. They are faced with a terrible moral dilemma. Do they just clear off and leave the blind ones to (mostly) die? Or should the sighted stay to help the blind - and almost certainly end up dying with them? And of course not all, even among the sighted, are content to leave this to individual choice. There are those prepared to kidnap and enslave the sighted and force them into helping the blind - and equally those who see a not so brave new world with themselves as masters and the blind majority as serfs.
If all this weren't enough, the triffids are on the loose. With their deadly stings, they commit mayhem on the helpless blind humans, and soon develop into a major problem even for the sighted, who must search desperately for some refuge which can be defended against them. The rest of the novel is devoted to their finding one.
I have a few gripes here and there. Would the triffids really be much threat to sighted people, if the latter had sense enough to wear crash helmets, goggles and heavy coats? And where's the Navy? Did every submarine in the world surface to look at the meteors? I'd expect a sub or two to come moseying up the Thames before too long. Quibble, quibble, Mike.
And was that plague just a leetle bit too convenient? Masen is agonising about whether to stay with the blind party into whose service he was kidnapped and "drafted" when a germ or virus comes along and gets him off the hook by killing them all. Bit of a cop-out there?
I also feel that Wyndham made a mistake, later, in implying that the "comet" was a secret weapon that went wrong, and the meteors an official cover story. I don't trust government either, but this doesn't really fit the facts. Were it so, those in the know would surely have taken shelter, and ordered Army and police to do the same. Yet there's no sign whatever of this having happened. No mention of the Royal Family, Cabinet, or Armed Forces, who evidently all went out and got blinded along with the rest. Even for a British government, that's an improbable degree of stupidity. While fully sharing Wyndham's distrust of the Powers That Be, I feel we have to acquit them of this particular crime.
Finally, though appreciating how Wyndham liked his disasters "cosy" and localised, I'd have liked to see just a little more (either in this book or the sequel he never wrote) about how the world at large was getting on. Was everywhere as badly hit as England? Being plants, the triffids wouldn't fare too well in deserts, so Americans and Mexicans might hold out in the southwest, and the Moslems (Oh dear!) in N Africa and the Mideast, while the sighted Australians could retreat into their arid interior. Dry grasslands might also be unsuitable, and even if triffids could live there, a human would see them on the horizon long before they got near enough to detect him, so on steppes or prairies, or even in the Scottish highlands, human and triffid would generally meet only when the human wanted it. These, rather than the Isle of Wight, seem to me the "best hope of mankind".
But enough grousing. It's a really great novel, rivalling "Earth Abides" as the classic post disaster yarn. If you haven't read it, you are missing out big time!
Customer Reviews:
Triffids + Blindness = Trouble.......2007-02-26
I'm not sure why Wyndham even threw the triffids into this story; they are actually more of a background item. The main theme is 99% of humanity all going blind at once, and the hero dealing with that little problem. The triffids show up once in awhile just to stir things up, but Wyndham really didn't need them to muddy the storyline; he had plenty to work with already.
As I recall, the movie version dealt more with fighting and defeating the triffids; here, they are more or less marginal.
My only real complaint is that the book ends too soon. He could have done much more with it. Still a good read, however.
Triffids & Blindness vs. Humankind........2006-05-06
"The Day of the Triffids" was for many years my favorite sci-fi novel; afterwards it was replaced in that honor place by Herbert's "Dune" and Simmon's "Hyperion".
I've read this novel when I was a teenager in the mythical Argentinean sci-fi magazine "M?s All?", it was published there as the main story of the inaugural number. I've treasured my collection for more than 40 years.
"The Day of the Triffids" still stands in my all-time best novels list and I've reread it once every couple of years.
It is a typical product of the '50, but with a forceful story line, exploring a post catastrophe world.
Our hero awakes one day at a London Hospital to discover 99,99% of Earth population has gone blind. The drama evolves smoothly, griping you up to the last page; it has a somewhat melancholic background, our known world fading into dust and a new one emerging from the ashes in a pitiless confrontation with the Triffids of the title.
It is a novel that fifty years after it was written still catch your interest and keep you going on.
In sci-fi not being dated is a commendation.
If the reader wants to have a vivid picture of London in a state similar to this book descriptions I encourage he/she to see the movie "28 Days Later".
I recommend this book to all sci-fi fans and general public too.
Do not miss this incredible story!
Reviewed by Max Yofre
Book Description
Oh, God!
She's in love with her preacher.
But it's not as if Amanda O'Leary set out to fall for the most gorgeous (and unattainable) man this side of South Carolina Low Country. It's just that he organized building a cozy home for her and her children at a time when the future looked darker than blackstrap molasses. Not even her own father, the arrogant and wealthy Big Max, would have done as much for her. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.
