mpowers77

Griffin, an albino physicist who describes himself as invisible to most people even when he was a normal man, looks to gain notoriety and fame as the first scientist to figure out how to make things - and people - invisible. After successfully performing this on an unlucky cat, Griffin decides to take immediate steps in transforming himself to avoid further confrontation and eviction from his increasingly suspicious landlords who aren't comfortable with his experiments taking place in their house. Once invisible, Griffin finds power in being able to see but be unseen by others, but also finds that power comes at a great cost: the inability to live his life with any sense of normalcy. Everyday activities such as eating and dressing in clothes become immediate markers of his existence, for these items are visible to everyone and cause panic among people seeing "unassimilated" food floating in midair. Unfortunately, Griffin is unable to find the remedy to his new physicality. _The Invisible Man_ details his misadventures, much of it told by Griffin himself. The longer Griffin remains invisible, the more lonely and isolated he becomes and the more violent and enraged become his actions. From murder to mayhem, the irony that follows the Invisible Man is how in his attempts to match his physical existence with his heretofore overlooked persona, he becomes more visible to the outside world even though they can no longer see him, making it impossible for him to exist quietly and comfortably. People fear his invisibility and their distrust eventually drives him mad, embarking him on a new mission to use his invisibility to wreak havoc and seek revenge through a reign of terror over those who would try to stop or deceive him. Griffin confides all of this to a former school mate whose deception ultimately ends in Griffin's demise. Although no doubt a great work of fiction, particularly in the Victorian era in which it was written, I feel as though the _The Invisible Man_ lacks in plot and character development. I feel Wells should have developed Griffin's pre-Invisible Man character more to make the reader truly understand Griffin's need for invisibility and the subsequent madness that followed as a result of getting his wish. Instead, we are left with an irascible, unlikeable character from the very beginning, making it difficult for the reader to identify and/or sympathize with him. It was a quick read and entertaining at parts, but I found _The Invisible Man_ rather disappointing overall.

2023-06-20 05:04