Loading...
21st out of 378 books
—
207 voters
My rating:
add to my books
When the Tripods Came (The Tripods #4)
Long ago, the Tripods--huge, three-legged machines--descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives. But for a brief time in each person's life--in childhood--he is not a slave. For Will, his time of freedom is about to end--unless he can escape to the White Mountains, wher...more
Mass Market Paperback, 160 pages
Published
April 1st 2003
by Simon Pulse
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,309)
Now, I have made little secret how The Tripods trilogy is my favourite reading material from when I was but a child. I still love it. This is the prequel, written a while after the original trilogy.
I am always dubious when encountering something, added to something great, at a much later date. However, true to form the author doesn't disappoint. The story of how the Tripods came to Earth is told through the eyes of a young teen, Laurie and his friend, Andy. Once again the characte...more
I am always dubious when encountering something, added to something great, at a much later date. However, true to form the author doesn't disappoint. The story of how the Tripods came to Earth is told through the eyes of a young teen, Laurie and his friend, Andy. Once again the characte...more
view 1 comment
I love it when a book exceeds my expectations.
And they were very low after finishing the core Tripods trilogy. John Christopher's well-crafted prequel, however, more than made up for my disappointment in those first three dry, poorly paced books. By shifting the action to the near-future, Christopher gives us both a more realistically palpable setting and a much more sympathetic narrator. Although Laurie, hero of When the Tripods Came shares some personality traits with Will (protagonist o
...more
The original tripods trilogy was one of my favorite reads as a young adult. This book is a prequel to that trilogy; I have owned it forever and have never read it. So when I found the trilogy (along with this prequel) sitting on my bookshelf I decided to give it another read.
This is a short book but I found it was not as engaging as I remember the trilogy to be. It is a book that basically tells how the tripods came to our world. Overall I agree with the other reviewers that say read t...more
This is a short book but I found it was not as engaging as I remember the trilogy to be. It is a book that basically tells how the tripods came to our world. Overall I agree with the other reviewers that say read t...more
I recently rediscovered the "Tripod" books. This book is the prequel to the "Tripod" trilogy. "The White Mountains" was published in 1967, "City of Gold and Lead" in 1968, and the final in the trilogy "Pool of Fire" in 1968 also. "When the Tripods Came" was written in 1988, about 20 years after the trilogy was written.
Three alien ships crash land on earth, one in England, one in Russia, and another one in the United State...more
Three alien ships crash land on earth, one in England, one in Russia, and another one in the United State...more
As I rambled through the public library, I discovered this prequel to the Tripod trilogy in a children's display. Since I loved the original trilogy, I had to read this book and then re-read the trilogy.
This prequel is worth a read, but it's not as engaging as the original series. I also wouldn't want to read this book first. I remember reading The White Mountains for the first time in sixth grade and wondering about so many topics. Where did those tripods take the kids? Was the...more
This prequel is worth a read, but it's not as engaging as the original series. I also wouldn't want to read this book first. I remember reading The White Mountains for the first time in sixth grade and wondering about so many topics. Where did those tripods take the kids? Was the...more
I enjoyed this story quite a bit, but it suffered a bit by comparison with the other three books of the Tripods series.
One of the best things about those books is the sense of timelessness that the world has: the characters ride horses and work the fields, which makes the futuristic Tripods stand out in even greater contrast. We find out about them only as the characters themselves do, giving those books an easy accessibility and engagement.
At the same time, it's so ...more
One of the best things about those books is the sense of timelessness that the world has: the characters ride horses and work the fields, which makes the futuristic Tripods stand out in even greater contrast. We find out about them only as the characters themselves do, giving those books an easy accessibility and engagement.
At the same time, it's so ...more
A big letdown. This is the story of how the tripods invaded us and turned earth into the feudal dystopia found in the White Mountains. But the way they do it is absurd, and doesn't really make much sense. They do so by implanting hypnotic suggestions in a kid's TV program, creating a cult of Trippies who soon overrun the world. The first image of the book is a tripod landing in england, walking around aimlessly, and crushing a tank, only to get blown to bits.
