The Invisible Man

By H. G. Wells

A mysterious scientist arrives at a local inn in Iping, covered from head to toe in strange clothing and a refusal to socialize. What he considers to be his greatest accomplishment poses more threat than he had ever imagined— a formula that can turn humans invisible! As he attempts to preserve his formula and gain recognition, he realizes the formula is more trouble than its worth, but he refuses to quit! He gets into many funny scuffles, thrilling adventures and serious injuries, but will the Invisible Man make it out of this experiment alive? Read on to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wonder House Books
• Release date: Jul 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9789390183289

H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells (1866-1946) is best remembered for his science fiction novels, which are considered classics of the genre, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). He was born in Bromley, Kent, and worked as a teacher, before studying biology under Thomas Huxley in London.

Book preview

Chapter 1

A Stranger Comes to Iping

It was an early morning in the month of February. Winter was very harsh that year and a blanket of snow covered the area. In the middle of this, a stranger walked into Coach and Horses, a small inn. The stranger seemed to have walked all the way from Bramblehurst railway station, for he seemed dead with exhaustion as he staggered in. He was completely wrapped up, with nothing but the tip of his nose shining through. He wore thick gloves, a soft felt hat and carried a little black portmanteau. His shoulders carried little piles of snow.

As he walked in, he threw his portmanteau down and cried, ‘All I need is a room and fire.’ He began to shake off the snow piled up on his shoulders. Mrs. Hall led him into the guest parlor to discuss the charges. Once they had discussed the charges and he had given his introduction, he threw a few sovereigns on the table and moved on to his room at the inn.

Mrs. Hall showed the stranger to his room and lit a fire for him. She then excused herself to go back to the kitchen and cook him a meal by herself. Having a guest at Iping at this time of the cold biting winter was a rare happening. Moreover, this guest had readily agreed to the charges which was even more uncommon. So Mrs. Hall wanted to do her best to please him. She had a maid by the name of Millie who was so slow that she needed to be given the same instructions over and over again. Mrs. Hall thought it better to work by herself.

As soon as the bacon was ready, she went into the parlor to lay the table for her new guest. She spread the tablecloth and arranged the plates and glasses. The stranger was standing by the window, with his hands behind his back, looking out at the snowfall. She was surprised to see him still wearing his coat, gloves and hat even though the fire was heating up the room.

‘I could take your hat and coat and dry them, sir,’ she said. He turned to look at her and replied curtly, ‘No, thank you, I would like to have them on.’ Since his head was turned in her direction, she observed that he was wearing blue spectacles that seemed very big for his face. The collar of his coat was turned upwards and covered his cheeks and face.

‘As you wish, sir,’ she said. She realized that the stranger was not interested in having a conversation, so she finished laying the table quickly and left the room. She returned after some time with eggs and bacon for him. She was amazed that he was still standing where she had left him, as covered as before.

‘Sir, may I leave your lunch here for you?’ she asked, hoping to get a response.

‘Yes please, thank you,’ he replied but did not turn to look at her.

As she reached the kitchen, she realized that she had forgotten to serve him mustard. She quickly filled the mustard in a pot and carried it into the parlor for her guest. She knocked on the door but entered without waiting for an answer. She noticed that he had moved swiftly, in such a way that she could only catch a glimpse of a white object that seemed to disappear behind the table. After she placed the pot of mustard on the table, she reached to pick up the coat and hat that hung over a chair in front of the fireplace. But he said, ‘Do not take the hat.’

She saw now that he was looking at her. She was stunned to see him. He was holding a white cloth over his mouth, wearing the big blue spectacles over his eyes and his forehead was completely bandaged in white. Another bandage covered his ears. The only part of his face that could be seen was his nose that looked pink and shiny. His clothes were dark with the collar turned up to cover his neck, up to his cheeks. His hair, sticking out from between the bandages, seemed to be thick and black. His bandaged head and covered mouth left nothing of him to be seen. She stood frozen, as if she was looking at a ghost.

He noticed her staring and said, ‘Leave the hat.’ She quickly returned the hat to the chair, leaving the room with the coat. She turned once more to take a look at him and shivered as she shut the door behind her. The stranger sat quietly in the parlor, listening attentively to the sound of Mrs. Hall’s feet. He looked out of the window once more, as if making sure of something. He then lowered the cloth that was covering his mouth and continued eating. As he was eating, he kept an eye on the window. Finally, he walked up to the window, lowered the blinds and relaxed.

Mrs. Hall couldn’t help mumbling, ‘What a sore sight those bandages make! I wonder what a terrible accident he must have been through that he needs to hide his face.’ When she went back to clear the table, he was smoking a pipe in one corner of the room with his back to the window.

He began to talk to her, ‘My luggage is at Bramblehurst station. Is there any way you could arrange to bring it here?’

She replied, ‘Certainly, sir! I will look into it first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘Tomorrow!’ he exclaimed. ‘I was expecting it to be delivered tonight.’

