The Island of Dr. Moreau Reviews
2010 September 2
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The Island of Dr. Moreau
Edward Prendick survives a shipwreck & is picked up by a vessel that is on its way into a mysterious island, where he meets a strange scientist named Dr. Moreau. He is given food & shelter, but when he hears a man screaming in the night, Prendick flees, fearing for his life. In the forest, he encounters bizarre creatures that are half-man & half-beast. Prendick discovers the truth about these mysterious creatures & Dr. Moreau’s part in their tormented lives, managing into escape the island a
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Review by Gary F. Taylor for The Island of Dr. Moreau
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Although it is less often read than such Wells novels as THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, the basic story of THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU is very well known through several extremely loose film adaptations. Pendrick, a British scientist, is shipwrecked–and by chance finds himself on an isolated island where Dr. Moreau and his assistant Montgomery are engaged in a series of experiments. They are attempting to transform animals into manlike beings.Wells, a social reformer, was a very didactic writer, and his novels reflect his thoughts and theories about humanity. Much of Wells writing concerns (either directly or covertly) social class, but while this exists in MOREAU it is less the basic theme than an undercurrent. At core, the novel concerns the then-newly advanced theory of natural selection–and then works to relate how that theory impacts man’s concept of God. Wells often touched upon this, and in several novels he broaches the thought that if mankind evolved “up” it might just as easily evolve “down,” but nowhere in his work is this line of thought more clearly and specifically seen than here.At times Wells’ determination to teach his reader can overwhelm; at times it can become so subtle that it is nothing short of absolutely obscure. But in THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, Wells achieves a perfect balance of the two extremes, even going so far as to balance the characters in such a way that not even the narrator emerges as entirely sympathetic. It is a remarkable achievement, and in this sense I consider MOREAU possibly the best of Wells work: the novel is as interesting for the story it tells as it is for still very relevant themes it considers.It is also something of an oddity among Wells work, for while Wells often included elements of horror and savagery in his novels, MOREAU is not so much horrific as it is disturbingly gruesome and occasionally deliberately distasteful. This is not really a book than you can read and then put away: it lingers in your mind in a most unsettling way. Strongly recommended.GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Review by Michael Legg for The Island of Dr. Moreau
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This book is less known than Wells’ other works like The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, but in many ways it exceeds these other, more popular works. This novel is a story essentially about the nature of humanity. What is it that makes us people? What, exactly, separates man from the beasts? Wells’ insidious Dr. Moreau is the perfect character to explore these questions as he has no conscience. As you read this book you find yourself identifying more with the “beasts” than with the Dr. or his assistant; and you find yourself wondering whether or not the noble beasts are in fact more human than the human characters. This work is decades before its’ time; as today genetic research and animal rights are garnering more attention and headlines. I believe Wells was somehow able to see these issues decades ago when he wrote this story; and it remains one of the most salient writings on the topic to date. I heartily endorse this book for any fan of science fiction. Enjoy!
Review by Adam E. Silbestein for The Island of Dr. Moreau
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This novella is interesting as a piece of science fiction, the genre of which H.G. Wells is sometimes called the father. It was written a few decades after Darwin presented his theory of evolution. The concept of evolution produced a lot of anxiety among intellectuals of the time, including Wells, who looks at the implications of the theory here. He puts the narrator, Prendick, on a secret island populated by Moreau’s man-beast creations. The events which follow continually blur the line between man and animal, just as evolution forces man to see itself in the context of other species. Oh yeah, the novella, like any good sci-fi book, is suspenseful, and a little scary. And it’s not very long, so you’ll have plenty of time to read all your other books too.
Review by B. T. Denyer for The Island of Dr. Moreau
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Filiquarian Publishing, LLC published this book under the idea that it is in “public domain status.” Meaning, it is not any better than you would find online. The book is readable, but emphasis (bold or italics) are done by an underscore before and after the word(s). Example: “_His_ is the lightning flash, we sang. _His_ is the deep, salt sea.” (page 82) To me, it is annoying to read it this way. You occasionally find extra quotation marks and a double dash (–) in the place of an ellipsis (…). On page 41, you get all of the above.
The binding is right up there with self-published titles. The cover is as basic as it gets, and has no text on the spine (see picture.) The back cover has merely a UPC barcode. On my copy, the glue they used for the spine was pressed out and made a rather strange bind. By strange, I mean cheap-looking.
Anyway, if you are looking for an inexpensive copy of this book and don’t care about the bindery or text issues, then this book is for you.
Review by JMack for The Island of Dr. Moreau
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I have recently become a fan of Wells’ writing for the unique voice with which he tells a story in addition to his unique tales. References to “The Island of Dr. Moreau” seem to surface frequently in pop culture, so I felt compelled to read this book. Some might go so far as to argue that this is Wells’ best book. I may not disagree.
While the book was written before the advent of genetic engineering as we know in the 21st Century, it could be applied. Wells seems to have intended the book as a commentary on the theories of Darwin and evolution. When Edward Prendick finds himself on a remote island, he recalls rumors of Dr. Moreau. But only when he sees his handy work does the horror begin. Using manipulative techniques that include primitive grafting, Moreau made the animals more human. Yet the ultimate question of the book is whether Moreau could make the animals into human, removing any trace of animal from them.
This is certainly a case of the book being better than the movie as the book makes Wells true intent evident. Like many of Wells’ works, it is also a powerful social commentary that makes great reading.