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Things to consider:
1. Did you like the book?
2. Did you like or dislike the main characters?
3. Do the characters develop?
4. What did you think of the plot and the ending of the story?
5. Do you have any particular favourite quotes or scenes?
6. Would you read anything else by this author?

It was an interesting work of imagination, not much in the way of characters or plot really, but still a compelling read. Quite fascinating to think that Wells could imagine this in the 19th century. I liked the ending, thought it a fitting closure to the adventure. I'm now going on to read The Invisible Man as it's in the same book in the edition I've got, and I'm looking forward to it.

1. Did you like the book? It was okay
2. Did you like or dislike the main characters? Hhm, there was really only the time traveller and he wasn't enough of a character to like or dislike.
3. Do the characters develop? No, see above!
4. What did you think of the plot and the ending of the story? The plot was alright, but I thought there would have been more time travelling back and forth.
5. Do you have any particular favourite quotes or scenes? Not really.
6. Would you read anything else by this author? Yes, I've read The Invisible Man, but preferred this one. I'll be reading The War of the Worlds at some point.

On an extra note, I read this immediately after Gulliver's Travels and I was struck by how similar they were. I didn't think they would have much in common, but essentially they were the same story of a man travelling to a new and unexplored world, inhabited by strange human like creatures and trying to find his way back home.

H.G. Wells is one of my favourite sci fi authors and I thought this was one of his best works. As has been said, not much in the way of characters or of their development, but when a concept is brought to life well enough I don't mind that.
The book is more of a platform for a single idea, that the future of mankind is not what anyone expects.

That said, dispite there not being much in the way of characters, I found that it had a remarkable charm to it that invested me emotionally in the fate of the Eloi. I even felt my heartstrings tugged a little at the implied death of Weena.
Once the traveller goes further forward in time towards the end of the Earth itself, I felt that strange combination of peaceful serenity and existential sorrow as I contemplated the full history of Earth, of the millions of creatures who never lived to see today and of the millions more who will eventually disappear with the death of our world as though they had never existed at all.
For lovers of sci fi or abstract concepts, I think this is a must read, but if you're looking for a thick plot to untangle or deep character development, this might not be for you.

I first read this some forty years ago and enjoyed reading it again.
I especially liked the way, right at the beginning of the story, that H.G. Wells (through the voice of the Time Traveller)gives a rationale for time travel, with time as the fourth dimension - "There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it." Of course this is old hat now, but quite remarkable for its period I think and makes this author a candidate for the first sci-fi, rather than the fantasy of people like Swift and Lewis Carroll.
However, although I admire it, I think it lacks a lot as a story. I didn't really feel engaged with the Time Traveller or Weena and so didn't feel anxious about them when they were in danger. I also wanted more plot - I wanted there to be a development, some sort of resolution of the situation with the Morlocks. His race into the far future left me unsatisfied - it felt too dispassionate; the struggles between the Morlocks and Weena's people are diminished by the knowledge that humanity will one day be extinct.

I pretty much agree with you Joy :)

This is such a short book, but overall enjoyable. The descriptions of the places that the Time traveller visits are rich and vivid, but i felt it could have done with a little more with regards to the plot. The creatures that this discovers are suitable weird, but there is not much danger. Even though it leaves it open ended as to where he has gone now. I agree with you Joy, that this cements his as father of sci fi.

Review here

I have heard that The Invisible Man is good too, has anyone else read it?

Read the invisible man when I was a teenager, remember it not being what I was expecting, he never did anything I would have done if I was invisible. Hehe

I will be re-reading it one day as I remember it being the best of the few HG Wells I read.

Yes I preferred The Invisible Man because it had more plot, and I felt Wells explored the issues around science and morality better. Amazing imagination though.

I've read the invisible man too, I probably enjoyed both books about the same but for slightly different reasons. Neither of them were quite what I thought they'd be.

Yes I've just read The Invisible Man too. The plot needs more structure but it does have a very convincing scientific explanation for how he became invisible.

Peter wrote: " not much in the way of characters or of their development, but when a concept is brought to life well enough I don't mind that. "

This is how I felt about it. I had no previous knowledge of the story in any format other than the publishing date. The foresight was spooky and I loved the concept, you could read this as a post nuclear apocalypse story but how would he have known that. When reading a book I always try and imagine when the author would have been writing and the knowledge they would have had.

The end, where the movement in time was so far forward to the near end of the Earth for me was very moving. Wells must have influenced Stephen Kings desert and crabs in the Gunslinger, part one of the Dark Towers. So many other films and stories spring to mind, so without Wells there would doubtless be less fiction and film out there.

As this was written as a narrative, had it been much longer it would not have had the punch it has. The decision to move so far forward in time means he has allowed himself the artistic license to create a future neither us or any of our many future descendants could ever imagine.

Thanks for choosing this one, I had only ever read Mr Polly and remember hating it at school, so therefore not picking up another of his books. You have encouraged me to want to read more.