The Day of the Triffids (S.F. Masterworks) (20th Century Rediscoveries) (Modern Library 20th Century Rediscovery)

by John Wyndham

Edmund Morris (Introduction)

In 1951 John Wyndham published his novel The Day of the Triffids to moderate acclaim. Fifty-two years later, this horrifying story is a science fiction classic, touted by The Times (London) as having “all the reality of a vividly realized nightmare.”

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.

• ISBN10: 0812967127
• ISBN13: 9780812967128
• Publish Date: 1 July 2003 (first published December 1951)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 9 February 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Modern Library Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780812967128

Reviews

[Bookbee]

I've read this book many, many times over the years but it's my first time listening to an audiobook version. Narration was excellent!

[ross91]

I liked Saramago "Blindness" more.

[remo]

Leí una recomendación y me lancé a por ella, y lo cierto es que me ha decepcionado. Sin ser mala de remate, es bastante sosa y no aporta nada. La Humanidad descubre un petróleoo vegetal mucho mejor que el del subsuelo, que se puede obtener a partir de unas plantas llamadas trífidos. Estas plantas son venenosas, se mueven y hablan entre ellas. Cágate lorito. Además, por un proceso que no se explica, más del 99% de toda la humanidad queda ciega al mirar una lluvia de meteoros, lo cual hace que los trífidos se adueñen del planeta.

La novela avanza sin un propósito definido, tan pronto el autor quiere centrarse en la supervivencia de los protas en un escenario postapocalíptico como los mete en métodos de gestión de trífidos. El protagonista no para de hacer reflexiones filosóficas en los momentos más insospechados, las mujeres de la novela son maniquíes listos para tener hijos y poco más (la novela es del 51), y en general tanto las explicaciones que se dan como las decisiones que toman los protagonistas me parecen poco justificadas e insuficientes. Al final no se sabe cuántos supervivientes ha habido, cómo se comunican entre ellos... queda un final abierto y lánguido. Como final me gustó muchísimo más el de World War Z, que habla de otro cataclismo global pero da muchos más detalles acerca de cómo se organiza la raza humana ante la amenaza.

En UK los trífidos causan sensación, la BBC ha hecho pelis, seriales de radio y remakes, pero a mí no llegaron a interesarme.

[arronkau]

Interesting and enjoyable take on the apocalypse (involving carnivorous walking plants!).

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

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 book is enjoyable without any deeper meaning.