The Invisible Man (Summary)

Chapter-1

Name: The Strange Man’s Arrival

In the first chapter, when the novel begins, we find a stranger moving towards Iping, a small
hill side village of London, from Bramblehurst. He is covered from top to bottom wearing
long over coat, having pink nose and blue goggles with side light. The author (H.G Wells)
too, calls him a wrapped up mystery in this chapter. When the stranger reaches an inn
owned by Mrs. Hall, he offers two golden sovereigns in exchange of a room and fireplace in
it. Being an impeccable business woman, she makes the most of the situation and allots him
a room without any due verification. The stranger tells him that his luggage is kept at
Bramblehurst railway station and he wants it to be brought upwards as soon as possible but
Mrs. Hall makes an excuse of hefty snowfall and assures him to get it brought in a couple of
days. She actually wants to make most of the situation and earn a good fortune. Besides,
she responds with a good hospitality offering the stranger good food to eat such as ham,
bacon and some eggs. She observes some strange and odd things in the stranger such as;
he neither takes his serviette off while speaking nor his hat and coat off when she wants to
do so for making them wet. When she tries to figure out the cause of that awkward look of
the stranger, she finds the stranger laughing with hollow mouth. But she pays no attention
to it.

Chapter-2

Name: Mr. Teddy Henfrey’s first Impressions

In the second chapter, a clock jobber namely Teddy Henfrey comes to Coach and Horses
for a cup of coffee whence he is sent to stranger’s room by Mrs. Hall to keep an eye on him
and his odd habits along with repairing the watch. He goes inside, stares at the stranger and
tries to talk to him making and excuse of the weather but the stranger orders him to mind
his own business and leave as soon as he is done with his work. Teddy gets hurt and
irritated with his words and leaves Coach and Horses even after Mrs. Hall tries her level best
to stop him & go to the root cause. Having left Coach and Horses, he meets Mr. Hall whom
he incites and provokes against the stranger stating that latter’s wife has no sense of
business. Teddy also talks ill of the stranger and his luggage that is supposed to reach soon.
Mr. Hall, in order to show his supremacy, goes to Mrs. Hall to teach her a lesson of ‘how to
do business’ but on the contrary, he is reprimanded and lambasted by Mrs. Hall. Mr. Hall
leaves from there but it leaves a question mark in the mind of Mrs. Hall about the real
identity of the stranger. She starts suspecting him.
Chapter-3

Name: The Thousand and One Bottles

In the third chapter, in the month of February, Mr. Fearenside brings stranger’s luggage
which contains more than thousand bottle of different shapes, three fat books labelled as
diary, dozen or more crates, boxes and cases packed in straw etc. When the excited stranger
comes to receive his luggage, he is attacked by the dog of Mr. Fearenside. He rips his glove
as well as the pants. Seeing this misadventure, many people gather there and start cursing
Fearenside for keeping such a ferocious dog with him. Mrs. Hall, being a perfect business
woman, even demands compensation from Mr. Fearenside for this cruel act. Meanwhile the
stranger returns after changing his clothes and asks the carrier to bring his luggage
upwards. Having received his luggage, he pays off Mr. Fearenside and starts opening his
luggage one by one. While he is busy in his experiments, Mrs. Hall comes and observes that
stranger’s eyes are as hollow as sockets. She objects to the litter created by the stranger in
his room but the stranger advises her to add it to his bill. In this way, stranger gets rid of
talkative and disturbing owner of Coach and Horses. At the end of this chapter, we find Mr.
Fearenside & Teddy Henfey giving their own theories about the stranger. Former thinks him
as a piebald who has different nose and different body colour whereas Teddy Henfrey calls
him a criminal who is hiding here and there in order to conceal his identity.

Chapter-4

Name: Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

In this chapter, we get to read that stranger has become quite popular in this small town of
London. People have different opinions about him as some people think he is a detective
whereas some consider him as a magician whose only purpose is to earn money. Some of
the people suspect him as a criminal and some youngsters tease him as ‘Bogey Man’.
Hearing a lot of him, Dr.Cuss who is a local practitioner, gets jealous of him and plans to
expose him in front of the whole town. With this intention, he goes to Coach and Horses
and enters Stranger’s room with an excuse of subscription for nurses. While talking to the
stranger, he introduces himself as a local doctor who works for the welfare of the people.
Besides, he starts putting up strange questions which infuriates the stranger ultimately.
Stranger exhibits his invisibility keeping his sleeves up bit by bit. The more he rolls, the more
invisible he becomes. Having made him feel his invisible body, he throws his subscription in
the fireplace. He even pinches the nose of the stranger which makes him run like a tracer
bullet. He narrates the whole incident to his best friend who forbids to believe in his story as
well as in invisibility. In this way, once again people refuse to believe in the invisibility of the
stranger.

