Reviews with content warning for Body horror - The Island of Dr. Moreau Illustrated

i listened to an audiobook while reading, and the narrator kinda sounded like willem dafoe in nosferatu, which led me to imaging dr. moreau as willem dafoe for the entirety of the book... i am unfraid i will never be unable to unsee this (and tbf he would absolutely kill it)

no but seriously, this is definitely an interesting read. i had to read the book from a pro-vivisection/anti-vivisection perspective for a class presentation, and i think its commentary on human nature is very thought-provoking yet at the same time quite upsetting. at the end of the day, even when presented with something horrible happening, most of us will do nothing about it and instead focus on our own self-preservation.

(yes, i do realize h.g. wells supported vivisection in specific circumstances, but i felt it was hard to see the piece as pro-vivisection because of how difficult it is to sympathize with prendick, who only acts in ways that promote human superiority and hypocrisy; i do not think the intended humanism was successful)

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jayss's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.5

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cpestepp's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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fabsbean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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fieval_loves_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

<light spoilers>
Early science fiction! The book is much better when you understand the historical context in which it is written. Otherwise it can seem a bit….goofy..

Victorian paranoia around scientific advancement and particularly vivisection put the horror element into context.

The mystery of what the island is becomes relatively apparently early in the book.

It’s a short read but also fun to listen to on audiobook. good to read if you are interested in the development of the horror genre / science fiction and how monsters are a reflection of societies paranoia.

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