The Day of the Triffids

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, and far too often overlooked
Review: "The Day of the Triffids" by John Wyndham seems to be a forgotten child of the post-apocalyptic genre. I'm not sure if this is due to it's relatively unorthodox premise, or it's somewhat dated take on gender roles, but either reason is, frankly, dead wrong as this is an amazing book that ranks with "On the Beach" and "Alas, Babylon" as a cornerstone of the genre. With a premise that is both utterly unique and rich in metaphor, and characters that are charged with emotion, it is a truly gripping read.

What sets "The Day of the Triffids" apart from other books in the genre is its two tiered approach to the end of the world. The first revolves around the eponymous Triffids, which are mobile, semi-carnivorous plants which are presumed to be the result of Soviet genetic tampering. While one would expect that they would be treated as a scourge, quite the opposite occurs as mankind farms them for the rich oils they produce. Thus, is the hubris of man framed quite nicely, and the pieces put in play.

For the triffids are only benign so long as man can control them; when left to their own devices they grow an intensely venomous lash that can kill a full grown human. When a bizarre stellar event leaves everyone who witnessed it blind, the time of the triffids is suddenly at hand. To go further would risk spoiling the plot, but as the few sighted survivors struggle to make sense of, and survive in, their greatly altered world, the triffids become the foremost obstacle to their continued existence.

Thus, "The Day of the Triffids" stands quite nicely as a post-apocalyptic thriller. However, it is what is going on between the lines that makes this a classic. First is the obvious comparison between the triffids and the Soviets. Not only did the latter create the former, but the swarming, relentless approach of the triffids nicely mirrors the Western view of Soviet expansions in the 1950's. However, unlike many Cold War era authors, Wyndham's view of the world is not entirely black and white. While the Soviet system may be the enemy, and not one he wants to live under, he doesn't remove all blame from the West. By their very response to Soviet moves he sees a world made less, not more safe, and one that is walking a knife's edge over the abyss.

Ultimately though, he sees hope for mankind because even as it teeters on the brink of extinction, he anticipates the ability to learn and grow from the mistakes of the past. His rather prescient views of the use of space and bio-technology offer hope, but only if used responsibly, and therefore "The Day of the Triffids" is as much a cautionary tale, somewhat in the vein of a "Jurassic Park", as it is a post-apocalyptic thriller.

Finally, there is a small but very noticeably element that infuses much of the first half of the novel. Time and again, Wyndham has his characters assuming that the Americans will be along by and by to sort things out. Given that this novel was published in 1951 on the heels of World War II, one has to assume that Wyndham was warning his fellow countrymen that the Americans weren't going to be around forever, so they better start standing on their own two feet. While hardly essential to the plot, this historical artifact does offer interesting insight into the context of the book.

Finally, as I alluded to above, there is definitely a pervasive, but largely benign note of sexism in "The Day of the Triffids". While it may offend some, it is by no means misogynistic, and rather reflects a form of chivalry that was probably outdated even as Wyndham wrote the book. On some level he seems to recognize this, as his writing of female characters is somewhat conflicted; he wants to shelter them even as he knows they must be strong. Again, more than anything this offers an interesting historical context to the novel.

I should also add that the introduction by Edmund Morris is superb, as he does an excellent job of stating why "The Day of the Triffids" is still relevant, and perhaps more pertinent than ever in our post-9/11 world. He writes particularly strongly of Wyndham's pathos for the victims, and how it mirrors our own response to terrorism. The rare novel that offers both gripping narrative and thoughtful commentary, "The Day of the Triffids" represents post-apocalyptic literature at its best and should rightly be held among the best contributions to the genre.

Jake Mohlman


Rating:
Summary: Coping with Worldwide Disaster
Review: After reading it, I found "Day of the Triffids" is less about man-eating plants taking over the world than it is about the possible fall of civilization, and less science fiction than it is social commentary.

One morning, at a hospital in England, Bill Masen finds himself one of the few people to survive a worldwide disaster. After looking up at a "green comet" the previous night, the world has become blind. Civilization comes to a grinding halt as confusion and panic sets in. To make things worse, the Triffids, a species of carnivorous walking weed, have run wild, and are now taking advantage of their now vulnerable human prey. Bill Masen, like the rest of the human race, must learn to survive in this frightening new world.