Chapter-5

Name: The Burglary at the Vicarage

In this chapter, we get to know about the burglary that happened at Mr. Bunting’s home at
midnight. The stranger, who has to make his payment to Mrs. Hall, enters Mr. Bunting’s
home with an intension to steal. He breaks into his house and manages to steal a few
golden coins kept in the drawer of Bunting’s home. Mrs. Bunting who hears a strange noise
coming from her home, follows that noise but all in vain. The couple can see that somebody
has lit a candle, somebody is opening the drawer again and again but unfortunately no one
is visible. Ultimately, they conclude that the thievery has been committed by the invisible
man who is putting up at Coach and Horses.

Chapter-6

Name: The Furniture that Went Mad

While the thievery was being committed at Mr. Bunting’s home, Mrs. Hall and Mr. Hall were
going to dilute the beer in their cellar at the same time. But soon the couple realize that
they have forgotten to bring the bottle of Sarsaparilla. In order to carry that bottle, Mrs. Hall
sends Mr. Hall to bring that bottle down. While bringing the bottle down, Mr. Hall observes
that the stranger’s room is ajar. He enters and finds that the stranger is not there. Soon, he
calls Mrs. Hall upwards and they both get to see his clothes being scattered there. While
they wonder about the stranger, they hear some strange noises of sneezing and coughing
etc. Then the mess begins. The stranger starts disturbing the furniture, throwing things at
the couple and scaring them. Ultimately, he lifts a four-legged chair and throw the couple
out of the room. Mrs. Hall faints whereas Mr. Hall awakens Millie in order to call some of the
neighbours. She goes out and brings Mr. Huxter (A General Dealer) & Sandy Wadgers (A
Blacksmith). Mrs. Hall is given some restoratives to bring her back to her senses. Before they
all could plan to raid the room of the stranger, latter himself comes, covered from top to
bottom with his usual appearance, and hands in the bottle to Mr. George Hall stating that
he had forgotten his bottle inside.
Chapter-7

Name: The Unveiling of the Stranger

In the beginning of this chapter we get to read that Mrs. Hall has stopped the food supply
of the stranger as he has not paid his bills for last five days. Stranger, who is extremely
hungry who has been waiting for his food since morning, has rung the bell thrice but not
responded by Mrs. Hall. Eventually, he comes out of room, calls one of the customers
enjoying Whit Monday and asks him to call Mrs. Hall. Mrs. Hall brings a plate having a bill
on it and asks stranger to pay it if he really wants to have food else she’ll not give him
anything to eat. Mrs. Hall. Besides, she puts up some questions, at the time of being given
the money by the stranger, from the stranger which infuriate him completely. He starts
taking his goggles, bandages and gloves off and becomes invisible. He runs to the kitchen
and brings some food from there. On the other hand, Mr. Hall brings a local village
constable namely Mr. Bobby Jaffers who show Griffin a warrant and request him to
accompany to police station for the probe. But, rather than supporting him, he starts
beating him like hell and make him black and blue. Even after being beaten a lot, police
constable does not give up and manages to get hold on the stranger. Stranger gives in and
asks for the reason of his arrest. Stranger is told that he is accused of calling spirits and
breaking in Mr. Bunting’s house. Stranger admits his fault and enacts as if he were ready to
accompany him for the probe. But, taking the advantages, he unclothes himself and
becomes invisible. Thereafter, he beats Mr. Jaffers, Mr. Hall, Sandy Wadgers and everyone
else who comes on his way. Having beaten all of them, he runs from there but vows to come
back again to take revenge.

Chapter-8

Name: In Transit
Griffin escapes from Coach and Horses in search of someone who can help him out in
arranging food, clothes and basic facilities. On the way, he runs across Mr. Gibbons who is
an amateur as well as naturalist. Griffin tries to get closer to him, but soon Mr. Gibbons gets
to hear a strange noise of his sneezing and coughing. Understanding the gravity of the
situation & seeing the danger around him, he runs from there and rushes to his home.

