The Island of Doctor Moreau | 
 enlarge | Author: H.g. Wells
Publisher: Kindle Classics
Category: EBooks
Buy New: $0.99
Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 45520
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B0011UY7VG
Publication Date: December 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Amazon.com Review
A shipwreck in the South Seas, a palm-tree paradise where a mad doctor conducts vile experiments, animals that become human and then "beastly" in ways they never were before--it's the stuff of high adventure. It's also a parable about Darwinian theory, a social satire in the vein of Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), and a bloody tale of horror. Or, as H. G. Wells himself wrote about this story, "The Island of Dr. Moreau is an exercise in youthful blasphemy. Now and then, though I rarely admit it, the universe projects itself towards me in a hideous grimace. It grimaced that time, and I did my best to express my vision of the aimless torture in creation." This colorful tale by the author of The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds lit a firestorm of controversy at the time of its publication in 1896.
Product Description
A shipwreck in the South Seas, a palm-tree paradise where a mad doctor conducts vile experiments, animals that become human and then "beastly" in ways they never were before--it's the stuff of high adventure. It's also a parable about Darwinian theory, a social satire in the vein of Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), and a bloody tale of horror. Or, as H. G. Wells himself wrote about this story, "The Island of Dr. Moreau is an exercise in youthful blasphemy. Now and then, though I rarely admit it, the universe projects itself towards me in a hideous grimace. It grimaced that time, and I did my best to express my vision of the aimless torture in creation." This colorful tale by the author of The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds lit a firestorm of controversy at the time of its publication in 1896. Formatted for the Amazon Kindle.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 72 more reviews...
 When men bring out the beast in the animal December 26, 2008
Kasia (New York City)
Like most people I have seen this as movie years ago but it didn't haunt me half as deeply as the small novel itself. In size it's a sliver of a book but its depth goes beyond the short amount of pages. The beginning was little tough to get into but transformed into a magnificent story that kept me up for two nights in a row. Even though this was written over a hundred years ago the tale is still fresh and shocking, waking up immense pity and outrage at what people are capable of. Like the story says, the difference between man and beast is that man can lie...but both are capable of monstrosities but not for the same reason. H.G Wells was known to paint a rather melancholic and pessimistic picture of man's footprint on nature and animals and even ourselves; strangely I have always bonded with that dark side of reality. It's true, we can destroy more than create, or perhaps create while destroying precious creatures and resources.
I love all sorts of island stories, where someone is literally stranded with no means of escape and at the mercy of whatever lurks in the deep jungles and caves. In this story, a small unnamed island is populated by strangely misshapen men, resembling animals more than humans. Ran by two scientists, Moreau and Montgomery, it's an insane place where new law rules and where animals are turned into people. Or so they think, when Edward Prendick, a victim of a nasty ship wreck gets rescued and taken to the island he uncovers horror that almost claim his sanity. He sees that there is no way out, he's trapped in a place where normal doesn't exist, a new world populated with half man and half beasts, with volatile emotions and restrictions. I enjoyed discovering the islands secrets with Edward, and many emotions shook me as I read. Page 98 was perhaps the most disturbing, the memory stuck in my head, especially since I have pets at home, I can tell when one is happy and when it's distressed and this book is full of distress
After reading this I am hungry for more of H.G. Wells and his probing mind, the ideas are still great today, after all, a good writer is priceless no matter what century he or she lives in.
- Kasia S.
Exciting and gripping October 3, 2008
Li Zhang (Hartford, CT)
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
The Island of Dr. Maruea is a great mixture of plot and intellectual enjoyment. Anyone will like this classic science fiction thriller.
A freaky tale of man playing God. October 2, 2008
C. T. Hunter (Gainesville, FL United States)
More of a horror than science fiction, THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU is a disturbing and unforgettable book. Wells had a knack for making his stories come to life through the voice of the narrator, whom, as Pendrick in this book, seems like he's telling the story of something that really did happen. You can almost feel the emotion behind the words as Pendrick tells his tale. The almost-human creations of Moreau are nothing less than freaky. Both scarily mysterious and horribly familiar, these creatures evoke conflicting emotion in the reader. Should they just be put out of their misery? or encouraged to live? You can't help feeling both horror and pity for these very disturbing characters.
While it is a short book, it feels complete, without any unnecessary inclusions, while still telling the story in its entirety. Wells knew the lessons he wanted to teach and the buttons he wanted to press, and accomplished his goals. The implications of man playing God, the reason of our religion, and the definitions of humanity are powerful messages that you can't help but absorb when reading this book. One thing, I wouldn't call this book an argument against science, but against tearing down the boundaries around the definition of humanity.
Take a couple of days and read this one for fun. A great example of Wells' work and an enjoyable novel.
perfect September 22, 2008
Cheryl M. Pifher
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book arrived well before the expected date and was a great buy. I will be buying from them again.
Hard to believe this was published in 1896 September 15, 2008
W. Jason Gilmore (Columbus, OH)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
H.G. Wells' fantastic imagination is readily apparent within his visionary books such as The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, however I consider The Island of Dr. Moreau to be his greatest work in this regards. In less than 200 pages, Wells' manages to trap the reader within the mind of an uninvited "guest" on a remote island strewn with subhuman creatures, ghastly experiments, and a raving mad scientist.
This is simply an amazing story, made even more so given its 1896 publication date.
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