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367th out of 1,505 books
—
12,070 voters
Chocky
by
John Wyndham
Cover Artist: Harry Willock
Matthew, they thought, was just going through a phase of talking to himself. And, like many parents, they waited for him to get over it, but it started to get worse. Mathew's conversations with himself grew more and more intense - it was like listening to one end of a telephone conversation while someone argued, cajoled and reasoned with another...more
Matthew, they thought, was just going through a phase of talking to himself. And, like many parents, they waited for him to get over it, but it started to get worse. Mathew's conversations with himself grew more and more intense - it was like listening to one end of a telephone conversation while someone argued, cajoled and reasoned with another...more
Mass Market Paperback, 154 pages
Published
January 1970
by Penguin
(first published 1968)
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Oh, this was SUCH a good read. Twelve-year-old Matthew seems to have a new friend, but not of the corporeal sort. The sort who teaches him binary counting, how to paint through new eyes, how to swim (even when he can’t), and encourages him to ask the most unusual questions of his parents and teachers. Not the sort of questions you’d expect from a 12-year-old. Chocky provides an interesting perspective on childhood, imaginary friends, and the nature of intelligence. Well worth the few hours it ta...more
This was my first ever taste of sci-fi (shocking isn't it?) and I have to say that I really enjoyed this little book. It wasn't quite long enough for me to feel fully invested in but I really enjoyed the tale of Matthew, a seemingly ordinary 11 year old boy, who happens to hang out with an alien.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Matthew's Father, who has the dual role of trying to listen to and understand Matthews accounts of "Chocky" while placating his not-so-keen wife. It really is jus...more
The story is told from the viewpoint of Matthew's Father, who has the dual role of trying to listen to and understand Matthews accounts of "Chocky" while placating his not-so-keen wife. It really is jus...more
This was my first audio book ever. It was very well done as a radio plays back in the day were, I'd imagine, with sound effects and different actors for different characters. The story was very interesting, half psychological half scifi, with an interesting premise and an ability to make the reader/listener really think. Recommended.
There’s still some uncertainty over Chocky’s original publication date: Penguin claims it was first a novel in 1968 but John Clute points to an earlier appearance in Good Housekeeping in 1963 – it certainly exhibits a domesticated gentility suitable for such a magazine. This Penguin Modern Classics edition comes with an introduction by Brian Aldiss that maybe goes into a bit too much detail, as if readers of this particular edition will almost certainly have read it before. It’s an undemanding a...more
Chocky's dated references and the old-fashioned way the (middle class) people speak to each other (especially true of the the father and son), their stiff upper lips quivering only a little amid the crisis, earmark this as another Wyndham 'cosy catastrophe'. The premise is intriguing and the (short) story unfolds gently. Often labelled a children's book due to its child protagonist, its simplicity and its brevity, few kids today would identify with (what I imagine is) the sandals and shorts wear...more
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‘Chocky’ tells the story of Matthew Gore, an average 12 year old boy until the day he begins speaking to ‘Chocky’. At first, his parents, David and Mary and his younger sister, Polly believe ‘Chocky’ is an imaginary friend, true, Matthew is a bit old to have a imaginary friend, they decide to let Chocky runs his or her course. Chocky’s begins to affect Matthew in different ways, he is asking questions he has never asked before, completing mathematics problems that he should not be able to do.
Ma...more
Ma...more
Young Matthew is going through a phase of having an invisible friend, or so his parents think. Then he starts doing things that he couldn't do before, such as counting in binary. And so the story of Chocky comes out - a person living in Matthew's head who only he can hear.
Most of this book, told in the first person by Matthew's father, is about parental worry. That of worrying if their child is normal, if he has psychiatric problems and of protecting him from unwanted fame. The worries and attit...more
Most of this book, told in the first person by Matthew's father, is about parental worry. That of worrying if their child is normal, if he has psychiatric problems and of protecting him from unwanted fame. The worries and attit...more
Given that this edition is more than forty years old, it's in surprisingly good shape. The pages are still supple and unyellowed, the cover is still unscuffed and unscratched. True, the dust cover is somewhat torn. But the dust cover may be part of what's kept the book itself in such good shape. I must remember to put it back on before I reshelve the book.
The crux of this book is in what the narrator says at one point: "Why do people always find it easier to believe in evil spirits than in good...more
The crux of this book is in what the narrator says at one point: "Why do people always find it easier to believe in evil spirits than in good...more
Aug 26, 2010
Alice
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010,
ficção-cientifica
Chocky é um pequeno grande livro, uma verdadeira estória de ficção cientifica "à moda antiga" como já há muito não tinha o prazer de ler. Tudo começa quando o pai de Mathew ouve o filho travar uma acalorada discussão consigo mesmo, quando comenta o facto com a mulher ambos temem a "presença" de um amigo imaginário não apenas porque o rapaz já tem 11 anos mas, sobretudo, porque a irmã mais nova de Mathew teve um amigo imaginário que deu muitas dores de cabeça à família.