Chapter-9

Name: Mr. Thomas Marvel

Having failed to talk to Mr. Gibbons, Griffin moves towards Adder dean where he comes
across a drunkard namely Mr. Thomas Marvel who is confused between a pair of shoes,
which one to wear which one not to. Griffin speaks from his back and advises him to put
either pair. Hearing the voice, Marvel turns up but fails to see anyone there. Griffin tries his
level best to convince about his invisibility but Marvel forbids to do so. Finally, Griffin picks
up some flints and throws at the drunkard man. One of the flints hits Marvel on his toe,
thereafter he gets ready to everything being said by Griffin. Marvel requests him not to
throw any more stone at him. He gets ready to work for him when convinced by the
stranger.

Chapter-10

Name: Mr. Marvel’s Visit to Iping

Having been convinced by Griffin, Marvel goes to Coach and Horses to get back the
luggage which includes former’s clothes, diary etc. He tries to sneak into stranger’s room
but abrupt by Mr. Hall who tells him about the privacy of the room. Marvel comes out of the
inn and wait for something to happen. Soon he receives a big bundle kind of thing which he
gets through the window and runs down the hill. Mr. Huxter who had been keeping an eye
on him since his arrival, tries to get hold of him, gets beaten by Griffin who also saves
Marvel from the hands of Iping’s local folk.

Chapter-11

Name: In the Coach & Horses

In this chapter, readers get to know how the thievery at Coach and Hoses takes place. It is
actually committed by Griffin who enters his hired room and finds Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting
sitting inside. He threatens them not to utter a single word and steals his diary, cheque book
and other important things. Griffin makes a bundle of it with the help of a table cloth and
hands over the entire bundle to Mr. Thomas Marvel waiting outside the inn in the backyard.
Marvel runs with the bundle.

Chapter-12

The Invisible Man Loses His Temper

In the pursuit of Thomas Marvel, People collide with Griffin and one of the men hits him
unknowingly. Griffin, who is already short tempered, loses his cool and starts beating the
people of Iping. He breaks a street light and scares the people of Iping as much as he can.
He creates ruckus everywhere and generates a fear in the minds of people of Iping once
again.
Chapter-11

Name: In the Coach & Horses

In this chapter, readers get to know how the thievery at Coach and Hoses takes place. It is
actually committed by Griffin who enters his hired room and finds Mr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting
sitting inside. He threatens them not to utter a single word and steals his diary, cheque book
and other important things. Griffin makes a bundle of it with the help of a table cloth and
hands over the entire bundle to Mr. Thomas Marvel waiting outside the inn in the backyard.
Marvel runs with the bundle.

Chapter-12

The Invisible Man Loses His Temper

In the pursuit of Thomas Marvel, People collide with Griffin and one of the men hits him
unknowingly. Griffin, who is already short tempered, loses his cool and starts beating the
people of Iping. He breaks a street light and scares the people of Iping as much as he can.
He creates ruckus everywhere and generates a fear in the minds of people of Iping once
again.
Chapter-13

Name: Mr. Marvel Discusses His Resignation

Mr. Marvel and Griffin manage to escape from Iping with latter’s luggage. Marvel gets too
tired to carry such a weight on his shoulder. Besides, he has to move on with the money
Griffin has robbed from the people of Iping and other areas. Having been so tired, he offers
his resignation to Griffin regretting his inability to run and walk as his job requires. At first,
Griffin accuses him of giving him a slip and later refuses to accept his resignation. In short,
Griffin makes it very clear to him that Marvel can’t resign until he succeeds in his mission.
Chapter-14

Name: At Port Stowe

Griffin and Marvel keep on moving towards Bramblehurst. On the way, Griffin gives some
relaxation to tired Marvel & asks him to eat something at Port Stowe. While Marvel is sitting
on a bench outside an inn, a mariner comes and starts suspecting the former. Besides, he
tells him about the news published in a local newspaper about ruckus created by the
invisible man in the surrounding areas when promised by Marvel to disclose some more
things about the invisible man. As soon as Marvel starts telling him about the invisible man,
he is hit from the back by an invisible power. Griffin pushes him and takes him down the hill.
On the other hand, other mariner comes and tells the former one about the money which
was seen flying in the air. He also adds that he was hit by one of the invisible power.

Chapter-15

Name: The Man Who Was Running

In this chapter, we get to read about Dr. Kemp who is a scientist and preparing for Royal
Society Fellowship Exam. He is one who always remains engaged in studying. When he gets
bored or whenever he gets time to relax, he opens his window and looks out. On that day,
he gets to see a short and fat man walking down the hill but he turns a blind eye
considering him a fool. He has no idea that the man is Thomas Marvel who has cheated on
Griffin and escaped.

