The Chrysalids

I'd been wanting to read something by John Wyndham for a while. I missed him back middle school forty years ago when I was ransacking the school library for other worlds and apocalyptic wastes. While The Chrysalids is, in its larval and pupal states, well-formed and perfectly cocoons the reader in its bleak world, its imago shows some stylistic mutations that might limit the novel's competitive fitness in the harsh environment of belles-lettres. Wyndham did not quite exploit to best advantage the narrative potential of the world he so skillfully set up (I really wanted to explore the fringes and badlands more). Also, he fell into the all-too-common sci-fi wormhole of windy, didactic over-explaining. This sucks the mood and mystery out of a new world and dulls the edge of the adventure. That said, the hero of the tale charismatic, the hidebound "puritans" of the post-apocalypse were well-fleshed, grim, and as damning of their ilk today as they will be to their future iterations. The Chrysalids, though six-toed in parts, is overall a rollicking good sci-fi tale and a great book for a young readers who haven't eaten of the bitter apple of advanced literary scholarship. I regret not finding John Wyndham back when I was less jaded. The Chrysalids would have been a great follow-up to the Prince in Waiting and White Mountains trilogy, Z for Zacharia, In the Keep of Time, and other classics of its genre.

This book was a childhood love for me, and still is! I was thrilled to have found it again. Its so beyond its time for a books that was written in the 50's! The authur was truly a visionary! It's a new take on apocalytic world, that I haven't seen anyone else take on in a literary sence before! Now this will be a fresh, and new idea to bring to life on the big screen. But the individuals that decide to take this on as a project. Must stay true to the writters visions. Don't alter a thing. Or the beauty of the story will be lost. And like so many movies brought to life based on books, by the wrong producers and screen writers.... Destroy the core of what the live reenactment could have represented! This could be the next big thing for fiction lovers everywhere. But it must be handled with care. By those who love the story too!

The Chrysalids is a worthwhile read that I would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction. The novel is not only well-written, but also encourages readers to question the unrealistic standards set by our society today. Through vivid descriptions and a variety of well-developed characters, John Wyndham sheds light on society's deep-rooted fear of differences and the lengths people are willing to go to achieve this set idea of perfection. The novel depicts a religious dystopian community, known as Waknuk, that has risen after nuclear war has wiped out any modern technology. In this society, any physical mutation or deviation from the true image of God is unacceptable and must be dealt with through means of burning or banishment to a place known as “The Fringes”. The story is told from the perspective of David, a seemingly normal boy, and follows his development throughout his childhood. David has grown accustomed to the strict standards his father, as well as his community, impresses upon him and he never thinks to challenge the ideas set forth by society. That is, until David discovers that he has a deviation of his own and he’s not the only one of his kind. The Chrysalids follows the journey of David, his sister Petra and a small group of others who share the same telepathic abilities as they work to navigate their way to safety in a world that has dangers lurking around every corner. Wyndham does an incredible job of questioning the true definition of perfection not only within this fictional society, but in our modern day world as well. Who gets to decide what the real definition of perfection is? And why do we place so much importance on reaching these unrealistic standards? Although the society John Wyndham brings to life is quite extreme in the way the community gets rid of differences, he effectively forces readers to reexamine the ideals of the society we live in today.

I'd read a book by John Wyndham before and saw this one listed in the catalog. It like "Day of the Triffids" is set in an imaginary future. Survivors here in the story are living after a nuclear war, in a society that is very worried about mutations from radiation. Who have set up a near religion about things being "normal."The leading character IS normal, at least at first, but he meets someone who isn't 'quite perfect.' He finds her very normal, and not 'scary' or different, and befriends her. And then, we find out he isn't quite normal either, nor are some of his relatives.It is a very complex story and the characters are so normal in actions that you are carried along to the end in a wholly plausible way. Very enjoyable. Recommend it if you like "Day of the Triffids" or even if you did not. It is a fast read, hard to put down.

