Quotes & Notes: "Men Like Gods" by H.G. Wells

Hello!

It's been a while since I last wrote, but there were reasons for that. First of all, unfortunately, my last grandfather, Mykhailo Serhiyovych, passed away (I might tell you more about him separately). Secondly, it seems that my "friend" Parkinson's is having some critical days, and the medication has been effective for only about two hours a day recently, so I haven't been able to get much done. Thirdly, I have dedicated all my time to a detailed study of the "Ukraine without Kuchma" movement from the early 2000s. Ha. Ha. Ha. In reality, I decided to work on the garden near the river, which hasn't been maintained since the war began.

Okay, let's get back on track.

So, what will these posts with such a title be about? Whenever I read a book, I always highlight quotes or passages that I find interesting. However, once I've finished the book, I rarely return to it (with a few exceptions). And here's the question: what's the point of these notes then? I'm not going to revisit them, and if someone else reads the book, they might not be moved by the passages that impressed or surprised me.

That's when I thought: after finishing a book, I could share my quotes and notes here. Hopefully, you'll find the highlights interesting. I'm more likely to revisit them later because everything will be consolidated in one place.

I'll try not to add any commentary and present the list of quotes I've noted. I'm not a professional translator, but I'll do my best to keep the quotes understandable for the reader.

Alright, let's get started. I give this book an 8 out of 10 (a high rating because I really enjoyed it). Although it was written in 1923, the author is one of our contemporaries. If only something in this world had changed... But dreamers, in vain, believe that humanity has a "stellar future." An artist once said, "Why do you need a path to something you don't have?"

Plot Summary

The story follows a group of people who accidentally find themselves in a parallel world called Utopia, one of the possible paths of human development thousands of years into the future. People live in harmony with nature and each other, without governments, laws, or wars.

This small group of characters from the author's contemporary world, no more than ten people, decides to conquer the entire planet and impose their way of life filled with wars, material dependency, and social inequality, thinking they are bringing "goodness."

I was amazed at how accurately Wells predicted wireless communication at the beginning of the 20th century. And the part where he wrote that in the future, a lamp could be turned on from a distance or that "a gardener could operate equipment without being at home,"—how could he even imagine such a thing back then?

Now, let's move on to the quotes I marked:

1. "Huge masses of people, appearing for no apparent reason, obedient slaves of outdated, meaningless traditions, susceptible to the crudest lies and flattery, were natural prey and support for any cunning demagogue preaching a doctrine of success low enough to appeal to them."
2. "On Earth, Mr. Barnstaple had always been the uncomplaining victim of all sorts of tiresome interlocutors because his delicacy compelled him to consider the intellectual limitations underlying their intrusive assertiveness."
3. "There is no blindness worse than the blindness of those who do not want to see!"
4. "-I doubt it."-A very commendable state of mind. If not overused. But when you stop doubting, you will find I am right."
5. "God created more worlds than there are pages in all the books of all the libraries; and among the multitude of God's worlds, man can always learn new things and become ever more perfect."
6. "And yet this sense of boundless peace was an illusory delusion: this quiet evening consisted of billions and billions of rushing and colliding atoms."
7. "When night falls on Earth, hundreds of thousands of people lie awake, tormented by the fear of brute force, cruel competition, worried that they won't make ends meet, plagued by mysterious illnesses, distressed by some meaningless quarrel, nearly driven to madness by unfulfilled desires, and crushed by twisted instincts..."
8. "I love many," the boy replied, "but not sensually. Someday, that will come, too. There's no need to be impatient, anxious, or rush into sensual love; otherwise, you might deceive yourself and others... There's no need to hurry."
9. "Truth returns to where it has already been."

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are both humorous and deep, thought-provoking moments.

Thank you for reading to the end. Now it's time to read the book! :)

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