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The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham


Janet

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The Day of the Triffids

The 'blurb'
Fantastic, frightening, but entirely plausible, John Wyndham's famous story of a world dominated by monstrous, stinging plants catches the imagination like the best of H G Wells.

When Bill Masen wakes in hospital after wearing bandages for a week, everything feels wrong - the hospital is eerily quiet and nobody comes when he rings the bell. Upon investigation, he discovers that nearly every other person alive is blind after watching a green comet. Not only that, but the strange plants - the Triffids - which were being cultivated to make oil for the planet are on the loose and these walking, stinging plants are out to kill.

Now it becomes a frantic struggle to survive. As civilisation as we know it breaks down and life becomes a survival of the fittest, what will happen? Bill meets another seeing person - Josella - and together they must try to make the best of the terrible circumstances in order to make a life for themselves in this new, strange existence.

I read this at school (and saw the BBCs 1981 version) but had no recollection of it as I re-read it! The BBC are doing a new version (only 90 minutes long though, apparently, which may not do it justice) later this year so I wanted to read it first.

I don't normally read Sci-fi so was a bit out of my comfort zone but I really needn't have worried - I absolutely loved it!

The mention of H G Wells in the blurb is interesting because, whilst I've never read the book, I have listened to Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds so many times (and I have the book on my 'to read' pile) and I found myself comparing this to that - although really both storylines vary quite a bit.

The paperback is 272 pages long and is published by Penguin. The ISBN number is 978-0141185415.

Edited by Janet
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Janet~ I am so glad you enjoyed it, it is an ace read:)

 

I really enjoyed 'The Day of The Triffids' too but if you get the chance, read 'The Chrysalids', also by John Wyndham, its a really good story.

 

I also have John Wyndham books on my TBR pile, 'The Kraken Wakes' and 'Trouble with Lichen'

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Triffids is my favourite Wyndham, closely followed by The Midwich Cuckoos and Chocky, both of which are also wonderful.

 

And War of the Worlds is pretty good too. :D

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The BBC are doing a new version (only 90 minutes long though, apparently, which may not do it justice) later this year so I wanted to read it first.

 

The new BBC version is going to be two feature length episodes (so that's probably 2 x 90 minutes, which would make it the same length as the 80's version).

 

If you want to see the 80's version, which still holds up very well, and you can get it quite cheaply from the likes of Play.com and Amazon these days.

 

And do try War of the Worlds, it's a very good novel, waaaay better than The Time Machine!

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