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When the Sleeper Wakes
When the Sleeper Wakes
The story of a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years, waking in a completely transformed London, where, because of compound interest on his bank accounts, he has become the richest man in the world. A fanatic socialist and author of prophetic writings, the main character sees his dreams realized and the future revealed in all its horror.
Book Excerpt
ally hot). This was Warming, a London solicitor and next of kin to Graham, the man who had fallen into the trance. And the two men stood side by side in a room in a house in London regarding his recumbent figure.
It was a yellow figure lying lax upon a water-bed and clad in a flowing shirt, a figure with a shrunken face and a stubby beard, lean limbs and lank nails, and about it was a case of thin glass. This glass seemed to mark off the sleeper from the reality of life about him, he was a thing apart, a strange, isolated abnormality. The two men stood close to the glass, peering in.
"The thing gave me a shock," said Isbister "I feel a queer sort of surprise even now when I think of his white eyes. They were white, you know, rolled up. Coming here again brings it all back to me.
"Have you never seen him since that time?" asked Warming.
"Often wanted to come," said Isbister; "but business nowadays is too serious a thing for much holiday keeping. I've been in America most of the time
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Readers reviews
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Starts well, sags in the middle, and kind of loses its way towards the end. As far as Wells' books go, this is not one of his best, but still worth reading.
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This is a great social science fiction forwarning of the New World Order and deserves more attention than it has gotten. With about 100 years left to the time Graham awakens from his sleep, the take over of the international corporation can see its beginnings with 'to big to fail' bailouts, subservience to the rich, industrial disease on the rise and media mind control.
Prophetic and excellent, an action packed dystopia that still offers hope if you are willing to make the sacrifice like Graham.
Prophetic and excellent, an action packed dystopia that still offers hope if you are willing to make the sacrifice like Graham.
10/16/2010
An interesting premise to drive an otherwise boring story. Many jumbled and confusing scenes add to the overall dysfunction, and left this reader wishing this story would just end.
01/14/2009
Graham falls into a coma and wakes up after two hundred years to find himself the master of the world. This is a dystopian novel like "Brave New World" and "1984", but is more action-packed. I enjoyed the nightmarish atmosphere of the story.
10/13/2008