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A review by ominousspectre
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
4.75
I'm very picky about apocalypse/dystopian stories, but this lived up to its title as a classic. The first chapter alone could serve as an essay about colonialism and the hubris of humanity. And for when it was written, it really is vocally anti colonialist. The setting of Britain of all places is very purposeful.
Parts genuinely disturbed me with how they reflected real life. The mass exodus from London reminded me so much of the Partition of India it hurt a little (predictively so, as this book was written over 40 years before that event). The level of inaction, arrogance, and callousness smelled so strongly of the pandemic.
I think that's the main reason I like reading classics, because it reminds me that someone several decades, centuries, or even millenia ago can feel and articulate the same things we do now.
Parts genuinely disturbed me with how they reflected real life. The mass exodus from London reminded me so much of the Partition of India it hurt a little (predictively so, as this book was written over 40 years before that event). The level of inaction, arrogance, and callousness smelled so strongly of the pandemic.
I think that's the main reason I like reading classics, because it reminds me that someone several decades, centuries, or even millenia ago can feel and articulate the same things we do now.