‘I hate to refuse but it is a dangerous road at this time of the day, sir,’ she answered. She was surprised that he was being so insistent in the matter. ‘One stretch of the road is very steep, sir,’ she began to explain. ‘A year ago, a carriage had upturned, killing a gentleman and his coachman.’

‘Accidents do happen,’ said the stranger quietly.

‘My sister’s son tumbled on that same road, into a hayfield and cut his arm on a scythe lying out there. It took him three months to recover, sir.’

‘Would you bring me some matches? I’ll need them for my pipe,’ he interrupted her. Mrs. Hall thought it was quite rude but she remembered how rare it was to have a guest at the inn this time of the year. When she brought the matches, he was staring out of the window again. So she didn’t say any more.

The stranger was in the parlor until 4:00 p.m. If someone were to listen to his movements, they would hear him walking up and down in the room or hear him talking to himself. Finally, when they heard the armchair creaking, they would know he had sat down.

Chapter 2

The Stranger

It began to get dark at 4:00 p.m. Mrs. Hall wanted to ask her guest if he would like some tea. Since he had been so curt with her earlier that day, she was hesitant. At that moment, Mr. Teddy Henfrey came in. Mrs. Hall had called him to repair the clock. ‘Mrs. Hall, what terrible weather this is! The snow is just not letting up,’ he said. Mrs. Hall looked out of the window and nodded in agreement. It was snowing heavily. ‘I’m glad you’re here, Mr. Teddy,’ she said.

‘The clock in the parlor needs mending. It works most of the time and chimes loud enough too, but there seems some trouble with the hour hand. It is stuck at six. If you could fix that, the clock will be as good as gold once more.’

So saying, she led him to the parlor. She knocked on the door but once again, entered without waiting for an answer. Her guest was seated in front of the fireplace in the armchair. He may have been dozing, for his bandaged head was drooping to one side. There wasn’t much light in the room except the red from the fire. The stranger’s goggles were reflecting the red light while the lower half of his face was dark. Everything seemed dark and shadowy and unclear to her.

She stared at him in horror, like she had earlier that day. His white bandaged head, the huge goggles and his mouth that seemed to be wide open, could give anyone a start, she thought. He moved in his chair, straightened up and stretched out his right hand. She needed some more light so she pushed open the door some more. She noticed that the stranger had a muffler covering his mouth.

‘Sir, I have with me outside Mr. Henfrey. He is here to mend the clock. If you wouldn’t mind, I could ask him to come in so he could give the clock a look, sir,’ she asked, wondering what he would say.

‘The clock?’ he asked, looking around to find it in the parlor, in his drowsy state. He spotted the clock and then said, ‘Sure.’

Mrs. Hall left to bring a light and he got out of his chair, stretching. She came in, holding a lamp, followed by Mr. Teddy Henfrey. He stood fixed as he spotted the stranger so bandaged. He had never seen such a sight before.

The stranger greeted him, ‘Good afternoon.’

‘I hope I am not interrupting your rest, sir,’ said Mr. Henfrey, politely.

‘Well, not really!’ replied the stranger, addressing Mr. Henfrey. Then he directed his gaze at Mrs. Hall and said, ‘Although, I was made to understand that this room was only for my use.’

Mrs. Hall, who was standing at ease, straightened up all of a sudden and said, ‘I thought you’d like to have the clock mended, sir.’

‘I would, most certainly I would,’ said the stranger. ‘However, I generally do not like to be interrupted and disturbed.’

He sensed that his comment made Mr. Henfrey uncomfortable. So he quickly said, ‘I’d be happy to have the clock mended.’ Mr. Henfrey could be seen easing up. ‘Once Mr. Henfrey is done, I would be happy to have a cup of tea, Mrs. Hall. But only once he’s done, and not before.’

Mrs. Hall turned to exit but she was stopped by the stranger. He wanted to know if she had arranged to have his luggage brought in from Bramblehurst station. She replied that she had spoken to a postman and he had confirmed that the luggage would be delivered the next day as that was the earliest possible.

‘I was very exhausted and cold earlier today to explain my need clearly,’ the stranger said. ‘You see, my luggage has the equipment I need for my role as an experimental investigator. And I need to begin my work.’

‘I understand, sir,’ said Mrs. Hall, looking very impressed.

The stranger continued in a very determined voice, ‘I must explain my requirements clearly. I need to work in peace and quiet and that was the reason I have chosen to be in Iping. Also, my accident has left my eyes very weak and painful. Staying in the dark for many hours at a time helps to ease the pain. At such times, when I’m interrupted, the light and sound is very disturbing. I hope you would bear that in mind.’

‘Certainly, sir,’ said Mrs. Hall, leaving the room.

Mr. Henfrey began his work with the clock, working as quietly and slowly as possible. Teddy was of a curious nature and hoped to strike a conversation with the stranger and get