Caleb can count on fingers and toes why his attraction to widowed Amanda is plain wrong. How can he objectively counsel this chin-up spitfire without letting his emotions -- and imagination -- run wild? And now that Big Max has burdened him with not one secret, but two, he knows his priorities should be mending fences between father and daughter -- but he can't help trying to build a place for himself in her heart first . . .
Customer Reviews:
Waking Up In Charleston.......2007-09-09
I got hooked on Sherryl Woods with Flamingo Diner and since look for everything she writes this was the conclusion of an older trilogy her most recent was Magnolia series just all about real people real life, one a person can sink into and forget who they are or where they are, for awhile...............
Pales in comparison to its predecessors.......2006-07-12
In "Flirting With Disaster," we learned that Amanda Maxwell fell in love with mechanic Danny O'Leary and eloped with him, thereby losing the love and respect of her benevolent father, self-appointed town patriarch, Big Max. Danny tragically died and the mountain of debt he amassed to try to give Amanda a great lifestyle resulted in her and her children being penniless. The town rallied under the direction of pastor Caleb Webb to build her a new home. Caleb has always had a soft spot for Amanda, but the reasons for his past divorce keep him from becoming more than friends with her. Friends that kiss, that is.
"In Waking Up in Charleston," Big Max has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and wants to make amends to Amanda and her brood, but too much time and bad blood has passed. His only link to the family is weekly visits from Caleb and he has forbidden the minister from telling Amanda of his condition since he does not want her to come to him out of pity. He has also been harboring additional secrets about Amanda's past, and wants to come clean before his disease has robbed him of his faculties. Both need to overcome some hefty pride to meet in the middle.
In addition, Caleb is providing guidance to two teens who are determining whether they should get married due to an unplanned pregnancy; Dinah and Cord from "The Back Up Plan" are welcoming their first child, and ever competitive Maggie wants to start her own family.
I was a bit disappointed with this last installment. It pales in comparison to its predecessors - particularly Dinah and Cord's story. There is just too much going on and as a result, this reader just wanted to yell uncle! It seemed a lot longer than 400 pages, and yet I still did not get a sense that the story was complete.
Not my favorite of the series.......2006-07-12
Waking Up In Charleston by Sherryl Woods is the final installment of her Charleston-set contemporary romance series. This is the story of a preacher and single/widowed mom. I loved The Backup Plan (1) and Flirting with Disaster (2) but I found this one slow.
terrific relationship drama .......2006-05-03
Known throughout the South Carolina Low Country as being benevolent, William "Big Max" cut off his beloved only child Amanda when she eloped with loser Danny O'Leary. Several years later, Danny is dead and Amanda raises three youngsters while trying to pay off her late husband's massive debt; she and Big Max remain estranged.
Preacher Caleb Webb arranged for a house to be built for Amanda and her children with supplies contributed from a friend's construction company, labor mostly volunteered by his congregation, and property secretly given by Max (see FLIRTING WITH DISASTER). Caleb loves Amanda while her children think of him as their father. However, he knows that he deceived her by hiding his close relationship with her dad and as she learns more of what he concealed, the angrier she gets. Caleb sacrifices his dreams to marry Amanda in order to reconcile the ailing Big Max, an Alzheimer's victim, and Amanda before it is too late for her children to know their grandfather.
This terrific relationship drama stars likable protagonists who allow pride bias their decisions before learning that is no replacement for the love of family. Amanda is a courageous individual struggling with her feelings for the Preacher who has made life better for her and her children; the kids love him as if he is their father. Max wants so badly to ask his daughter to forgive him, but is unable to swallow the devastation of her possibly rejecting him as he feels he deserves so he works in secret. Caleb is pulled in two directions as he wants to shout to everyone he loves Amanda though that is obvious to all, but also wants to reconcile father and daughter. Sherryl Woods provides a deep character driven tale.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
The Lightbringer's plans begin..........2007-08-14
Having obtained a means of escaping Yahweh's creation, Lucifer begins to gather his resources for the greater task ahead. First he must regain his wings, which are being held by the children of Amaterasu (Japanese pantheon) as part of a clandestine plan of their own. Despite being physically helpless upon entering their realm, Lucifer still manages to outwit his "hosts"--thereby earning the ire of several enemies who will cause him a great deal of trouble later on. It goes to show that the devil's most dangerous weapon is his will.
Further stories in this volume have to do with a very old and dangerous baby in a bottle, the primeval shapeless things known as the Jin En Mok, and the true nature of Elaine Belloc. The latter will turn out to be essential to the arc of the series as a whole. And expect to meet Lucifer's brother before it's all over. Since Lucifer doesn't bother to share his plans with us, the relationship among these things might not make sense yet. But this will become clear in future volumes, as his plans come to fruition (though not without a fair share of setbacks).
The various mythic themes and settings are drawn together in a way reminiscent of Gaiman's work on The Sandman. And it stands to reason that fans of the latter series will be predisposed to like this one on general principle. But Lucifer is really a different animal, and with this volume Carey continues to gain momentum, finding his own voice along the way.
