Reviews

Chocky by John Wyndham

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ktxx22's review against another edition

5.0

Man.... I love sci-fi!! And I particularly love John Wyndham! He makes my brain happy! This book was a lot of fun and an unexpected read. I didn’t think it was going to be what it ended up being. It’s a really smart concept! And the ending touched my soul. But I also wanted to hunt a certain someone down for what occurs with Matthew.

kurtwombat's review against another edition

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5.0

If J. D. Salinger wrote The Day The Earth Stood Still.

cdhotwing's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

sfletcher26's review against another edition

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4.0

Wyndham's writing and imagination are amazing and this is another truly brilliant multilayered story.

America has Bradbury the UK has Wyndham.

bamairi's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

emsemsems's review against another edition

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3.0

‘For intelligent life is the only thing that gives meaning to the universe. It is a holy thing, to be fostered and treasured…Without it nothing begins, nothing ends, there can be nothing through all eternity but the mindless babblings of chaos…’

The last, but also allegedly the ‘lightest’ (thematically-speaking) book by Wyndham. It’s not a terrible novel(la), but it just felt a bit dated and dull to me. It reminds me of the film, E.T. – but a little more unnerving, especially the beginning. Probably due to weak characterisation and lacking/poorly done ‘world-building’? I was so ready to let Wyndham scare/scar me with a seemingly ‘horror’ story, but all I got was a tender, harmless pat on my head. A little uncomfortable, but not terribly so. I don’t really have much to say about this novel(la), except that it’s an easy book to read, has a nice cover, and Atwood approves of it. I love the intro/afterword by Atwood (NYRB) and Aldiss (Vintage). Makes me want to expand my carnivorous plant collection, and read Aldiss, not more Wyndham. Chocky is such a terrible choice of name – it makes me curious why Wyndham chosen it, but Atwood thinks it’s inspired by the childlike, ‘English’ way of calling chocolate ‘Chocky’ – and/but that just makes it all seem even worse in every imaginable way.

‘Matthew is not schizophrenic, nor is he a victim of demonic possession, or what might now be called multiple personality disorder. Could it possibly be that Chocky is what Matthew says she is: a being who lives far away, in another universe, but who can join him at will and look through his eyes?’ (Atwood, ‘Afterword’ – NYRB)

‘So all told this is pretty comfortable stuff, except for the narrator’s veiled dislike of women. At one point he admits ‘I don’t understand women. Nobody does. Least of all themselves. I don’t know, and nor do they, for instance, how far this compulsion that most of them have to produce a baby as soon as possible after marriage…’ and so on. I have a suspicion myself that husbands might have something to do with this situation.’ (Aldiss, ‘Introduction’ – Vintage)