Rating: 5 out of 5
ISBN (edition I've read): 9780460873048
Read Between: 08-03-2013 to 04-04-2013
Review:
It almost took a whole month for me to complete this book. I wasn't even reading any other book. It took 4 days or, at most, a week for me to complete reading a book of this volume, but it took 27 days to complete this book. What was the reason? Was the book/story/narration boring? Was I too busy to read this novel? In search of the answer the review follows below...
Plot:
An aspiring bussinessman stumbles upon Cavor, an eccentric genius. In a world still struggling to accept X-Rays and Radio Waves they construct a Gravity-Defying Sphere- and man finally lands on the dead surface of the moon. But with the first light of the day the surface bursts into life. From the caves below come the Selenites, protean creatures, horrific in appearance, who adapt their shape to their function. Over them riles the Grand Lunar, a creature that is almost entirely brain ... a brain of awesome power.
Only one of the earthmen will return to tell the tale.
About the edition:
"The only edition with introduction, text summary, selected criticism and chronology of Well's life and times." So it says on the back cover of the book.
My take on the book:
I have been a big fan of Jules Verne ever since I came to know that the movie, 'Journey to the center of the Earth' was based on a novel by him. From some search I found out that Jules Verne is called as 'Father of Science Fiction; and also read that, and so is H. G. Wells called.
When I looked into his best books, I had choice between 'The Time Machine', 'The War of the Worlds', 'The Invisible Man' and 'The First Men in the Moon'. Somehow, for reason I don't fathom, I got 'The First Men in the Moon'. It lay with other books for about four months before I picked it and started reading it.
Add to that, a extra month before I complete reading it. Perhaps, this is the slowest read I've ever read.
If the story was boring, I wouldn't rated it a 5 star. Perhaps, the very imagination of the author swept me off my feet. The very concept, of space travel without a rocket, can't be any more brilliant.
Bedford, the narrator, is a businessman visits Lympne for writing a play in seclusion, where he meets Cavor, who was a weird (like many of them are) scientist. Cavor expresses his research on a substance called Cavorite, named after himself, to the author, which has a magnificent effect of Gravity-Defying. Beford like anyone in his place was too excited to accompany him and both of them take off in a sphere built of Cavorite.The very idea was very brilliant. The gravity-defying substance used to space travel and detail of how they navigated in the infinite space and landed on Moon was excellent. With the first light of the day, the dead surface of the moon breaks out with life. There were wild trees growing in every possible direction. There was a light breeze hinting at the presence of air.
The following details Earthly life on Moon was awesome. The idea that it was effortless to leap on moon due to its low gravitation pull and Lunar day consisted of 14 Earthly days, everything that followed about the Moon was awesome. All the while I kept wondering how it was possible to write a story of such brilliance. The imagination of the author mind blowing.
Overall, my slow progress turned out to be because of my lacking interest in reading, but not the story/narration of this book.
Hats off to H. G. Wells. Expecting to read more of his books...
Recommendations:
To every sci-fi lover.
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