Classics

The Time Machine

The Time Machine

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  • Create Date：2021-06-02 11:55:08
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：H.G. Wells
  • ISBN：0198707517
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Summary

At a Victorian dinner party in Richmond， London， the Time Traveler returns to tell his extraordinary tale of mankind's future in the year 802，701 AD。 It is a dystopian vision of Darwinian evolution， with humans split into an above-ground species of Eloi， and their troglodyte brothers。

The first book H。 G。 Wells published， The Time Machine is a scientific romance that helped invent the genre of science fiction and the time travel story。 Even before its serialization had finished in the spring of 1895， Wells had been declared a man of genius， and the book heralded a fifty year career of a major cultural and political controversialist。 It is a sardonic rejection of Victorian ideals of progress and improvement and a detailed satirical commentary on the Decadent culture of the 1890's。

This edition features a contextual introduction， detailed explanatory notes， and two essays Wells wrote just prior to the publication of his first book。

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Reviews

Rachel ，

Second audio book experience; first H。G。 Wells experience。I'm still not completely sold on audiobooks， but I can say pretty confidently I'd never have gotten through this book if it had been a tangible copy in my hands。 First off， it's just not my thing。Second， this feels like it might be a classic。 Is this a classic？ （We all know how I feel about those） I do think this was probably a really big/great book for its time since it seems like its one of the fathers of this genre。 And yet， I started Second audio book experience; first H。G。 Wells experience。I'm still not completely sold on audiobooks， but I can say pretty confidently I'd never have gotten through this book if it had been a tangible copy in my hands。 First off， it's just not my thing。Second， this feels like it might be a classic。 Is this a classic？ （We all know how I feel about those） I do think this was probably a really big/great book for its time since it seems like its one of the fathers of this genre。 And yet， I started to re-listen to it because I thought I surely must have missed something essential to this， alas I did not。 The bulk of this book is the time traveler telling us one particular story and then we he finally escapes from that future and he is zapped into several other dimensions that are breezed through pretty quickly。 Which made me feel like Wells didn't plan the adventure out fully。 I could see myself yelling at a paperback I didn't possess as we skimmed through other dimensions quickly on our way home/to the end of the story。 And， don't even get me started on the ending。 Super lackluster。 It just further reiterated the Why does any of this matter？ nagging voice in my head。 。。。more

Jim Sarjeant ，

Amazing。 Check it out， it’s short。 You will enjoy。

Tricia Lynne ，

This was fantastic。

J。 Milius ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Finally got around to reading this classic。 At first， I was surprised that it was so short， but there’s a directness to the prose that you have to respect。 Usually， we expect futuristic time travel stories to show human advancement， but the focus of this story is human stagnation。 Major takeaway: eventually the working class might evolve to literally eat the leisure class， but ultimately neither evolutionary path benefits。

Akash Chintha ，

It is dull and not really imaginative for a time travel scifi。 It starts off very well but gets bland in the later half。

Laia Pérez （laiaisreading） ，

Youtube|Instagram|Twitter Youtube|Instagram|Twitter 。。。more

H ，

The accuracy with which Herbert George Wells depicts the hypothetical moral future of the human race is astonishing。 He envisions a future of decay and decadence for humanity because the very Utopia years of progress had created led to the involution of our species into two antithetic beings （The Morlocs - representatives of the lower strata， working class and the Eloi - meant to represent the elite of the world）。 In this supposed future， the Time Traveller does not shy away from describing a ru The accuracy with which Herbert George Wells depicts the hypothetical moral future of the human race is astonishing。 He envisions a future of decay and decadence for humanity because the very Utopia years of progress had created led to the involution of our species into two antithetic beings （The Morlocs - representatives of the lower strata， working class and the Eloi - meant to represent the elite of the world）。 In this supposed future， the Time Traveller does not shy away from describing a ruined world， where once mighty feats of architecture stand testment to the glory achieved by our species。 The friendship that blossoms between the Time Traveller and Weena （an Eloi creature that he saved from drowning） does not only prove that the true sentiment which characterises mankand is compassion and kindness， but also proves that no matter how resilient a person is， he needs love and affection。 The Morlocs on the other hand， are described with a great deal of insensibility and disgust， they are presented to us as inhumane （alledged to practice cannibalism）。 The reader's growth of hatred of the Morlocs grows as the main protagonist has to escape their teeth and barely survives， however， the subjective narration does not make them justice。 Fascinatingly， while presenting a split future， the author also puts emphasis on the duality of man， because at first he desires company， but later on gives in to his primal senses of blood lost after encountering the Morlocs。Through amazing prose， fluidity and scientific realism， H。 G Wells creates a story that immerses the reader and makes him believe it， all while living up to his reputation of founder of the science fiction genre and "Prophet"。 Modern Nostradamus。 。。。more

