written at a time when new technology was making travel easier, this could be a warning; are the Martians what, ultimately, humans could become?

    And there is some debate on Religion versus science. The protagonist is temporarily imprisoned with a curate, who's behaviour and views the protagonist has no time for. And yet, towards the end of the book, the protagonist thanks God for the turn of events: that the Martians were 'slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth'

    War of the Worlds, read properly, is a thought-provoking novel, even now, more than 100 years after it was written - the themes it raises are still matters of much debate.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well written but for more pessimistic then I expected. There is a general feeling of hopelessness and death in Wells' stories. Not the optimistic possibilities of Jules Verne stories. A sad Victorian fate seems to run through this entire tale. "Life sucks and then you die", seems to be a running theme in Wells' novels.