It doesn't fit the other bo...more
It doesn't fit the other bo...more
Kirsten
rated it
This is a prequel to Christopher's "Tripod Trilogy," and describes what occurred when the Tripods first invaded Earth. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't find it nearly so gripping as the other books, and the writing didn't seem as good. In particular, I found that the main character's voice did not quite ring true: Laurie did not sound quite like a 13-year-old boy, even when he was voicing thoughts that would be completely natural to a 13-year-old. He was too detached, and the ove...more
Amy
is currently reading it
Oh, John Christopher. I just reread the Tripod Trilogy, which I'd loved and reread many times during childhood, and Joy discovered this prequel and gave it to me for Christmas. I still love the trilogy and it's very cool to read his story of how the Tripods came , but I'm irritated now by something I didn't notice as a child: he can't (won't? doesn't see the need to? hasn't noticed the oddity of failing to ever?) write from a girl's perspective. Every hero is a boy. His secondary female c...more
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
Something is not right in England.
Laurie's little sister recently started watching a show called Trippies. One day, she disappears. When they bring her back, all she can talk about is peace and Tripods, an alien race bent on bringing peace to Earth. Although they manage to dehypnotize her, people all over start disappearing and showing up with helmets that allow the Tripods to control their brains.
Soon the whole world is ...more
Something is not right in England.
Laurie's little sister recently started watching a show called Trippies. One day, she disappears. When they bring her back, all she can talk about is peace and Tripods, an alien race bent on bringing peace to Earth. Although they manage to dehypnotize her, people all over start disappearing and showing up with helmets that allow the Tripods to control their brains.
Soon the whole world is ...more
John Christopher, When the Tripods Came (Dutton, 1988)
This prequel to the Tripods Trilogy, written two decades after the original books, is decent enough, but it certainly doesn't measure up to the three books that preceded it (chronologically) in the series.
Laurie, a British teen, is one of the first in the world to see the Tripods while on an orienteering trip with a friend. The initial tripod, after causing a bit of destruction, is swiftly brought down by the local ar...more
This prequel to the Tripods Trilogy, written two decades after the original books, is decent enough, but it certainly doesn't measure up to the three books that preceded it (chronologically) in the series.
Laurie, a British teen, is one of the first in the world to see the Tripods while on an orienteering trip with a friend. The initial tripod, after causing a bit of destruction, is swiftly brought down by the local ar...more
This is an excellent prequel to the Tripods trilogy.
BUT: If you have not read the series, PLEASE HEED THIS ADVICE:
Don't read this until after you finish the original trilogy. I know that it says #1 on the spine, and these events happened before the first three books. Ignore that!
It's more fun to be guessing and wondering with the protagonists in the books than to already have all the answers given to you at first. After you finish all three books, it's fun ...more
BUT: If you have not read the series, PLEASE HEED THIS ADVICE:
Don't read this until after you finish the original trilogy. I know that it says #1 on the spine, and these events happened before the first three books. Ignore that!
It's more fun to be guessing and wondering with the protagonists in the books than to already have all the answers given to you at first. After you finish all three books, it's fun ...more
A good prequel to the Tripods trilogy. Creepy in its own right; the idea of an alien force removing resistance by capturing our minds through media broadcasts. The feel of the takeover in the earlier chapters of the book have a distinct Hitchcock-esque taste as the characters fall to the sway of the (then-unknown) Tripods broadcast. As people begin taking the Caps, the mood becomes decidedly creepy. Who to trust? What to do? Stay or flee? Amazing tale of science fiction for youngsters and adults...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I read the tripod trilogy as a child, so those three books were a re-read for me. This book was new. A prequel to the trilogy telling how the tripods took over Earth in the first place.
With this book, especially, I really enjoyed having the author's preface at the beginning, telling what inspired him to write the prequel. Basically the BBC started to film the original trilogy. At first they stayed loyal to the books, then they strayed. It seems that criticism of the tv series made t...more
With this book, especially, I really enjoyed having the author's preface at the beginning, telling what inspired him to write the prequel. Basically the BBC started to film the original trilogy. At first they stayed loyal to the books, then they strayed. It seems that criticism of the tv series made t...more
I read this pretty young, and at the time, thought it was a great book. Looking back on it, it is kind of a mediochre prequel to the Tripods trilogy. It was the kind of book that looks for total resolution, but in the end, it had a series following it, and the ending that was hoped for was relegated to a minor victory. I recommend reading this book before reading the actual Trilogy (White Mountains, Pool of Fire and City of Gold and Lead) as opposed to the order in which it came out (Last). ...more
I do not like science-fiction books as a whole, but this one I liked. I thought the plot was clever and believable. (Especially for a book written almost 50 years ago) I liked the conflict that arose and how the characters resolved it. Easy to read. Although I found it in the young adult section of the library, it would be great for older children to read. My 8 and 10 year old children would like it.
