41 pages • 1 hour read
The Island of Doctor Moreau
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
143
Novel • Fiction
Pacific Island • 1890s
1896
Adult
18+ years
990L
Super Short Summary
In H.G. Wells’s 1896 novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau, Edward Prendick is stranded on a remote island where he discovers Doctor Moreau conducts vivisections to create human-animal hybrids called the Beast People. As he learns Moreau’s control methods and observes the Beast People’s deterioration, Prendick must navigate the resulting chaos for survival. The novel includes cruelty to animals and considerations of suicide.
Mysterious
Dark
Unnerving
Contemplative
Suspenseful
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
H. G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau garners both praise and critique. Reviewers commend its provocative themes and exploration of ethics in science. However, some find its pacing uneven and characters underdeveloped. This thought-provoking novel remains significant for its timeless questions about humanity and morality.
Who Should Read The Island of Doctor Moreau?
Fans of gothic science fiction and moral quandaries will enjoy H. G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau. Similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it explores themes of human nature, ethics in scientific experimentation, and existential dread.
Doctor Moreau
Doctor Moreau
A once-renowned English scientist who conducts controversial and extreme experiments on animals, resulting in the creation of hybrid creatures on a secluded island. His fixation on his scientific pursuits shapes much of the island's social structure.
Montgomery
Montgomery
An enigmatic Englishman who serves as an assistant to Doctor Moreau on the island. He struggles with alcohol dependency and harbors a mysterious past that led to his exile.
143
Novel • Fiction
Pacific Island • 1890s
1896
Adult
18+ years
990L
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.