Author: H. G. Wells
Page: 140
Genre: Science Fiction
You may recall that there are some classics worth reading and some classics that I wonder how they became classic in the first place (unless your a classics enthusiasts and love all classics. Is there such a person that loves all classics ever? Probably not since I wouldn't expect a lover of any genre to give every book in that category two big thumbs up. I think this parenthesis conversation has gone on long enough.)
For instance, why has the Twilight fandom quieted down while I have nieces who haven't even reached the double digits yet who are already Harry Potter enthusiasts? To be clear, I'm not trying to give new life to Twilight versus Harry Potter arguments. I'm just curious as to what makes something classic. What makes it stand the test of time? Thoughts? Comments? Do share.
A friend of mine has a book club that I've taken some part in. This month's book was The Time Machine, so I decided to give it a go. All I knew about The Time Machine was the movie released back in 2002 (which I apparently liked better than Rotten Tomatoes which gave it 29%) and an episode of Wishbone, which I don't remember all that well if I'm honest. So I was really curious to see how the movie compared to the source material. More about that in a minute.
Synopsis:
Well, the synopsis for this one is pretty straight forward. Our main character, simple known as the Time Traveler, sets out to prove his theories correct, that time travel is possible, and he's built just the machine to do it. On his maiden journey, he travels 800,000 years into the future where he finds that man has evolved into two separate groups, one peaceful and carefree, and the other creatures that dwell in the darkness. When his machine goes missing, he is faced with the daunting task of recovering it and returning home before he gets trapped in the future forever--and possibly hunted down.
My Reaction:
My first thought is that this is one of those books where I actually enjoy the movie better, but that's not because the book was bad. Here's the thing, the book is told almost from a scientific perspective which is what you should expect when the main character has the sort of intellect to create a time machine in the first place and those he is telling his story to are also highly educated men of different fields. The book, therefore, is appropriate in it's telling and still has moments of excitement and mystery as the Time Traveler tries to work out his situation and comes closer to danger with every passing minute that he stays in the future. To sum up, the book is great if your a fan of science fiction, and it's not super long either.
It has been quite awhile since I've seen the movie. I admit that. Still, from what I recall, here's why I like the movie better. (In case you haven't seen the movie, I'm about to spoil it for you). The biggest reason is the difference in motivation for the Time Traveler. In the book his driven simply by the desire to travel through time, to prove it possible, and to observe his findings. While this is part of the motivation in the movie, his need becomes more desperate when the love of his life is killed. The emotional aspect of this version pulled me in more and made me more invested in his story.
While core elements of the stories are the same, the movie adds some more depth to the characters. We're also introduced to more characters in the movie, such as Jeremy Irons as the leader of the Morlocks. There are a few more differences I could get into, but the motivation and character depth were the biggest differences that made the movie a more enjoyable experience for me. However, as mentioned above, the book is a great piece of science fiction. Clearly I simply get more enjoyment from a story when I'm more emotional involved.
Also, I love this bit from the movie soundtrack. That has nothing to do with the story itself, but it's still a fact that this track is amazing.
Reader's Guidance:
When the Time Traveler is describing the innocence and carefree nature of the Eloi, he refers to some as "making love." It is also inferred that the Morlocks hunt and eat the Eloi. Both groups are supposed to be descendants of men.
Discussion Questions:
Well here's something new! As I've discussed some books with others, there have been some really good discussion questions brought up to help us talk about what we've read. As I read through The Time Machine, I found myself thinking of my own questions and observations. So I've decided to include this section. Feel free to answer in the comments below!
1. Considering that The Time Machine was published in 1895, what can we learn about the time period based on the Time Travelers observations about the future?
2. The majority of the characters in the story aren't given specific names. The Time Traveler himself is never identified by name. One of the few characters whose name is given is that of Weena, one of Eloi. Why do you suppose this is? How does that lack of time, or a given name in the case of Weena, affect how you view the characters?
3. If you could travel through time, would you travel to the future or the past? Why? If the past, what period of time would you most like to visit?
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