It's hard to rate the individual volumes' relative merits, but the series as a whole is recommended. Lucifer is a strangely compelling and charismatic protagonist, despite his utter self-absorption, and the plots involved are truly world-altering in every sense. In the end, even the omniscient are surprised.
Excellent! Worthy of being in the "Sandman" universe........2002-04-25
"Children and Monsters" starts exactly where "Devil in the Gateway" ended: after Lucifer finished doing God's quest, he received a gate into the void - a place outside of creation. That is the main storyline of this novel. This graphic novel also contains three parts:
The first story tells how Lucifer journies into the Japanese dimension of death. As we found out in the previous novel, the Japanese goddess of Death obtained Lucifer's wings (which were torn off him). Thus, Lucifer embarks on a quest to get back his wings. I loved this part! If I didn't know, I could've sworn Neil Gaiman wrote this part.. it really felt as if it belonged in the "Sandman" universe.
The second story is above an immortal girl who was born thousands of years ago, yet can't die because she was cursed by her gods for not getting an abortion.
The third story unites the previous novel with the first two parts of this one.. Lucifer comes back with his wings and wants to enter the void, only to have an army of angels try and stop him. All the previous threads come together here.
I think this graphic novel was much better than the previous one. It definitely feels more and more like an extension of the original "Sandman" series. If this level continues - I am definitely going to stay till the end! Highly Recommended!
Absolutely Stunning!.......2002-02-05
As an avid (trader paperback-only) reader of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, and the non-Gaiman spinoff "The Dreaming," Mike Carey's "Lucifer: Children and Monsters" wins top marks all around.
The first Lucifer collection "Devil in the Gateway" re-introduced us to Lucifer from the Sandman stories. "Sandman" fans will recall that he gave up his wings, closed shop, retired to a nightclub in Los Angeles and watched the ensuing chaos resolve itself.
In "Devil in the Gateway," Lucifer named his price for a task requested of Heaven. Not much of a task... the mere disposal of a few ancient gods. In exchange for this errand, Lucifer's price is paid: a Letter of Passage.
Lucifer transforms the letter into a gateway leading Outside of Creation. The gateway is crafted with the divine name so that even the Creator himself cannot close it without destroying all of Creation.
In "Children and Monsters" Lucifer's must reclaim his wings from the Japanese pantheon of gods (on mortal terms, no less), deal with the assembled Armies of Heaven, and finally resolve a unfinished scenario with one of his fellow Fallen.
Since I'm not one for buying issues each month, I can only say that I eagerly await the third book.
Book Description
Using storytelling, Michael Garrett inspires us to discover our own unique Medicine. These traditional Cherokee teachings passed down by Michael's great-grandfather instruct us that all things are connected, have purpose, and are worthy of respect and reverence.
Customer Reviews:
Timeless teachings applied to modern experiences .......2007-08-24
Excellent reading. Michael Garrett has become a fine teacher like his father before him. A true student of life Michael takes the Cherokee ancestral stories, mixes in some modern day experiences and relays a wonderful message. If harmony and balance are traits you would like to have within your own life I highly recommend this selection.
walk in harmony.......2007-02-19
If you want to find balance in your life, this book is an excellent way to start on that pathway.
Read this book only if you dare to see you as you really are.......2006-06-09
Michael continues his journey of a Helper in the truest form of "being Cherokee". I am amazed at how simple God our Creator is revealed in our self induced complexity of life. Thank you Michael for helping to remove the scales of our heart and spirit. For those of you who are Christians, I would encourage you to use Michael's book as a help in your journey through the Bible.
Blessings
Outstanding!.......2005-01-03
I came across this book while exploring my recently discovered Native heritage. It fit the bill perfectly, helping me learn about universal Native traditions, practices, and thinking. I could go on and on, but it's enough to say that this book is well written, informative, and enjoyable. Michael Garrett has a lot to offer.
Wonderful teachings!.......2003-11-29
This is a wonderful book - the lessons, the stories, the exercises, all are superb. Through these different avenues/activities Michael Garrett really conveys not only native american rituals (what, how) but also such deep meaning and connection with mother earth (why). Its a fun book to read, very open and honest style that becomes a real page turner. I love the opening poems to the different chapters that set the stage. Here's the oe for the chapter entitled The Rule of Opposites: "The good road and the road of difficulties; you have made me cross; and where they cross, the place is holy." There are wonderful drawings throughout the book as well. This is definitely one of those books that you read and you think about life in its purest sense. The exercises at the end of each chapter give you good real-world things to do to really understand the teaching. I love it!! Highly recommended!
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- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
- The Hotel New Hampshire
- The Icarus Girl: A Novel
- The In-Between World of Vikram Lall
- The Last Crossing: A Novel
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Night of the Triffids
More Than Human
The Day of the Triffids
The Chrysalids
The Stars My Destination
