Our book club had mixed feelings about 'The Time Machine' by H. G. Wells, with most members ultimately not enjoying it, though two readers were keen supporters.
Several people found the language overly verbose and archaic, which made the novel harder to engage with. Others felt the story travelled too far into the future, and wondered why the Time Traveller did not stay closer to his own time. Some members also commented that the plot and characters were not especially inspiring, and there was criticism of the Time Traveller’s rather selfish treatment of Weena’s friendship and devotion.
That said, the book sparked a lot of discussion.
Supporters praised it as thought-provoking, particularly in its exploration of class, evolution, and humanity’s future. The strange future world was appreciated for avoiding the typical high-tech sci-fi vision and instead presented something unsettling and original. Members also enjoyed the influence of Darwinism and social theory running through the novel.
Even those who disliked the reading acknowledged how remarkably ahead of its time it was and appreciated its importance as one of the very first works of its kind.
Many agreed that The Time Machine laid the foundation for countless later stories about time travel and dystopian futures, inspiring generations of science fiction writers and shaping the genre that followed.
Overall it was agreed that it was a worthwhile read.
The next book to be read will be '33 Women' by Isabel Ashdown.
This will be discussed on Friday 12th June 2026.