For the most part, it is a well written, compelling story. The myriad of characters are varied and realistic, as you read you see how people from all walks of life (those of different class, beliefs systems, etc) deal with the disaster. The landscape, both city and country, sights and sounds, are very well described and I could imagine everything quite vividly. The triffids, along with every other plot element, are entirely believable, which makes them all the more scary. There's nothing alien or spacey about it, particularly nowadays, in an age where concepts such as genetic engineering and satellite weapons systems are a reality.

There was a few negatives for me. For one, the romantic sub-plot. Like a lot of romance plots in sci-fi, it is a little rushed and unlikely. The girl in question is Josella Playton, a pretty, effervescent socialite. She's a novelist whose debut is called "Sex is my Adventure" (only a man would write a love interest like her.). In "Day of the Triffids", they are intense and desperate times and these might have intesified emotion, but considering a great deal of the book involves Bill looking for his girl, it would have been nice if this romantic side was a bit more believable. I would have also liked to have known more about the triffids. I suppose the mystery behind them adds to the fright element, There are a few tantalizing clues about how they behave and what they want, and what their weaknesses are, but they are never quite followed through. By the end of the book I was a little dissappointed, not only for that, but for all the other loose ends. These are only minor points though. It was still a very good story and a intriguing, exciting and frightening concept.

Sci fi fans should definitely have this on their must read lists, particularly those who enjoy post-apocalyptic plots. It didn't grab me as much as I thought it would, but it is still an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Did George Romero read this book before he wrote NOTLD?
Review: i know that George Romero's 1968 masterpiece NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was the first film to feature hordes of mindless zombies roaming the countryside looking for nice tasty humans to eat, but what i want to know is "what was the first book to feature the same?".

the reason i'm asking is if you replace the triffids in this book with dead humans then you've got a very interesting zombie story.

that said this is a great book. very imaginative, fast-paced and hard to put down. i can't wait to read some more wyndham.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not as good as his short stories
Review: I'm torn as how best to review this book. One the one hand I've seen many adaptations of the book on TV and film. Some credit the book others don't. Having just recently seen the UK series "Survivors" (1975) I must say that I'm surprised that Terry Nation didn't credit Wyndham given the heavily lifted plot and dialogue! Sure, the main characters are changed around but the incidental plot elements are nearly the same and in the same order. All that is missing is the triffids and the comet.

Which brings me to my main complaint about the book: The triffids hardly have anything to do with the plot of the book even though they are the title of it and are the most thought out piece of the book. The idea of a tech industry expirament let loose in the wild was fascinating but save for chapter 2, nothing is further is developed along those lines.

Then there's the comet (if it is one) which blinds everyone and then the unexplained plague a few days later. Now if you believe the B film Day of the Comet, the comet turns those who saw it into zombies -- triffids be damned and then the same sort of plot (minus menacing plants) goes on. In this book though, the two seem unrelated except to kill off all those annoying recently rendered blind folks.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not as good as his short stories
Review: I'm torn as how best to review this book. One the one hand I've seen many adaptations of the book on TV and film. Some credit the book others don't. Having just recently seen the UK series "Survivors" (1975) I must say that I'm surprised that Terry Nation didn't credit Wyndham given the heavily lifted plot and dialogue! Sure, the main characters are changed around but the incidental plot elements are nearly the same and in the same order. All that is missing is the triffids and the comet.

Which brings me to my main complaint about the book: The triffids hardly have anything to do with the plot of the book even though they are the title of it and are the most thought out piece of the book. The idea of a tech industry expirament let loose in the wild was fascinating but save for chapter 2, nothing is further is developed along those lines.

Then there's the comet (if it is one) which blinds everyone and then the unexplained plague a few days later. Now if you believe the B film Day of the Comet, the comet turns those who saw it into zombies -- triffids be damned and then the same sort of plot (minus menacing plants) goes on. In this book though, the two seem unrelated except to kill off all those annoying recently rendered blind folks.

