Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Island of Dr. Moreau

I won't deny that the story has its flaws, but overall I still found it interesting and entertaining.

The protagonist is almost comically incurious. Of all the wild things he witnesses, he's generally just focused on himself and doesn't think any further. It plays into the horror, that he may have seen things coming if he had just put a little more thought into the implications of what he had seen.

I felt like the story didn't give enough weight or attention to this brand new developing culture. It was seen through that old colonial British lens of "lesser" and therefore not deserving of attention. But it was consistent with the characters that they view it that way, and considering the book was in part inspired by the new (at the time) theory of evolution, I think it speaks to how people at that time saw an inherent horror in the idea of something not-yet-human. I think the horror for a modern reader is a little different, but the story still holds the power to make you quietly whisper "what the fuck"

Content Warnings

dustspectre's review

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This is one of those books that would be far better if it were a) longer and b) rewritten for the modern day. As it stands, the book is far too short, suffers a lot from telling rather than showing (especially for the final few chapters), and the science really doesn't hold up. Not to mention the casual racism for most of the book.

The concept is certainly very interesting, however, hence the extra star. Again, if a book was published today with a similar premise/message I'd probably eat it right up.

(I will also give Wells credit for making a main character that actually has flaws rather than going the route of so many other 19/20th century authors and making their MC have every skill and scrap of knowledge on Earth. It's actually impressive how little Prendick knows/how few skills he actually has)

Edit: on further reflection, dropping from 2 to 1 stars due to just how lackluster the last few chapters were. The content in those chapters (

Spoiler

the reversion of Moreau's creations to becoming animals, and Prendick's realisation that humanity was the monster

) was far too short and should've taken up the majority of the book rather than just the final ending chapters. The telling rather than showing aspect of Wells' writing also becomes painful here. Once again, this could be so much better if remade for the modern day, featuring better science and writing.

Content Warnings

moreau's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

my favorite book ever. the language is hilarious, the characters are fucking amazing which is a first for hg wells, hell most of them even have names. he never names his characters or gives them any depth but these characters are actual people. still not fleshed out or anything but theyre there. prendick is boring and an average wells mc, has no opinions on anything. and Montgomery is kind of confusing, if you watch all the movie adaptations of this he's completely different in all of them yet all are somehow accurate to his book counterpart, but moreau is a solid character. hes just chill like that. love the pink sloth. this book completely changed the way i see the world, every biology class i have i mention it, everywhere i go theres a reference to it that goes over most people's heads and I'm like "oohh ohh i know that!!" (totally ruined the mighty boosh and the simpsons for me.) this book basically made me a furry because im so obsessed with if it could actually happen or not.

Content Warnings

kwoolfre's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

is it bestiality to have sex with an animal that has been surgically modified to have human form and mental capacity? He seems to think so
But the racist stuff here is crazy

Content Warnings

tungstenmouse's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book did not age well at all. Some of the attitudes presented are appalling by today’s standards. It’s also brutal and very dark. If you are very attached to animals you may have a very hard time with this.

Content Warnings

More...