• The Time Machine

  • By: H. G. Wells
  • Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
  • Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (400 ratings)

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The Time Machine  By  cover art

The Time Machine

By: H. G. Wells
Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
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Publisher's summary

The time traveler first steps out of his magnificent time-transport machine in the year 802,700. He finds Earth populated by a race of slender pacifists and decides to study this lush land of flower people before returning to his own age. These pacifists, he discovers, have built their wealth on the backs of a slave class forced to live below ground. As the conflict between them surfaces, the time traveler finds that his only means of escape, his time machine, has been stolen.

Wells' amazing view of the future, propelled forward from his own Victorian era to the present, serves both as classic science fiction and as a parable of the chasm between the working-class suffering and the upper-class privilege of his day.

(P)1999 Blackstone Audiobooks

What listeners say about The Time Machine

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Fun

Fantastic story and well narrated! It has been awhile since I read the original, and now I realize that the movies somewhat diluted / ruined the adventure. I highly recommend this one.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Book

I have read this book a few times before. But this I time, I read it after reading H.G. Well's Outline Of History. Many of the same philosophical thoughts are expounded upon in both books. Wells writes about the evolution of the human race in The Outline of History, and about the devolution of the human race in The Time Machine. The Morlocks bear an erie resemblance to the Neanderthals, whom Wells described as being remembered in the human racial collective memory as the 'ogre' of mythological prehistory. The crabs and insects who ruled the Earth of the early Devonian Period 400 million years ago are described by Wells in Outline of History, and they are similar to the giant crabs he describes who rule the Earth at the end of the planet in Time Machine. For anyone who wishes the Time Traveler had spent more time in that deteriorated library/museum of the future, try reading Outline of History and Time Machine back-to-back. Good scientific knowledge mixed with some action-thriller moments.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Old fashioned science fiction

I enjoyed this old science fiction story. The narration was good and reminded me of watching an old black and white movie. I wonder if he went forward to life in the future.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Quick, Interesting, Easy Listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this is an easy listen and is a great, classic book. It wasn't what I expected, but I enjoyed where the story went.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Could have definitely finished this book in one go. It was easy to digest and enlisted beautiful imagery.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic sci-fi

A classic sci-fi tale. The narrator does a great job of bringing the story to life.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

1895

Fascinating to compare today's frequent movies about time travel to this account published in 1895.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating and engaging!

To be honest, I had never read or listened to any of HG Wells works prior to this. I’ve only ever watched movies. This recording did wonders to captivate my imagination and engage me. I found myself (while driving) being taken away to these faraway places. Needless to say, I no longer drive and listen to audio books for obvious reasons!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lots of prescience for its age

Wells nails a lot about class dynamics even now 130 years later. The end is charming with its whimsy but the meat of the story is it’s commentary, which is as good as any written today.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Better than Expected

Over one hundred and twenty-five years later the story holds up. A few parts of the story that dragged a bit, but many parts are absolutely enthralling.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed the reading

It was a little difficult getting into it but it gained momentum. Again, near the end, got a bit bored but the last 10 min again held my attention.

It’s worthy the listen.

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