The War of the Worlds has some fantastic prose as well as poignant, beautiful lines that question humanity's prestige on earth. It's not a difficult read; I flipped through it in a few short days. The ending is realistic and most of the protagonist's actions are believable, as are the actions of the people that he meets along the way (such as the artilleryman). 
 I'm torn about the lack of names in this novel - on one hand, it allows the characters to be anyone. They are defined by their job titles and for most part, this isn't confusing. On the other, it seems very impersonal without something as simple as a name. But perhaps these formalities are forgotten when the world is plunged into a war for survival? 
 I did question, though, the use of the past tense. Seems to me that it would be more effective in the present tense, since past indicates that the narrator will survive and that eliminates a lot of tension from the get-go. 
 That said, I love me some science fiction. :) Definitely worth a read!