I first read this as a kid about 30 years ago, and it became a favorite of mine, as it was for my parents. Written in the early days of the Cold War, The Chrysalids (titled "Rebirth" in the American edition) vividly portrays a repressive society that emerges centuries after a severe global nuclear holocaust. In this society, which knows of the holocaust only as an act of divine judgement referred to as the Tribulation, any deviation or mutation is treated as an abomination against divine order. The story is told from the first person perspective of a young man who discovers his telepathic ability will mark him and those like him as dangerous deviants to be punished by the authorities. This young adult novella still reads as well today as it did decades ago, and is no less relevant in its discussion of bigotry, religious intolerance, and the terrible consequences of nuclear war.

It feels slightly odd sitting down to write a review of John Wyndham's The Chrysalids. I first read it when I was ten or eleven - about the same age as the book's protagonist, David Strorm, when we first meet him. Since then, I've read it many, many times - and enjoyed it as much each time.Falling for that reader's temptation to spend time with an old friend, I've just finished reading it yet again - in fact, it's one of the first books on my new Kindle Paperwhite.The story is set at some point in the future. We don't really know when, but it's safe to assume that at least a thousand years have passed since today. Civilisation has fallen long ago - and is now trying to claw its way out of a largely non-technological agricultural era. What became of mankind, we're not told for sure - but a large-scale nuclear war seems the safest bet.David lives with his family on a farm in Waknuk, part of what we know now as Labrador. Life isn't easy. `Deviations' (mutated crops and animals) are feared as the work of the Devil and have to be guarded against, rooted out and destroyed to guarantee genetic purity. `Abominations' (mutated people) are sterilised and cast out to the Fringes, a land where little grows true and life expectancy is short.Physical deviations are easy to spot - an extra finger, long arms and so on. But David deviates in a way that people can't see with the eye: he can communicate over long distances, with his mind. He's one of a group with the same curse, or gift. As he grows, it becomes increasingly hard for the group to hide their deviation - and discovery can only end in one way.In a land that is driven by religion (the Bible being only one of two books which survived the Tribulation, the passing of the old people) David's father is one of the most fervent zealots, who wouldn't hesitate to hand over one of his family to the authorities.So, enough plot. I don't want to spoil it if you've not read it.To readers of science fiction, much of the above will seem like familiar territory. But remember: this was written in 1955. The Chrysalids is very much one of the first carts to cut grooves into science fiction's muddy lanes.It could certainly be said that some of the writing is of its time. A little formal for today's eyes; a little proper; perhaps - now and again - a little stilted. But what can't be said is that the book is ever anything less than absorbing - and its tale of prejudice, judgement, intolerance and fear is as relevant today as the day it was written.If the book has a flaw, for me it's a grand speech given towards the end - by one of the characters. Again, I don't want to spoil things for you - but it retreads the themes of the book in a less than subtle way, needlessly repeating and reinforcing the book's core messages. It's not a great crime - but possibly something of a stumble.I personally consider this to be Wyndham's finest book. The characters are stronger than in The Day of The Triffids; their relationships more realistic, moving and engaging. The prose is wonderful. The plot keeps moving - raising the stakes until it reaches the conclusion.I can't deny my deep fondness for this book. It's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Its values and sensibilities have helped to shape mine. I'm affectionate towards it, as you would be with a loved old friend. It also was responsible for instilling in me a romanticism; a high regard for relationships based on deep love. In a time where most science fiction writers were somewhat emotionally constipated, Wyndham paints the relationship between David and his cousin, Rosalind, in a way that those of us who can't connect with our minds - and are restricted to physical senses - can only envy.

John Wyndham's elegant, thoughtful books continue to have relevance decades after they were first written. The Chrysalids, first published in 1955, is a story about difference, change, bigotry and beliefs, and the themes are perhaps even more relevant today than before. Set in a time after some world-changing event that has rendered much of the Earth uninhabitable, the story explores strong community beliefs about what is considered 'normal' and the consequences for people, animals and other occurrences in nature that are considered to be outside the norm. The central character - David Strorm -has the power of telepathy. Along with a group of similarly gifted individuals, he is eventually discovered and considered an outcast and threat because of his powers. Combining a swift, pacy narrative with consideration for wider social issues about difference and the fear of difference - Wyndham serves up an impressively elegant and compelling story in just over 100 pages. Perhaps reflecting the ideological Cold War concerns of the 1950s, the book is curiously undated both in terms of style and the themes it explores, proving that the power of brilliant storytelling never goes out of fashion.

