A review by bex_knighthunterbooks
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

This was fine, and for a sci-fi 'classic' published in the 1950s it was pretty readable. The writing had a very distinctive 'English' feel, and features a quaint isolated village at it's centre. The plot was enjoyable but fairly predictable, although much of that might be because of its influence. There was a lot of philosophising and exposition, towards the end especially, such that it felt like the book was less a novel and more a long set up for a thought experiment - but I don't think that's an unusual approach for sci-fi of the time. The characters were the weakest element. There is very little I could tell you about any of them, and frequently mixed them up but it didn't really matter for the plot because it rested so little on them having individual personalities. In some ways I think Wyndham was the wrong author for me to enjoy this story - there is a horrific story hidden in this novel about an entire town of women who become mysteriously pregnant against their will, but it couldn't really be explored in any meaningful way. I did enjoy how the women took control and banded together against the taboos of the time creating a mutual aid group, but also felt the situation of the women was frequently played for laughs (or at least conveyed with a very light tone) which I didn't appreciate. With that being such a large plot point, there was a lot of potential to explore themes such as bodily autonomy, but that wasn't where Wyndham's interests were. For those interested in sci-fi classics, I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this one as it was short and thought-provoking, but I don't think it stands up to the quality of sci-fi published now in terms of what I'm personally looking for in novels.