Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Bill Masen, bandages over his wounded eyes, misses the most spectacular meteorite shower England has ever seen. Removing his bandages the next morning, he finds masses of sightless people wandering the city. He soon meets Josella, another lucky person who has retained her sight, and together they leave the city, aware that the safe, familiar world they knew a mere twenty-four hours before is gone forever.

But to survive in this post-apocalyptic world, one must survive the Triffids, strange plants that years before began appearing all over the world. The Triffids can grow to over seven feet tall, pull their roots from the ground to walk, and kill a man with one quick lash of their poisonous stingers. With society in shambles, they are now poised to prey on humankind. Wyndham chillingly anticipates bio-warfare and mass destruction, fifty years before their realization, in this prescient account of Cold War paranoia.

I'm looking forward to this one. Its many years since I read it (and I can vaguely remember watching a TV series of it), but I downloaded a copy today.

I've read this twice-it's good!

This is a book I've been meaning to read for years. I think I'll take a break from Proust after I finish volume 3 to read this.

Everyone needs a break from Proust ....

I've been wanting to read this one for a while. I just started but it's good so far.

So far the triffids aren't a big factor, they're mostly dealing with almost everybody in the world being blind.

Getting ready to start tomorrow.

It's funny how humans always think they're in danger of underbreeding.

You are reminded you are reading an "older" book when the main protagonist puffs on a calming cigarette - in his hospital room!

Its almost unbelievable now that we once accepted that as normal - but I can recall (almost with horror now) smoking unconcernedly on aircraft journeys.

Horrific indeed! I smoked when I was a teen, but fortunately I didn't enjoy it much, and gave it up quickly. Now I rejoice in a pair of healthy lungs.

This was a really good early post-apocalypse story. Though they're plants it reminds me of a lot of zombie apocalypse stuff. And as usual the real villains are the power hungry humans.

I have the book, the Penguin edition. And I have read the introduction.

Am about a third of the way through and thoroughly enjoying it – a pleasant surprise as my expectations were not very high. I find myself being amused with the likes of the role of alcohol early on in the novel, such as when things are going bad, real bad, as in everyone is blind, the first thing one should do is turn their attention “to the restoratives at the bar.” Also, Wyndham’s ability to accurately peak into the future is impressive -- his comments about satellites and the militarization of space are prescient. He gives us, “From time to time there would be a panicky flare-up of expostulation when reports circulated that as well as satellites with atomic heads there were others with such things as crop diseases, cattle diseases, radioactive dusts, viruses, and infections…” This is especially striking as he wrote the book six years before Sputnik 1 was launched

I didn't realize it was before Sputnik. I'm always surprised that early sci-fi can be so prophetic.

Hi everyone! I'm joining you for this one. I look forward to reading more of your comments.

Good to have you aboard, Erich!

Enjoy, Erich!

Here's my review!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Good review, Erich!

I will add in my review to Erich's: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Another good review!

As a big John Wyndham fan, I'm glad you both enjoyed the book!

Great reviews.

Excellent and thoughtful reviews. Thank you both.

I really enjoyed this one, and now that I am finished reading can watch the 1963 movie. Thought the book was a first-rate mix of terror (what else could it be called with giant man-eating, walking, talking flora), social commentary (different paths that societies develop and human interactions under extreme stress), and pure, well-written entertainment. It is a novel I will certainly recommend to any interested in the future.

I haven't seen the film for a long time, but I've read the book at least two times.

I have not seen it so am excited. Am traveling this week so it will have to wait till next week though.

I didn't get very far into this. Which is a shame, as I really enjoyed his short stories. I recommend the collection "Consider her ways", especially the story of that name.

A bit behind schedule, but I've now finished The Day of the Triffids. I first read this many years ago, and it definitely does feel a bit dated, but it's so well-written that this doesn't particularly get in the way of enjoying the book.

I felt the same way. I do think that it will continue to stand the test of time.