The novel imagines a society where living beings who do not conform to a 'true image' of God are deemed mutants and deviants. For a work first published in 1955, the storyline is as progressive as any 21st century plot.David, a by-all-accounts 'normal' boy first encounters Sophie, whose parents had hidden her deformity of having six toes per foot from the Inspector and the government. He eventually learns firsthand the terrifying fate awaiting those who are found to be different and “unapproved”.Sophie and her parents' fates make David realise that his own ability to communicate with a special group of children through “thought-shapes” must never be made known to anyone, not especially to one of the fiercest opponents to mutants, his own father.When his little sister, Petra, turns out to have the same gift, but in far greater proportion than him, and unconsciously so, the dangers become even more real and urgent.An altogether gripping novel that questions the relative meaning of being normal, and dealing with the oppression of what the majority deems different and therefore labelled deviant. My only complaints are perhaps the sometimes checkered narrative (e.g. David's lovelorn musings about Rosalind and his growing attraction to her right smack in the middle of their perilous escape), and sudden lenghty expository comments by certain representative characters that slow down the action somewhat.Nonetheless, the inventive blend of sci-fi and southern gothic genres in this work is in itself of literary merit and should appeal especially to young readers.

I don't know whether you are someone who likes to read dystopian fiction, especially in this current time of pandemic, but if you are, then John Wyndham is a writer you should know about and this novel is, in my humble opinion, his best. I have read all of his books and, although he is better know for The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos (which was made into a film called The Village of the Damned which did not in any way do the book justice), none of his other books have the emotional impact of The Chrysalids.I was first introduced to the works of John Wyndham in my early teens by my excellent high school librarian. Along with Dorothy L. Sayers (one of whose novels will be featured as a Desert Island Book later in the year), John Wyndham was an author I would never have picked up without her encouragement, but who has since become a lifelong favourite. The first of his books I read was Chocky, and it (excuse my language) scared the crap out of me, but it was this book that really made me think and which continues to linger in my mind long after I finish reading it, even after multiple re-reads.The book is set in a post-apocalyptic corner of Canada. The Earth has been blighted by a tragedy that the reader assumes is nuclear war, but this is never confirmed because the people living at this time don't actually know what happened to make their world the way it is. Their reality is that vast tracts of the planet are uninhabitable, and the earth is so ravaged by radiation fallout that large proportions of everything are deformed and distorted from what they perceive to be the 'true' image. For comfort, the population have grasped on to religion with fervour to control their lives and they ruthlessly pursue what they consider to be gospel as regards how man should look and behave, to the extent that they destroy crops and animals they consider deformed or 'Offences' against God and inflict unspeakable horrors on humans that do not conform to the True Image of God, whom they label as Blasphemies.The story follows the life of David Strorm, the son of one of the most rigid leaders of their  community, and his group of fellow telepaths, who have managed to say hidden from people as they are physically normal, but who fear persecution because their telepathic ability is not shared by the majority of people (the Norms).This is basically a book about bigotry. About fear of people who do not look or act exactly the same as the majority, and who are persecuted for their differences, despite the fact they do not hurt anybody. When I listened to this book a few weeks ago to prepare for this piece, I had no idea just how relevant the story was going to feel when I came to post it.The Audible version of this book is extremely well narrated and very easy to listen to and, as someone who loves and has read the book many times, I can attest that the story loses none of its impact when consumed as an audiobook.

I was a big fan of John Wyndham as a child, but somehow I missed this novel until it was promoted to me at a discount by Amazon.Quite honestly, I think it would have been dangerous for me to have read it then. It's a gripping tale of young people have to hide a difference in thinking from an authoritarian and blinkered society. That was how I felt as a child (and probably do feel now). If I'd read it then I think I'd have over-empathised with the characters. I wasn't too impressed with an ending that felt a bit like deus ex machina, but when I thought it through it was a logical conclusion to an inciting incident, and entirely in keeping with the world in which it was set.