Content Strategy A Part

Chapter wise summaries

E-book –“The war of the Worlds “Author H G Wells

Note: The key ways and main highlights are highlighted wherever applicable

1.Summary Chapter -1 “The Eve of the wars”

The author expresses that during the last year of nineteenth century, when all habitants on earth were busy performing their routine works, spending real time with their families and happily enjoying their family lives, creatures from Mars, called Martians were looking at earth with an evil eye to invade. Their lives on Mars were getting unsecured due to running up of resources like water and food. Even their world was getting colder. Hence, they desired to occupy a safer place like earth which they observed compatible to their life style. Humans were not aware about it.

One night scientist from earth noticed flashes of light coming from the surface of Mars. One of these scientist’s named Ogilvy also saw it. He watched the sky carefully but could not figure it out. He also thought of it as explosions or volcanoes. He could not imagine that these huge cylinders are being launched by Martians from Mars on their way of travelling to earth.

At the time of first cylinder landing on earth, people thought it as a meteorite or a part of broken rock from space. Each of Earth inhabitants were cool; curious but not scared. None could understand that it is a start of alien invasion. People kept living fearlessly, a normal life. They could not imagine that something dangerous to their lives is on the way.

The narrator has tried to draw attention of the readers that this was just a start. He sought readers to see how small and unprepared humans are compared with powerful Martians He compared the situation to the modus -operandi, the stronger nations took in the past to take over weaker ones. He has quoted the example of how the British invaded Tasmania and wiped out the native people there.

People thought that they were safe and earth is the centre of everything but in reality, a more advanced and stronger species was about to attack

2. Chapter -2

The FALLING STAR

The night of the first falling star came. Streaking over Winchester towards the east, leaving a trail of flame high in the sky, it was spotted early in the morning. Hundreds of people must have witnessed it, likely thinking it was just another ordinary falling star. Albin described it as a greenish streak that glowed for several seconds. Denning, a leading expert on meteorites, estimated that it first appeared at a height of about ninety to one hundred miles. He believed it fell to earth roughly one hundred miles east of his location.

He said,” I was at home during that time, busy writing in my study. My French windows faced Otter Shaw, and with the blind up (I loved gazing at the night sky back then), I saw nothing of it. Yet, this most extraordinary object from outer space must have fallen while I sat there, completely oblivious, just above me if I had only looked up. Some witnesses claimed it travelled with a hissing sound, but I didn’t hear anything like that.”

Many folks in Berkshire, Surrey, and Middlesex must have seen it fall, and most likely thought it was just another meteorite. No one seemed to bother looking for the fallen mass that night.

However, very early in the morning, Ogilvy, who had seen the shooting star and was convinced that a meteorite lay somewhere on the common between Horsnell, Otter Shaw. Shortly after dawn, he got up early with a hope of finding it out. He found an enormous crater which had been created by the impact of the projectile. It was not far from the sand pits with sand and gravel thrown violently in every direction across the heath, forming mounds visible from a mile and a half away. The heather was ablaze to the east, and a thin blue smoke curled up against the dawn sky.

The Thing itself was mostly buried in sand, surrounded by the scattered splinters of a fir tree it had shattered during its descent. The exposed part resembled a massive cylinder, caked over with debris.

3. Summary Chapter 3

The author returns to the site of the Martian cylinder crash on Horsnell Common. A small number of people have gathered around the metallic body lying in a burnt pit.

The author points out that

a. Henderson and Ogilvy, the more well-known figures, believing nothing is to be done, left for breakfast, leaving a spectators comprised of locals including cyclists, a butcher to lads and golf caddies.

b. At first instance the cylinder was looking like a rusty gas float but later unrecognizable metallic colour and its bizarre, non-normal oxide concludes that the object is from Mars opposite to Ogilvy, view point i.e. it is a container with a Martian manuscript or artifacts and not an organism.

c. Having heard a slight sound from inside the cylinder, He departs for home, as he is hungry to see the vessel opened.

When he comes back to site that afternoon, the atmosphere is quite different. The news of the Martian arrival has swept London and drawn a far larger, more heterogeneous crowd to the common. The sun beats down and the air is heavy with the scent of burned heather. The narrator meets Ogilvy and Henderson, and the Astronomer Royal, Stent, supervising a group of workmen attempting to dig up the cylinder.

Ogilvy describes how the crowd is hampering their work and requests that the narrator fetch Lord Hilton, the lord of the manor, to organize the installation of a railing to push people back. The narrator acquiesces, anxious to join the privileged few who are granted intimate proximity to the enigmatic object. He discovers that a faint rustling noise is still audible coming from within the cylinder, hinting at the possibility of a noisy commotion inside. Unable to find Lord Hilton at home, the narrator goes to wait for him at the station.