Pela voz do pai de Mathew...more
Pela voz do pai de Mathew...more
Apr 28, 2013
Taede Smedes
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction
John Wyndham is vooral bekend geworden door zijn boeken “The Day of the Triffids” en “The Midwich Cuckoos”, die ook allen in het Nederlands vertaald werden. “Chocky” verscheen in 1968, en werd in 1969 in het Nederlands vertaald. Dit boek is een interessante variatie op het thema dat kinderen soms onzichtbare vriendjes hebben.
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van de vader. De 12-jarige Andrew – de geadopteerde zoon van de verteller – begint van de ene op de andere dag vreemde vrag...more
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van de vader. De 12-jarige Andrew – de geadopteerde zoon van de verteller – begint van de ene op de andere dag vreemde vrag...more
Matthew, a perfectly average 12-year-old boy, apparently under the influence of his new imaginary friend, Chocky, begins asking questions well beyond his age, and displaying previously unknown talents. The framework of the story is versatile enough that it could have gone in a number of directions; Wyndham avoids most of them, which may leave some readers disappointed and wondering "is that it?" While not my favorite of his books ("The Chrysalids" gets my vote), "Chocky" has a number of the feat...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Second shot of Wyndham. This book wasn't quite as engrossing as the first, but again the narrative and subtle way the story unfolds without too much detail to trouble was well executed. The weirdness that occurs in this one centres around a little boy again, but this time the story is told from his father's eyes. At first I was irritated with this choice, because, I want to know everything first hand. But then I saw /why/ this choice. The father doesn't understand it. He tries to make adult sens...more
'In point of fact it went rather differently from anything we had in mind.'
What an engaging and thought-provoking novel, expertly paced and skilfully crafted to take the reader on a logical journey from suspicion to belief. Matthew, Chocky and the father are beautifully drawn characters, although it's fair to say that neither Matthew's mother nor his sister come out of this as shining examples of their sex. The simplicity and honesty of Matthew and the unquestioning love and trust of his father...more
What an engaging and thought-provoking novel, expertly paced and skilfully crafted to take the reader on a logical journey from suspicion to belief. Matthew, Chocky and the father are beautifully drawn characters, although it's fair to say that neither Matthew's mother nor his sister come out of this as shining examples of their sex. The simplicity and honesty of Matthew and the unquestioning love and trust of his father...more
Should of called it Chalky, as it was hard to see where this story was going.
Yet another of his books with dull lifeless female characters... (i'm a girl and i like PONIES!I'm the mother who just worries and has no more reference except to be obtuse and worry! I'm the bitchy female aunt....)I know Chocky was called female, but i think he felt that this was the plot twist... The story could of been interesting but it just felt like it was going nowhere towards the end, and then spun off on a tang...more
Yet another of his books with dull lifeless female characters... (i'm a girl and i like PONIES!I'm the mother who just worries and has no more reference except to be obtuse and worry! I'm the bitchy female aunt....)I know Chocky was called female, but i think he felt that this was the plot twist... The story could of been interesting but it just felt like it was going nowhere towards the end, and then spun off on a tang...more
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I love this book - it's such stealthy SF - the world he creates seems so real, so prosaic, that you almost overlook the size of his ideas!
One problem SF writers have is how to make conversation realistic with other beings. I suppose it would be boring if you made it difficult all the way through - so a good technique is to give a sample of the difficulties and then paraphrase.
'I am an explorer, I mean scout, I mean missionary - no, I mean teacher. I am here to teach you things.'
I have quoted th...more
One problem SF writers have is how to make conversation realistic with other beings. I suppose it would be boring if you made it difficult all the way through - so a good technique is to give a sample of the difficulties and then paraphrase.
'I am an explorer, I mean scout, I mean missionary - no, I mean teacher. I am here to teach you things.'
I have quoted th...more
Great UK sci-fi from the late 60's about a young lad who seems to have some sort of invisible friend. Time goes by and the lad starts having more irate conversations with his 'mate'. His parents and teachers become more concerned as the boy starts to do strange things and ask questions that seem far out of the depth of intelligence of a 10/11 year old.
A good short read. And that version with the cool 70's cover is the way all books should look. I dread to think of the cover it would have if it w...more
A good short read. And that version with the cool 70's cover is the way all books should look. I dread to think of the cover it would have if it w...more
Chocky is the story of a young boy whose imaginary friend turns out to be an alien consciousness.
While I liked Chocky a lot, it didn't go down the way I thought it would. You'd think the alien consciousness would be malicious, especially coming from John Wyndham. It's actually benevolent.
While I liked Chocky a lot, it didn't go down the way I thought it would. You'd think the alien consciousness would be malicious, especially coming from John Wyndham. It's actually benevolent.
