The Martian astronomers--for there are astronomers on Mars, although they are very different beings from men--were naturally profoundlFinal paragraph:
The Martian astronomers--for there are astronomers on Mars, although they are very different beings from men--were naturally profoundly interested by these things. They saw them from their own standpoint of course. 'Considering the mass and temperature of the missile that was flung through our solar system into the sun,' one wrote, 'it is astonishing what a little damage the earth, which it missed so narrowly, has sustained. All the familiar continental markings and the masses of the seas remain intact, and indeed the only difference seems to be a shrinkage of the white discoloration (supposed to be frozen water) round either pole.' Which only shows how small the vastest of human catastrophes may seem, at a distance of a few million miles. ...more
After reading comments I see people either love this story or hate it. It’s very typical Wells including deep descriptions, magnificent imagination, fAfter reading comments I see people either love this story or hate it. It’s very typical Wells including deep descriptions, magnificent imagination, futuristic sci-fi, a beautiful lady, and a story told within a conversation between two people. As always, Wells showed this story instead of telling it and then left the ending open for us to kick in our own imaginations. He will never explain his writings. I think he had more faith in us than that. ...more
Being overwhelmed with common obligations, such as a mortgage, car payments, and bills, Henry finds he never has time to fulfill his longing to read. Being overwhelmed with common obligations, such as a mortgage, car payments, and bills, Henry finds he never has time to fulfill his longing to read. Everyday he’s tempted by a delivered newspaper which his nagging, condescending wife snatches up to check the tv schedule.
It took a near complete wartime destruction of the city for Henry to finally find himself standing in front of the “Publ Libr�. Clearly he was more excited about the books than wandering about the city. I feel his sobbing was because he could finally read as much as he wanted, even if he died doing it. The whole story was about reading, not bombings so I don’t see how some feel he was crying because of war. I’ve cried tears of joy, happiness, sadness, horror, etc. through many books and I suspect any avid reader has too. My fellow book lovers would adore and relate to this short story.
One last thought; nobody lays on their death bed wishing they’d worked more. It’s not hard to imagine people like Henry whispering, “I wish I’d read more books� in his last breath.
Final sentence: He stared down at the blurred page before him. He began to cry.�...more
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