Interesting, but I didn't love it. I can't argue with the idea that we waste too much time on things (television, internet, etc) that do not matter and in so doing give up some of our freedom and, one could argue, humanity; but still the premise seems very far fetched. (I've never been comfortable with hypnotism, and I find the events suggested here eerily like the explorations of George du Maurier.)
Strangely, BOTH my parents bought this series for me on my 14th birthday. haven't reread them until now but was pleasantly surprised with this one. I guess it's #4...but it's the prequel, so I don't feel guilty about reading out of order. Anyway, totally engaging YA fiction and also fun because the Swiss scenes are spots we visited on vacation this summer (and years before).
I read this book first because it is the prequel to the other three in the series. As I read this I had to remember that it's a children's book. I think as adults we want every children's book to be as captivating as Harry Potter or Narnia, but that's an unrealistic expectation.
That being said, as an adult I liked this book, but as a 8-10 year old kid I would have loved it. Interesting characters, great twists, believable plot. I bet Ethan would really like it.
That being said, as an adult I liked this book, but as a 8-10 year old kid I would have loved it. Interesting characters, great twists, believable plot. I bet Ethan would really like it.
Wow. Isn't it awesome rereading stuff from your childhood and realizing exactly where your irrational fears of alien mind control/world domination came from? D'awwww.
(Also this is not my cover. Right ISBN, wrong publisher, wrong cover. Not that I'm completist or anything.)
(Also this is not my cover. Right ISBN, wrong publisher, wrong cover. Not that I'm completist or anything.)
At times you may think this is just a rip-off of War of the Worlds, but the aliens in this book did things that the Martians never thought about doing. It was a pretty good book and it was short, so you don't have to worry about a long adventure.
I first read this series ages ago when I was in High School, and I completely loved them. When my library re-ordered copies, I decided to give them a go again and see if they held up to my memories of them.
They do. Great fun.
They do. Great fun.
For a prequel, this one is very well done. It's amazingly creepy and simple how the tripods are able take over most of the world. I also love how a little group of humans fight to keep their freedom, and it lays a perfect foundation for the original tripod series. What is so genuinely scary about the tripod series is how viable the method the tripods used to take control are. These books are just as fun to read as they were the first time I read them in college.
Paul had me read these books and I found that I really enjoyed them. It made me think about how the media can cause us to become numb to what is happening and how it can be used by outside influences to change society.
nan
is currently reading it
i read around twenty pages, and it was, like, the creepiest book i have EVER read!!!! I didn't mind the part where they killed the family and smashed the house, but the TV part freaked me out!!!!!
Weaker than the original trilogy. The distance in years--with the originals written in the 60s and the prequel written in the 80s--shows "Christopher's" fully matured antipathy toward newfangled counterculture movements and modern technology. Those damn kids and their dumb innovations and their teevee shows are all to blame for the imminent downfall of human civilization! The cameo role for The Daily Mail as free speech martyr was a clear tipoff where the aging Mister Christopher's ...more
Kasi Parara, my kids' ELP teacher, made this required reading one year because it was about people had their right to think for themselves taken away.
Great Series.
Great Series.
Iskreads
added it
I though this was a good book it gets a little borning in the start of the book but gets much better it got me into reading science fiction books.
Malik
Malik
I liked The White Mountains Better, but this book did answer some questions as to the history of the Tripods. I felt like the story was a little rushed.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
John Christopher is the pseudonym under which the British science fiction author Samuel Youd has been most successful. Youd has written under the following pseudonyms:
• John Christopher
• Stanley Winchester
• Hilary Ford
• William Godfrey
• Peter Graaf
• Peter Nichols
• Anthony Rye
He is best known for The Tripods trilogy, published under the pseudon...more
More about John Christopher...
• John Christopher
• Stanley Winchester
• Hilary Ford
• William Godfrey
• Peter Graaf
• Peter Nichols
• Anthony Rye
He is best known for The Tripods trilogy, published under the pseudon...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The secret of success in battle lies often not so much in the use of one's own strength but in the exploitation of the other side's weaknesses.”
—
10 people liked it
“Have a drink, and try to relax. All right, have another drink. There are times when getting drunk's not a bad idea.”
—
9 people liked it
More quotes…
