A review by erasmios
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells

3.0

This review contains descriptions of important plot developments. Old sci-fi horror classic that didn't quite meet the expectations I had, but there were several things I liked about the book. The depictions of the freakish humanised animals were really creepy—that pink sloth thing might've traumatised me—and also kind of funny. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I liked the contradiction. I enjoyed the mystery aspects too, despite being familiar with the story beforehand. The protagonist's inner conflict and struggle were well-written and interesting. It's curious how Lovecraftian the novel felt, so I wonder if Lovecraft was possibly inspired by it. Now, well over 100 years since its publication, it's easy to say that the whole premise of the book is just silly since we know that animals can't be made into talking humans through vivisection. If you can let that fact slide, this book is definitely worth reading. My copy (SF Masterworks) starts with Adam Roberts's introduction which provides some very useful ideas regarding the themes and symbolic aspects of the novel.