Chapter-16

Name: In the Jolly Cricketers

Marvel who has cheated on Griffin, has escaped and managed to enter an inn called ‘The
Jolly Cricketers’. On reaching there, he begs an American, who is drinking in that inn, and a
policeman. He tells them that he is being chased by the invisible man who wants to kill him.
The American assures him that he needs not worry as he has got a gun and he’ll kill him. But
the invisible man enters somehow from the back door & starts hitting Thomas Marvel.
American, on hearing the noise, fires at Griffin with all the bullets he had. He asks other
people to look for Griffin’s dead body but all in vain. Griffin gets hit but somehow manages
to escape from there. Afterwards, Marvel surrenders to police with all his luggage and
money stolen from the people.

Chapter-17

Name: Dr. Kemp’s Visitor

Having escaped from there, Griffin manages to enter Dr. Kemp’s house. When Dr. Kemp
reaches downstairs, he finds some blood stains on the ground. He thinks it might be the
maid who had cut her hand with something, therefore he moves on. When he reaches his
room’s door, he finds the knob stained with blood. Yet, he enters and finds his bed-sheet
torn. Even, he finds some bandages flying in the air. Before he can understand anything, he
is startle by a voice ”Good Heavens Dr. Kemp”. Then, he gets to know about the invisible
man. Stranger tells him about his past that they both used to study in the same college. He
further adds that his name is Griffin, he is an albino, a 6 feet tall man & he used to be topper
of Chemistry in University College London. Having heard him whole-heartedly and believed
everything about him, Dr. Kemp yet refuses to believe in his invisibility. After taking a couple
of blows from Griffin, Dr. Kemp believes in him and gets ready to follow his orders.

Chapter-18

Name: The Invisible Man Sleeps

After Giving Griffin some food to eat, alcohol to drink and cigarettes to smoke, Dr. Kemp
gets stuck in a dilemma. He fails to decide whether to support a former mate or humanity
which seems to be missing from Griffin, Having thought for a while and read about Griffin,
he writes a letter to Colonel Adye (Chief of Police, Burdock) and tells him everything from
the scratch. He requests the colonel to come to his home and arrest Griffin as soon as
possible.

Chapter-19

Name: Certain First Principles

In this chapter, Griffin tells Dr. Kemp about his past that how successfully he had started his
career. One day he meets Professor Oliver in his college who draws his attention towards
Physics and invisibility. The professor tells him about pigments and seeks for his support in
making the formula of invisibility. Griffin loses his interest in Chemistry and starts working
on the tunes of the Professor. They both work together for a long time but soon have tussle
with each other over credit-taking issue of invisibility. Soon they part each and other and
Griffin decides to work single handedly on the formula of invisibility.
 Chapter-20

Name: At the House in Great Portland Street

Griffin goes to the Great Portland Street and hires a room. He continues his research until he
lacks in money. To arrange some money, he breaks into his father’s home and steals his
money which he had borrowed from someone. His father commits suicide but Griffin does
not shed a single tear. He continues he research and almost succeeds in that when he
manages to make his neighbour’s cat invisible. He even fights with his landlord. Out of
compulsion, he applies the formula of invisibility on himself and becomes invisible. After
being invisible, he sets fire to his landlord’s home and escapes from there.

Chapter-21

Name: In Oxford Street

Now, Griffin goes to Oxford Street one of the most crowded and engaged place in England
where he gets to know the flaws of being invisible. He realizes that for being invisible, he
has to naked throughout the day however the weather is. Besides, he can’t eat anything, he
can see people but people can’t and he can be perceived by the dogs by his smell. On the
very first day of invisibility, he realizes that visibility is much better than invisibility. He
continues telling his all the shortcomings to Dr. Kemp in the form of a story.

Chapter-22

Name: In the Emporium

Having left Oxford Street, in order to protect himself from the falling snow and biting cold,
Griffin decides to hide himself in an inn called ‘Omniums’ where he manages to enter
stealthily. He gets to eat a lot from there, gets to wear some clothes and gets to sleep in
some quilts. That night, he has few nightmares which don’t let him sleep, he remembers his
father for the first time and hold himself responsible for his father’s death. When he wakes
up in the morning, he finds himself being seized by the employees of that emporium. But
somehow, he manages to escape from there taking the advantage of his invisibility. On this
day too, Griffin realizes that visibility is much better than invisibility.

