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A review by betweenbookends
Chocky by John Wyndham
4.25
My introduction to John Wyndham was a few years ago when I read The Day of the Triffids and Chrysalids (Re-birth) in quick succession. Chrysalids I quite liked, Triffids not quite as much but still very much enjoyable in the way that sci-fi from the 1950s is. Not particularly deep or scientific, and perhaps very slightly dated but engaging nonetheless with an interesting central plot.
But it is Wyndham’s last published novel, Chocky that really took me by surprise. Unlike his other more action heavy, grander, end of the world kind of survival sci-fi, Chocky is a really insular, wonderfully observed and profound little book about a young, twelve year old boy called Matthew.
Matthew is far too old to be having imaginary friends, his parents strongly feel when they observe him having an argument with seemingly no-one. However as Matthew’s behaviour become increasingly strange, his questions far deeper and odd for a boy of his age, and his inability to describe what really Chocky is, it quickly emerges that an alien intelligence may be involved.
The story really centres around the family coping with this strange situation and trying to uphold a facade of normalcy. Matthew’s adoptive mother is in complete denial and convinced that it is just a kind of hyperactive imagination, but Matthew’s adoptive father, the narrator of this book gradually realizes that there is truth to Matthew’s claim.
Wyndham uses the voice of this enigmatic advanced alien intelligence to question some of the larger idiosyncrasies of the human race and our lack of scientific efforts in the right direction. I found it witty, expansive, thought provoking, prescient and strangely moving by the end. It’s received surprisingly lesser attention than his earlier work but to me demonstrated a kind of maturity and poignancy that wasn’t as evident in his more popular sci-fi.
But it is Wyndham’s last published novel, Chocky that really took me by surprise. Unlike his other more action heavy, grander, end of the world kind of survival sci-fi, Chocky is a really insular, wonderfully observed and profound little book about a young, twelve year old boy called Matthew.
Matthew is far too old to be having imaginary friends, his parents strongly feel when they observe him having an argument with seemingly no-one. However as Matthew’s behaviour become increasingly strange, his questions far deeper and odd for a boy of his age, and his inability to describe what really Chocky is, it quickly emerges that an alien intelligence may be involved.
The story really centres around the family coping with this strange situation and trying to uphold a facade of normalcy. Matthew’s adoptive mother is in complete denial and convinced that it is just a kind of hyperactive imagination, but Matthew’s adoptive father, the narrator of this book gradually realizes that there is truth to Matthew’s claim.
Wyndham uses the voice of this enigmatic advanced alien intelligence to question some of the larger idiosyncrasies of the human race and our lack of scientific efforts in the right direction. I found it witty, expansive, thought provoking, prescient and strangely moving by the end. It’s received surprisingly lesser attention than his earlier work but to me demonstrated a kind of maturity and poignancy that wasn’t as evident in his more popular sci-fi.