Martina ，

LA MENTE DE ESTE HOMBRE？ PRIMERO UNA INVASION ALIENIGENA Y DESPUÉS UN VIAJERO EN EL TIEMPO Todavía no entiendo porque no hay una película

Olivia Snyder ，

This book gave me nightmares and made me think hard。 Really hard。 H。G。 Wells writes simply and brilliantly， with a unique imagination and rather dark view of humanity's future。 His view of society made me pause and consider my world， and then reflect on the bigness of history and the universe。 This book gave me nightmares and made me think hard。 Really hard。 H。G。 Wells writes simply and brilliantly， with a unique imagination and rather dark view of humanity's future。 His view of society made me pause and consider my world， and then reflect on the bigness of history and the universe。 。。。more

Tatty_14 ，

Aun no puedo decidir entre 4 o 5 estrellas， realmente es muy bueno， cumplió mis expectativas。 Amo la temática de viajes en el tiempo， y no me decepcionó， en algunos momentos llegué a sentir escalofríos por la forma en la que narraba algunas cosas o por lo que pasaba。 Increíble。

Noah Renfroe ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 H。G。 Wells isn’t the best author， but his creativity and originality is what makes his books so enjoyable。 I mean， who else would have imagined a future where humanity （or was it even humankind？） has evolved into an inferior race？ Like most great authors， Wells is philosophical to some extent， but in this book his philosophy is mostly implied， but not so much that the reader is unable to detect it。

Chris Dibbern ，

Clearly a classic and a prerequisite for Time Ships

Michael ，

Thought provokingInteresting take on the direction of humanity。 Feels more relevant today than when it was published 126 years ago。 With the development of technology it does feel like we're heading in this direction but given the past generations struggles it seems inevitable that we seek security and comfort。 Life's a contradiction where we're also kept keen on the grindstone of pain。 Thought provokingInteresting take on the direction of humanity。 Feels more relevant today than when it was published 126 years ago。 With the development of technology it does feel like we're heading in this direction but given the past generations struggles it seems inevitable that we seek security and comfort。 Life's a contradiction where we're also kept keen on the grindstone of pain。 。。。more

Miguel ，

If death stands with open arms at the end of life's trial， then what is the goal of life？Is there no purpose at all for the human race？ The English writer H。 G。 Wells foresaw such a desolated future。 In his novel The Time Machine Wells's time traveler journeys far into the future to discover the destiny of mankind。 All he finds is a dead Earth orbiting a gigantic red sun。 "Beyond these lifeless sounds，" writes Wells， "the world was silent。 Silent？ It would be hard to convey the stillness of it。 If death stands with open arms at the end of life's trial， then what is the goal of life？Is there no purpose at all for the human race？ The English writer H。 G。 Wells foresaw such a desolated future。 In his novel The Time Machine Wells's time traveler journeys far into the future to discover the destiny of mankind。 All he finds is a dead Earth orbiting a gigantic red sun。 "Beyond these lifeless sounds，" writes Wells， "the world was silent。 Silent？ It would be hard to convey the stillness of it。 All the sounds of man， the bleating of sheep， the cries of birds， the hum of insects， the stir that makes the background of our lives—all that was over"。 And so Wells's time traveler returned。 But to what？。 To merely an earlier point on the purposeless rush toward oblivion。 It will end that way， like it or not。 There is no hope; there is no purpose （Craig， 2018）。There's no hope here on Earth anymore。 You have to take out your passport to the other world。 We're destined to disappear。 。。。more

