Book Review: The Time Machine - Smart, Short, and Slightly Frustrating

I finally picked up The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, and let me start by saying I have a love-hate relationship with it. Let me explain.

This is one of those classics that’s always thrown around in “books you must read before you die” lists. And now that I’ve read it, I get why… mostly.

So what’s the book about?

A scientist simply called “The Time Traveller” (because names are apparently optional in sci-fi from the 1800s) builds a machine that lets him travel through time. And where does he go? Thousands of years into the future, expecting some utopia or maybe something wild like flying cars, teleportation, or a Starbucks on Mars.

But nope.

Instead, he finds a future that’s… simple. A little too simple.

Humans have evolved (or maybe devolved?) into two different species: the peaceful, almost childlike Eloi who live above ground and seem to have everything they need — food, shelter, and zero stress — and the creepy Morlocks, who live underground and… well, let’s say they don’t have the best intentions.

And this contrast? That’s where the book shines. It doesn’t throw big tech jargon or wild interstellar theories at you. Instead, it paints a subtle, eerie picture of what “having it all” could look like. On the surface, the Eloi seem to live in a perfect world. But as the Time Traveller digs deeper (literally), he realises there’s a whole dark ecosystem running in the shadows.

That twist made me pause and think.

But… (and this is where the frustration kicks in)

The Time Traveller just —.

Yup. After telling his wild story, he hops back on the machine for “one more trip”, and Wells leaves us hanging there. No closure. He leaves us longing for more. For probably A Sequel or … I will leave you to imagine and research.

Or just read the book - Buy it here

As someone who likes closure (and characters who don’t just ghost their own stories), this kind of annoyed me.

But there’s one quote from the book that stuck with me:

Beautiful, right?

It’s a small reminder that we don’t need machines to time travel — we already do it every day.

So, should you read it?

Yes, if you want to read a short, clever book that doesn’t pretend to predict the future with shiny objects but rather questions what progress looks like. No, if you’re hoping for an action-packed, tied-up-with-a-bow ending.

It’s weird, it’s smart, and it will leave you thinking about class, society, comfort, and how sometimes… perfection isn’t all it seems.

But if you’re like me and like stories that finish, brace yourself.