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I developed a love-hate relationship with this book because I couldn't help wishing it had been told from a different perspective.
The boy Matthew is central to the plot as he struggles and fails to keep his mysterious friend a secret, but the story is told from his father's perspective. Consequently much of the book is dominated by he and his wife's debate on how to deal with the situation.
The only time Chocky truly gripped me was when a psychiatrist called Landis was introduced to explore Matth...more
The boy Matthew is central to the plot as he struggles and fails to keep his mysterious friend a secret, but the story is told from his father's perspective. Consequently much of the book is dominated by he and his wife's debate on how to deal with the situation.
The only time Chocky truly gripped me was when a psychiatrist called Landis was introduced to explore Matth...more
Read this one recently in preparation to watch the 3 British miniseries which revolve around this novel. One thing I appreciate about Wyndham's works is he never wastes space on the page...and what is there is compressed and intelligent, generally. This was the case in this novel...I can imagine a lot of British kids of the day had to work a bit with the noggin to get this story tucked in. In the end, thought this story isn't quite as good as Day of the Triffids was...definitely still worth the...more
a rather simple tale of alien possession - smaller & more intimate than the day of the triffids. i liked the story's leisurely & thoughtful unfolding (nicely done through the father's POV), and i enjoyed the relationships between the boy, his father, and chocky. the father's attitude towards his wife, alternatingly respectful & condescending, was distracting. in most other ways, both he and wyndham seem to be fairly progressive & introspective, so it was hard to fathom whether th...more
Good written, it couldn't be otherwise coming from Wyndham, but I didn't really feel very interested in the story. Maybe it doesn't have to do with the book but with my tastes: the plot, no matter how well developed it is, is not enough to counteract my indifference related to the alien kind of sci-fi. I didn't find any unexpected twists in the plot, which could have saved the novel, but, at least, it was not a pain to read (the prose is smooth, leaving aside some horrible mistakes in the transl...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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A reread. I first read this when I was about nine or ten, so had the peculiar experience of being younger than the boy in the book and seeing it all from this very interesting adult point of view. Coming back to it twenty years later, I'm pleased to find it still every bit as compelling and enjoyable. I think John Wyndham might be one of my 'perfect' writers - his turn of phrase, his ideas, his just-about-possible worlds, his 'almost-ordinary' characters...I'm moved to go and find all his other...more
Chocky by John Wyndham is one of the most facinating books I ever read. The originality of the book is amazine. The concept of another mind from a distant planet intrigued me from the first chapter. I was hooked and it gave me many potential ideas for stories of my own. A truly amazing book. The two books that followed, although not by John Wyndham, i.e. Chocky's Chidren and Chocky's challenge were also as weel written as the original story of Chocky. I have since bought the DVDs to the TV seeri...more
This book was a fast enjoyable read. I always enjoy sci-fi and fantasy that explore what happens when perfectly normal people are caught up in fantastical situations. To that effect, I think this book is a well written examination of what would happen if someone's son or daughter had an imaginary friend who turned out to be an invisible alien. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the ending was somewhat cliched. Still worth the read though, and it took me less than two...more
I started Chocky the same day that I finished The Chrysalids and consequentially may have ODed on Wyndham a bit. Regardless, Chocky was a great read- managing to be both charmingly curious and deeply unsettling. What I really appreciated was the fact that Chocky was not malevolent, and was instead something of a friend to Matthew. Wyndham describes the moment when a child realises something- like an adult idea- and experiences a feeling of shock. For Matthew it was the shock of receiving recogni...more
A very clever book :) It was a bit dry at first, but intriguing nonetheless. Yet eventually the point of the book is something bigger than the story itself, since there was hardly much of one, suggesting at the possibility of intellectual lifeforms outside of Earth, perhaps a possibility questioned by more than one. Also a timely reminder that we cannot go on living on limited energy sources and that we cannot continue going arrogantly thinking that mankind is superior to everything else, even t...more
I used to love this show when I was young, so much so I remember drawing these inverted pyramids all the time in school, but recently when someone asked me what it was about, I really didn’t have a clue. I couldn’t remember the gist of the story at all – just those weird pyramids.
So I decided to read the book, but I have to admit – it still didn’t ring any bells, so either I’m just getting old and my memory is failing or the TV adaptation was a lot different. I’m leaning towards the latter.
The w...more
So I decided to read the book, but I have to admit – it still didn’t ring any bells, so either I’m just getting old and my memory is failing or the TV adaptation was a lot different. I’m leaning towards the latter.
The w...more
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John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was the son of a barrister. After trying a number of careers, including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, he started writing short stories in 1925. After serving in the civil Service and the Army during the war, he went back to writing. Adopting the name John Wyndham, he started writing a form of science fiction that he called 'logical fantasy. A...more
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“It was all conveyed by the nicest, almost indetectably refined blend of sympathy and bitchiness...”
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