The Invisible Man
A Grotesque Romance
-
- £3.99
Publisher Description
'The man's become inhuman ... He has cut himself off from his kind. His blood be upon his own head.'
One night in the depths of winter, a bizarre and sinister stranger wrapped in bandages and eccentric clothing arrives in a remote English village. His peculiar, secretive activities in the room he rents spook the locals. Speculation about his identity becomes horror and disbelief when the villagers discover that, beneath his disguise, he is invisible.
Griffin, as the man is called, is an embittered scientist who is determined to exploit his extraordinary gifts, developed in the course of brutal self-experimentation, in order to conduct a Reign of Terror on the sleepy inhabitants of England. As the police close in on him, he becomes ever more desperate and violent.
In this pioneering novella, subtitled 'A Grotesque Romance', Wells combines comedy, both farcical and satirical, and tragedy - to superbly unsettling effect. Since its publication in 1897, The Invisible Man has haunted not only popular culture (in particular cinema) but also the greatest and most experimental novels of the twentieth century.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actor Griffin adds to the mysterious atmosphere of this classic work of science fiction originally published in 1897. In his cultured British accent, he carries listeners through the trials and tribulations of Wells's creation, a mad scientist (also named Griffin) who does research into optical refraction until he finds a formula that makes him invisible a state he mistakenly believes will provide him with fame and fortune. Actor Griffin makes palpable the profound panic of the scientist, who is unable to find a formula to reverse his invisibility. He provides fine cockney accents for innkeepers Jenny and George Hall, which adds color and authenticity to the performance. Listeners will be immersed in the struggle of local scientists, doctors, and police to apprehend a man they cannot see.
