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: Old sci-fi at its best...
Review: I love old sci-fi movies -- especially those made in the late 50s and 60s. This book was reminiscent of those old movies. It had the same character build-up, the sense of despair, and horror at what was happening, which was countered with the determination of the individuals to survive no matter what the odds. The book started off well, and continued on in the same vein, giving enough information along the way to paint the picture of what life might be like if nature turned on us and another form of life took over. The story is told through the eyes of Bill Masen, one of the lucky ones who survived the first events and retained his eye sight. Through his eyes we see mankind turning on each other, we desolation, and we experience fear. Fortunately, we also see hope and the will to live through a story well told. I recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic sci-fi--Why?
Review: I read this book for a class in British film because supposedly this book is a classic of the science fiction genre. And I like science-fiction. But this is just stupid. Don't get me wrong , it's got some very interesting ideas...the fall and fragmentation of civilization, etc. etc. But walking plants! For God's sake. There is not much of a coherent narrative here. The protagonist walks around telling us what he does here, there, and the next place. But do we care about the characters he runs into? No. Do the events relate well to one another? No. For example, Wyndham introduces a love interest for the main character early on in the story and then they meet up again at the end. We are told that he loves her, but he hardly shows it. And we don't care, because she hardly ever appears. You may want to read this for the ideas. It's got some good ones. But the writing ain't too good. Lots and lots of exposition and wasted space. A bit like a 1950's pulp magazine story, but a lot longer. Watch out for the walking plants! Don't get stung. Ooooooo.
Rating:
Summary: It deserves being a sci-fi classic
Review: I really enjoyed Wyndham's whole idea of the end of the world particularly the human reactions which feature in the story. After all, it is the near end of the HUMAN world it confronts. Some parts were slow reading (eg. very long speeches by characters that seem a little too soap-box). Other parts seem to skip fuller descriptions of events (eg. romantic relationship) that were a large part of the narrators life. On the whole definitely worth a read as it makes you question "what if?" I am always impressed by John Wynhams farsightedness and ability to imagine believable scenarios and the human reaction to them and for this reason Triffids is definitely worth a read. I couldn't put it down despite the slower bits!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Sci-fi books I've read
Review: I was initially skeptical that "science fiction" almost fifty years old would be able to keep my interest on the way back from Christchurch, but the sign at Whitcoulls said it was one of their "top 100 books of the century." What a great read! Wyndham does an excellent job getting us interested by opening with the "crisis" -- Bill Masen wakes up in his hospital room expecting to have his bandages removed after an eye injury, but instead being faced with silence. Thinking he's been overlooked, he ventures out to discover that society has been unraveled. As the story progresses, we learn more on the origins of the Triffids and Bill Masen's connection with them. Wyndham doesn't bog the reader down with the minutae of genetic engineering, but presents enough plausible background to the story that one can enjoy the book today or half a century ago. Wyndham also explores the "what ifs" as society attempts to rebuild itself and debate how it can accomodate the blind into the new society.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoyed the film...
Review: I wouldn't suggest reading the book. The only similarities between the two are the Triffids (walking plants), the setting (everyone blind) and some of the names. If you haven't watched the film, or you didn't like it very much, I would most definitely urge you to read this book. What I liked so much about it was the philosophies raised - what is morally correct when society has been destroyed? Is it really *right* to try to help a few people for a short while, or to save yourself and give society a chance to be rebuilt? A great plot, good characters and interesting moral dilemmas.
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: A huge experience...
Review: I've obtained that book from my father. I've thought it's an ordinary book as many others as I've taken it in my hands, but it was a mistake...When I've opened it and begun to read, I wasn't able to stop. I hadn't to eat or drink - a reading was all that I've needed. I was taken into the story I was in the book, my world obtained a new dimension. It was wonderful...What everything would happen, when something " in the sky " will destroy. A few lights, a few beautifull lights on the sky and - all men are blind. Almost all... Some of them survived wihout a damege of eyes, because they didn't see that strange light - stroke of luck. One of them is our hero. He was at the hospital in sake of his eyes at that time. Once, when he wake up, he found out that something is wrong, something about the people all around him. - People gone blind ! - In this way begins his story..., he goes throgh the city and he see a lot of unhappy blind people, which try to get somewhere, which try to do something. A new world begins... A world with only one right - the right of the stranger. A blind people will die and all of them who are alive wants only one - to stay alive another day. It's bad, a many people are bad, at's stange. In this time we can see who is who - everything best and worst will rise up from deep inside of human. It's interesting to see it. And that is not all - a special kind of living form, something between a plant and animal, which is able to kill - such a creature begines to go among the people and it kills them. People which stayed alive and want to stay alive have to be together. They are able to resist only in this way and it's hard. A many different people with various kind of behavour and the alliens - the Triffids -. /.../ This book is not serious only, it's humorous too. You have to read it, because it's not possible to write as good this book really is. You will see, you haven't feel such intensive experience anytime before...
Rating: 
Summary: skip it
Review: If you didn't read/see it when young, and aren't interested in who was the first to introduce something. I.e. if you're just after a good story, get another book.
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