Chapter-23

Name: In Drury Lane

Having gone from the emporium, Griffin reaches Drury lane where he enters a costume
shop. The moment Griffin tries to move, Hunchback, who is the owner of that shop comes
down as he is a keen observer and can even listen a needle’s falling noise. He suspects
somebody’s presence over there. But soon, he is attacked by Griffin with a stool on his head.
He faints over there and Griffin manages to get his clothes, pink nose, blue goggles with
side light and many more things. Besides, he steals Hunchback’s money and moves towards
a small hillside village called Iping.

Name: The Plan That Failed

Griffin is narrating his entire past to Dr. Kemp but latter who is peeping out of window, gets to
see Colone Adye coming with some policemen. Dr.Kemp tries to corner Griffin but latter gets to
see the policemen coming. Griffin understands the gravity of the situation and takes his clothes
off. After being invisible, he beats Dr.Kemp, Jumps on the policemen and manages to get away
from there. He threatens Dr. Kemp that he will come back and kill him. In this way, we can say
that the plan made by Dr. Kemp and Colonel Adye gets failed.

Chapter-25

Name: The Hunting of the Hunter

When Griffin manages to escape from Dr.Kemp’s home, Dr. Kemp and Colonel Adye make
plans to arrest Griffin. Dr.Kemps suggests Colonel Adye some ways to arrest Griffin. He advises
the chief of the police to use Glass powder, dogs’ help and to shut all the food shops, public
transport, schools and colleges. Having heard his plans, Colonel Adye accedes to some of his
requests and makes all arrangement to nab Griffin lest he should easily get away from the trap of
him. They both seem desparate and feared as well in this chapter especially Dr. Kemp.

Chapter-26

Name: The Wicksteed Murder

While they are in search of Griffin with the help of glass powder and dogs, a news shocks
the entire town that Wicksteed, a steward of Lord Burdock, has been murdered by an
unknown. When Dr. Kemp and Colonel Adye get to know about this, they have a fair
enough idea that Wicksteed could have been murdered by Griffin. Whey witnesses come
forward with their explanation, they get sure that he has been murdered by Griffin only. In
this way, Griffin manages to terrorise the people of Port Burdock.

Chapter-27

Name: The Sieze of Kemp’s House

Earlier in this chapter, Dr. Kemp receives a death threatening letter from Griffin. He,
immediately, sends his maid to Colonel Adye but in vain. Griffin, who was already there,
reprimands his maid and comes to Dr. Kemp’s house with an axe. He starts breaking his
windows with that axe. Soon comes, Colonel Adye who tries to kill Griffin but the reverse
happens. Griffin kills him brutally and continues breaking the windows of Dr. Kemp. On the
other hand, maid is accompanied by two policemen who warn Griffin to surrender. But,
rather than surrendering he, attacks those policemen. One of the policemen breaks his hand
which makes him run away from there. Unfortunately, he runs through the same door
whence Dr. Kemp runs where the former chases the latter with all his might.

Chapter-28

Name: The Hunter Hunted

Now Griffin chases Dr. Kemp which makes him run to each and every house and beg for his
life. On the way, Kemp reaches his close associate’s home, Mr. Heelas, who turns down his
request to let him enter the former’s home. Dr. Kemp somehow reaches to some rural
people whom he requests to save his life from the king of terror. Meanwhile Griffin comes
and loses his hands on the doctor brutally. Understanding the gravity of the situation one of
the masons hits Griffin with a shovel which forces him to lose his grip from Dr. Kemp’s neck.
They all, together, jumped over Griffin and kill by suffocating him. In the end, the reign of
terror ends and people take a sigh of relief.

Name: Epilogue
In the end, when Griffin dies, we get to read that Mr. Thomas Marvel has been released by
local police in the absence of witnesses for his misdeeds. Therefore, his lawyers manage to
get him the money that he had stolen with Griffin as his accomplice. With that money, he
opens an inn in Port Stowe by the name of ‘The Invisible Man’ where he mints a lot of
money alluring the visitors and tourist with the real stories of Griffin. He has grown rich all of
a sudden. In that in, he has his secret chamber where he goes every night when everyone
else has fallen asleep. He opens a secret drawer & takes three fat books out and read on
daily basis. He is somewhere able to read some of the content written in mathematical
calculations. Now his only dream is to become invisible and create the reign of terror as
Griffin did.