The day of the triffids

The kraken wakes ; The chrysalids ; The seeds of time ; Trouble with lichen ; The Midwich cuckoos.

English language

Published Aug. 13, 1980 by Heinemann [etc.].

ISBN:
978-0-905712-46-8
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
12061799
Goodreads:
964818

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(107 reviews)

When Bill Masen wakes up blindfolded in hospital there is a bitter irony in his situation. Carefully removing his bandages, he realizes that he is the only person who can see: everyone else, doctors and patients alike, have been blinded by a meteor shower. Now, with civilization in chaos, the triffids - huge, venomous, large-rooted plants able to 'walk', feeding on human flesh - can have their day.The Day of the Triffids, published in 1951, expresses many of the political concerns of its time: the Cold War, the fear of biological experimentation and the man-made apocalypse. However, with its terrifyingly believable insights into the genetic modification of plants, the book is more relevant today than ever before.

[Comment by Liz Jensen on The Guardian][1]:

As a teenager, one of my favourite haunts was Oxford's Botanical Gardens. I'd head straight for the vast heated greenhouses, where I'd pity my adolescent plight, …

59 editions

Review of 'The day of the triffids' on 'Goodreads'

I'm a little conflicted about this book. It's a unique and innovative take on the post-apocalyptic dystopia genre, and given it's age there's no doubting it's influence. It's clear to see shades of 28 days later. It's refreshing to read a zombie story with no zombies, but the titular plants that rule the day feel like an afterthought. At points the characters even seem to forget about them. Maybe it's just hard to envision sentient plants that walk and swing whip-like stingers. The characters seemed to focus too much on rebuilding society, while the brutal aspects of humanity in a survival situation felt like an afterthought. Seems the author thought more about how people would be shagging after the apocalypse than how they would be feeding themselves. Again, the lack of zombies was a pleasant respite, but the blind people who replace them being dismissed as helpless burdens on those …

reviewed The day of the triffids by John Wyndham (A Modern Library 20th century rediscovery)

Review of 'The day of the triffids' on 'Goodreads'

Warning: discussion of suicide

A good story but sadly dated. Ignorant even for the time in my opinion.

As a story about the dangers of technology that cuts too many corners it is very good. Sadly the story itself cuts corners and plays out far too quickly in some areas, too slow in others. And it seems safe to bet the author never actually met a blind person.

Spoilers below:


Within hours of the event that blinded the planet, people were killing themselves rather than live blind. No idea what caused it or if it was temporary, just straight to ending it all.

Those not giving in to instant despair just wait without plan or agency. The main character describes closed shops and abandoned bars but not one shopkeeper trying to help by opening their store. Not one police officer trying to keep order. Not one radio announcer trying to …

Review of 'The day of the triffids' on 'Goodreads'

Civilisation has been brought to its knees; the world has gone blind (except a few) and this is the major cause of the world’s destruction. The book focuses on the survival of the remaining people and the changes in society. But there is also the added element of the Triffids; these plants (which were around before the comet/meteor shower) have been the great resource for humanity, but when they started to move around panic people freaked out.

The Day of the Triffids was written during the start of Cold war and I believe the book is a metaphor for everything that where on John Wyndham’s mind during this time. The threat of biologist warfare, the problems caused by human greed and bickering, right down to the inequality of men and women.

This is a quick and enjoyable read, while some people might disagree with the book being a metaphor, the …

reviewed The day of the triffids by John Wyndham (A Modern Library 20th century rediscovery)

Review of 'The day of the triffids' on 'Storygraph'

Time for an old classic from the 1950s! A spectacular meteor shower blinds all but Bill Masen who was in hospital with bandaged eyes at the time. With most of the population struggling to survive with their sudden blindness, strange plants called Triffids - able to walk upon the roots and kill people with poisonous stingers - prey on the now-vulnerable humans.

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