Scan barcode
katiescho741's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking forward to this book and I enjoyed the premise but I thought overall it was only okay.
This book is very much a "keep calm and carry on" and "Stiff upper lip" apocalypse fiction. It was written in the 1950's and it's very of its time...especially at the start when the Brits seem to think that they would have a better reaction to the Chung-Li virus than the people in Asia would.
The writing is a bit on the surface and tends to shy away from details about the terrible things the group are forced to do. This is a shame but it means that you can imagine the horrors instead.
I was a bit unsure of the part where the wife and daughter are kidnapped and the implication seems to be that they were raped/sexually assaulted but it's brushed over. The wife is even seen as a bit of a hindrance while she deals with the shock.
There are a few bits that are problematic but it's a decent story overall. I wish it had been written more recently though...the fact that most of the characters had lived through WW2 meant they were experienced with rationing and killing for necessity. I'd be interested to see how grass dying out, rationing and the breakdown of society in the UK would look today...perhaps guns would be harder to get hold of, perhaps we'd struggle with a sense of direction because we rely on google maps, would we riot sooner because we aren't used to rationing?
Later, as the group expands, the issue is that everyone blends into one. I also found the children to be interchangeable.
An interesting idea to read about if you're a fan of apocalypse fiction, but it could be so much better.
This book is very much a "keep calm and carry on" and "Stiff upper lip" apocalypse fiction. It was written in the 1950's and it's very of its time...especially at the start when the Brits seem to think that they would have a better reaction to the Chung-Li virus than the people in Asia would.
The writing is a bit on the surface and tends to shy away from details about the terrible things the group are forced to do. This is a shame but it means that you can imagine the horrors instead.
I was a bit unsure of the part where the wife and daughter are kidnapped and the implication seems to be that they were raped/sexually assaulted but it's brushed over. The wife is even seen as a bit of a hindrance while she deals with the shock.
There are a few bits that are problematic but it's a decent story overall. I wish it had been written more recently though...the fact that most of the characters had lived through WW2 meant they were experienced with rationing and killing for necessity. I'd be interested to see how grass dying out, rationing and the breakdown of society in the UK would look today...perhaps guns would be harder to get hold of, perhaps we'd struggle with a sense of direction because we rely on google maps, would we riot sooner because we aren't used to rationing?
Later, as the group expands, the issue is that everyone blends into one. I also found the children to be interchangeable.
An interesting idea to read about if you're a fan of apocalypse fiction, but it could be so much better.
_cathal's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
darren0101's review against another edition
4.0
A sense of dread permutates throughout The Death of Grass. The first part describes how the Chung-Li virus spreads from the East, destroying all crops in its wake, resulting in famine and rumoured cannibalism in some cases. Our main characters carry on with life., slowly realising that there is a creeping inevitability to the disease reaching Britain. When it does this sense of dread intensifies.
As the three families escape London the breakdown in society and their disappearing moral compass occurs at such a rate it can take you a little by surprise. John Christopher does not hold back and refuses to allow any sentimentality get in the way of the journey.
John Christopher did not see this as a science fiction novel and the use of the Chung-Li virus could be any catalyst that leads to this complete breakdown. It is a brilliant read as are all of his books I have read and has the harsh realities reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.
As the three families escape London the breakdown in society and their disappearing moral compass occurs at such a rate it can take you a little by surprise. John Christopher does not hold back and refuses to allow any sentimentality get in the way of the journey.
John Christopher did not see this as a science fiction novel and the use of the Chung-Li virus could be any catalyst that leads to this complete breakdown. It is a brilliant read as are all of his books I have read and has the harsh realities reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.
meg_swift's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yelisiei's review against another edition
3.0
God damn solid book. That is an example of SF aged very nicely. Unexpectedly brutal post-apocalypse. Remind me “Lord of the flies”. How quick people can change when there is no law? Or when you can write your own law.
madshuck's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to the BBC radio drama (on YouTube) and was very good. Maybe would have been better on paper (I'm still new to audiobooks) but it was overall a good story - 3.75 because I got no real connection to the characters
minnavsd's review against another edition
4.0
This must be one of the creepiest books I have ever read. The transformation of civilized people into lawless beings who do anything because they need to in order to survive is one that is too real and that made my skin crawl. I couldn't put the book down and the ending is quite... bone chilling. I enjoyed this book very much and I still haven't decided if I should reread it yet, because every time I think about it, I get nervous and twitchy.
cricca's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lexib_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
thinkspink's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the way it moves along at a fair pace, but while the clipped matter-of-fact prose provides an exciting thriller, it's at the expense of the characters. Some of the characters in particular seem to exist just to give the main character information. I would have liked to understand what was going through their minds, but I guess that's a different book...