Rating:
Summary: Not a pleasant way to die.
Review: It is interesting to read stories that were written 40 to 50 years ago. This one starts fast and doesn't let you go until the end.
Just the prospect of almost every one going blind gives me the chill. To be attacked by murderous carnivorous plants is an horror added on terror. This is a story that could be remade in a movie. It could be much better than "28 days".
Wyndham is very good at describing the different ways that people would react to such an holocaust. The principal character's quest to find his new love is very well integrated with the story.
You can almost see the thousands of triffids waiting at the gates for you to come out. Read this book please and if you know a movie producer, give him your book.

Rating:
Summary: Past 50 But Still Great!
Review: Many novels have the adjective "brilliant" fixed to their name. For some this is justified, for others not. "The Day of the Triffids" falls into the former category.

The essence of John Wyndham's tale is that a massive meteor shower is watched by most of the world's population. The next day, most of the population wakes to find themselves absolutely blind. A handful miss the shower for various reasons including the novel's narrator, Bill Masen, who was in hospital having eye surgery. His eyes are thus bandaged and the glorious shower is missed. He can count himself very lucky!

Coinciding with the shower is the emergence of Triffids; plants that are both extremely poisonous and mobile. They can actually lift their roots and move to another location. Triffids plus near universal human blindness puts civilization and the human race in extreme peril. The modern world disappears as humans revert to barbarism and feudalism. Several theories are tested as to how the comet shower occurred but no one explanation can be proved. The threat to humanity, however, is very real.

John Wyndham's novel is now more than fifty years old but still reads wonderfully well. He paints a bleak scenario in which the remaining sighted humans must strive to rebuild a modern world. It is often a battle between good and evil and the resultant victor is not always clear. Wyndham was probably using an analogy for a post nuclear holocaust world. His message is as fresh today as it was during a time of cold war hostility.


Rating:
Summary: Holds up well - even after 50+ years
Review: The Day of the Triffids is a classic end-of-the-world sci-fi novel set in England. Two bizarre things happen at the beginning of the novel to create disaster. Number 1: Science "discovers" walking plants that are named Triffids that can communicate among themselves. Our narrator, Bill Masen, believes that they are the result of Russian military testing, possibly meant to be a weapon, but they quickly spread all over the world. The Triffid is harmless enough until it grows to be man-sized. Then, it is able to walk by using its branches to swing its trunk, similar to the way a man on crutches walks. Once it walks, it is also able to hunt with this long whip-like tentacle with a poisoned tip. The Triffids like to eat putrid, rotting meat, much like a Venus Flytrap. It tears the meat loose with its tentacle.

The Triffids are more of a curiosity to the world, though until bizarre thing #2 happens: There is a meteor shower one night - it is very bright and people all over the world watch it because it goes on all night. The next day, everyone who saw any part of the shower goes blind. Our narrator, however, is not blind because he had hospitalized for eye surgery and his eyes had been bandaged the night of the shower. Masen believes the meteor shower was not a natural ocurrence, but rather it was all a mistaken attack by an American or Russian satellite with a space-based radiation weapon.

The rest of the book concerns Masen and his struggle to survive. Everything collapses when 95% of the population goes blind. The whole of England becomes a Mad Max environment and different types of communities are formed to attempt to deal with the blind survivors, the Triffids and the threat from other sighted survivors.

All in all, its a good read and it holds up well, considering it is 50+ years old. Wyndham did a great job of prediciting the Cold War and the buildup of weapons and the push to harnass science for military applications. I would assume that this book had been read by the creators of Mad Max because they share a lot of the same images. However, don't get this book confused with the constant violence of the Road Warrior. Those scenes are rare, even if the settings are similar. This is a much more philosophical work, with lots of discussion about the nature of man.



Rating:
Summary: 44 reviews of book
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Rating:
Summary: Was probably more original in its day
Review: This is a good story of so-called apocalyptic sci-fi. The beginning of the story hugely lacks in credibility, and the triffids are a really way too obvious examples of technology developed by mankind without always weighing the possible negative effects (nuclear holocaust was THE big theme, back then).

But the post-apocalypse part is among the better ones written.

Also, and this is welcome, Wyndham CAN write, I mean he can write in proper English, with more than a basic vocabulary, which turns the book into literature, wheras, very unfortunately, most sci-fi today is so poorly written, than even when it contains great ideas it just is not literature.