Maso ，

I still don't like his writing but it was good。。 and spooky I still don't like his writing but it was good。。 and spooky 。。。more

Kelly ，

This story is very dated in both science and human nature。 While it is the original time travel novel， and shines a light on society's deficiencies， there is not enough world building。 This story is very dated in both science and human nature。 While it is the original time travel novel， and shines a light on society's deficiencies， there is not enough world building。 。。。more

Richard Katz ，

Definitely worth the read。This story is a reflection of society in Wells' lifetime， including the the impact of class struggles and the fate of intellectual thought。 Definitely worth the read。This story is a reflection of society in Wells' lifetime， including the the impact of class struggles and the fate of intellectual thought。 。。。more

Paulo Fernandes ，

Considering that this books has been written a century ago， it can still provide room to our imagination to travel further beyond our times。

Lai J ，

Okay we all know Time Machines don’t exist。HG Wells has a really good imagination。I don’t remember the exact details but I remember there was some kind of conflict （as can be said for every book）。If he’s English， it’s got to be a good book。

Kenneth Bain ，

Better than expected Solid book， moves fast。 Great story， cliff hanger ending。Truly a book that makes you think about humans ， life， the earth and our mutual paths。

Dropbear123 ，

3。25/5It was decent and as it was short read it in one sitting but wasn’t really gripped by it。 The writing wasn’t as good as I’d expect but maybe because this is Well’s first book。 Also maybe due to the age of it the ideas it presents aren’t that interesting personally。

Jose Enrico ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Where to even begin。 What a gripping book。 Unputdownable。 It begins with an explanation about how time travel supposedly works。 It's explanation， being a fourth dimension of spacetime， gave the book a modern feel to me， given that the idea was something I've recently read about in A Brief History of Time （hence giving me that modern feel）。 It deals with the topic of time travel but not in the typical way that I've seen done on TV or stories。 It deals not with travelling back in time to change th Where to even begin。 What a gripping book。 Unputdownable。 It begins with an explanation about how time travel supposedly works。 It's explanation， being a fourth dimension of spacetime， gave the book a modern feel to me， given that the idea was something I've recently read about in A Brief History of Time （hence giving me that modern feel）。 It deals with the topic of time travel but not in the typical way that I've seen done on TV or stories。 It deals not with travelling back in time to change the future， but going to the distant future; a future distant enough to be more strange than familiar。 The foreignness of the main character on the future he arrives in makes you sympathetic for his situation and makes you root for the character。 His ignorance in this new time means that you get to learn of the new world together。 Being that he was transported in a familiar place， though run down by time， there is this eerie feeling as if it were a dystopian futureOverall enjoyable。 A thrilling journey of discovering the new world and the desperate attempt to get back home 。。。more

Christopher Stinton ，

Couldn't put it down。I remember reading The Time Machine when I was younger and there was something special that I loved about it， even though I didn't comprehend it completely。 Older now， I couldn't stop reading。 I've always been fascinated by the concept of time traveling。 And much like The Time Traveller， I would likely find myself going deep into the future to see the fate of mankind。 It may get worse before it gets better， but I personally have higher hopes for our species than what H。G。 We Couldn't put it down。I remember reading The Time Machine when I was younger and there was something special that I loved about it， even though I didn't comprehend it completely。 Older now， I couldn't stop reading。 I've always been fascinated by the concept of time traveling。 And much like The Time Traveller， I would likely find myself going deep into the future to see the fate of mankind。 It may get worse before it gets better， but I personally have higher hopes for our species than what H。G。 Wells conveys in his story， but nevertheless， it's a good one。 。。。more

David E ，

I am fascinated by the writing of H。G Wells， who in 1895 had the ability to write with a modern flair about fabulously futuristic thinking。 I didn't know what to expect from this book， but I knew I really loved "The Invisible Man" and even more， "The Island of Doctor Moreau。" Both were stellar explorations of the ethics of science。 Plus， Invisible Man had a weird streak of humor and Doctor Moreau dipped into pure horror。"The Time Machine" is a pretty straightforward story， straight into a way-di I am fascinated by the writing of H。G Wells， who in 1895 had the ability to write with a modern flair about fabulously futuristic thinking。 I didn't know what to expect from this book， but I knew I really loved "The Invisible Man" and even more， "The Island of Doctor Moreau。" Both were stellar explorations of the ethics of science。 Plus， Invisible Man had a weird streak of humor and Doctor Moreau dipped into pure horror。"The Time Machine" is a pretty straightforward story， straight into a way-distant future。 And again， Wells opines on the ethics of power， labor， beauty and I guess， laziness。 The whole thing is really weird， but I enjoyed it。 On the Earth's surface， we have purposeless but very beautiful "little people，" and under the surface， the machine-dependent blobby bosses who just want to eat 。。。 humans。 The scenes set in present time are also very interesting， with a collection of "experts" who aren't buying a bit of this time travel nonsense。 This is a very good tale， but it's not up to the standard of The Invisible Man and Dr。 Moreau。 I am sure others would disagree。 。。。more

Gaby ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5ishIt’s funny how the past pictured the future。 How they thought our planet would last for so long。 My favorite part was the time traveler starting a forest fire a week into being in the future。 I like H。 G。 Wells’ negative outlook on dwindling human intelligence and his positivity in human kindness。 The writing was redundant， but I enjoyed how it passed through one long narrative and then back into another in present tense。 Also enjoyed the evolutionary theories。 The true testimonial to the 3。5ishIt’s funny how the past pictured the future。 How they thought our planet would last for so long。 My favorite part was the time traveler starting a forest fire a week into being in the future。 I like H。 G。 Wells’ negative outlook on dwindling human intelligence and his positivity in human kindness。 The writing was redundant， but I enjoyed how it passed through one long narrative and then back into another in present tense。 Also enjoyed the evolutionary theories。 The true testimonial to the age of this book is the museum。 The lack of technology in the future world （obvi）。 Overall， a solid read。 。。。more

Andrew Garvey ，

One of Wells' most popular and influential stories， this short meditation on class and humanity's far future （with a time machine thrown in） is rightly regarded as a seminal book but it's stronger on concept and reputation than execution。 The Morlocks （especially） and the Eloi are great， classic creations but the characterisation is weak and the action is surprisingly lacking。 And that's before getting into some of the weaknesses in the world-building。 Still， even with it's weaknesses， everyone One of Wells' most popular and influential stories， this short meditation on class and humanity's far future （with a time machine thrown in） is rightly regarded as a seminal book but it's stronger on concept and reputation than execution。 The Morlocks （especially） and the Eloi are great， classic creations but the characterisation is weak and the action is surprisingly lacking。 And that's before getting into some of the weaknesses in the world-building。 Still， even with it's weaknesses， everyone interested in science fiction should read it。 。。。more

H。 Legg ，

An extremely unique novel which would leave one wanting for more。

Kim ，

Really， really fun to read。 The only downside is that it is so short。A few social ideas that are a bit outdated nowadays， but the story on itself is excellent。

Lexie Simmons ，

“Face this world。 Learn its ways， watch it， be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning。 In the end you will find clues to it all。”Quick read & an Accessible classic that subverts expectations more than you would think。 It’s philosophical in nature and opens the door to some rabbit holes that you may never have wandered down organically while still being a bit silly。 The subtext is what makes this worth the read， for me。 Written as a commentary of the social classes of late Victorian England， “Face this world。 Learn its ways， watch it， be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning。 In the end you will find clues to it all。”Quick read & an Accessible classic that subverts expectations more than you would think。 It’s philosophical in nature and opens the door to some rabbit holes that you may never have wandered down organically while still being a bit silly。 The subtext is what makes this worth the read， for me。 Written as a commentary of the social classes of late Victorian England， Wells dives into the ever present struggle of the leisure class and the working class。 Of course， these are all veiled behind weird sci-fi creatures in the year 802，701。 。。。more

Drew ，

It's kind of strange how this is both horrifyingly bleak but oddly whimsical at the same time。 It's kind of strange how this is both horrifyingly bleak but oddly whimsical at the same time。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Time Machine

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Time Machine&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Time Machine&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0