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The White Mountains
(The Tripods #1)
by
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, where the ...more
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, where the ...more
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Paperback, 195 pages
Published
April 2003
by Simon & Schuster Simon Pulse
(first published April 1967)
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Start your review of The White Mountains (The Tripods, #1)
The White Mountains (The Tripods #1), John Christopher
The Tripods is a series of young adult novels written by John Christopher, beginning in 1967.
The White Mountains, Life goes on largely as it had in the pre-industrial era, excepting that all adult humans are subject to Tripod control.
Protagonist Will, a thirteen-year-old boy, living in the (fictional) English village of Wherton, is looking forward to the next "Capping Day", until a chance meeting with a mysterious fake-capped man named Ozyma ...more
The Tripods is a series of young adult novels written by John Christopher, beginning in 1967.
The White Mountains, Life goes on largely as it had in the pre-industrial era, excepting that all adult humans are subject to Tripod control.
Protagonist Will, a thirteen-year-old boy, living in the (fictional) English village of Wherton, is looking forward to the next "Capping Day", until a chance meeting with a mysterious fake-capped man named Ozyma ...more
A splendidly written science fiction yarn aimed at the lads and lasses but with enough clever going for it to appeal to older more seasoned readers as well. This is the second novel by John Christopher that I've had the pleasure of consuming and this gent certainly has the prose chops to spin a ripsnorter of a story. My previous experience, the dark, disturbing and fantabulous The Death of Grass), is one of the more under-appreciated apocalyptic SF books I have come across and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
...more
John Christopher’s influential and fun as a zombie-at-a-Mensa-party 1967 novel is a fantastic YA success.
Telling the post-apocalyptic story of a 13 year old in a world where alien tripod monsters (reminiscent of HG Wells The War of the Worlds creatures) control every aspect of human culture and keep us subjugated by means of a “capping” brain implant at the age of 14, Christopher spins an imaginative and timeless tale of adventure and perseverance.
Our protagonist Will notices he’s a little diffe ...more
Telling the post-apocalyptic story of a 13 year old in a world where alien tripod monsters (reminiscent of HG Wells The War of the Worlds creatures) control every aspect of human culture and keep us subjugated by means of a “capping” brain implant at the age of 14, Christopher spins an imaginative and timeless tale of adventure and perseverance.
Our protagonist Will notices he’s a little diffe ...more
I read this book when I was about 10, but there's a moment near the beginning that's really stayed with me. It's one of those stories where Earth has been enslaved by alien overlords. There are, however, a few bright points in their miserable existences, and one of these is the annual games, where young athletes compete in a kind of Olympics to pick out the fastest and strongest.
The hero and his best friend are competing. They're both top jocks. They're pretty much certain that they'll win and b ...more
The hero and his best friend are competing. They're both top jocks. They're pretty much certain that they'll win and b ...more
4 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks
RTC after reread
John Christopher was an author who mostly wrote sci-fi, about Post-apocalyptic worlds, each series has a different concept:
here it's about some alien Lords, who rule the Earth, for a very long time, slaving humans, so people have no control over their thoughts or their life. nobody knows who rides the Tripods & nobody questions them.
a world without Free will...
a teenage boy, Will, starts to question the traditions comes upon them by Tripods, while ...more
with Golden Sparks
RTC after reread
John Christopher was an author who mostly wrote sci-fi, about Post-apocalyptic worlds, each series has a different concept:
here it's about some alien Lords, who rule the Earth, for a very long time, slaving humans, so people have no control over their thoughts or their life. nobody knows who rides the Tripods & nobody questions them.
a world without Free will...
a teenage boy, Will, starts to question the traditions comes upon them by Tripods, while ...more
This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I've been reading a lot of YA fantasy/SF novels aloud to my husband while he paints his new 40k army. I guess if you're going to dork out and regress, it might as well be all the way. So I pulled this novel out of the vaults--my fifth grade English teacher assigned it as part of an inspired introduction to genre fiction unit. This was our introduction to science fiction. I blame her for launching a number of excessively awkward adolescences. Anyway, th
...more
Tripods are cool, imagine these fearsome engines stomping around your neighborhood. They are not very practical though are they? Three legs don’t seem to be a very stable locomotive arrangement. The aliens came from light years away can they not spring for some aircrafts or something on wheels? At least double the number of legs for God’s sake!
When I first heard of this series I thought it was some kind of unofficial sequel to Wells’ awesome classic The War of the Worlds. Well, now I know it is ...more
When I first heard of this series I thought it was some kind of unofficial sequel to Wells’ awesome classic The War of the Worlds. Well, now I know it is ...more
This young adult dystopian science fiction novel (the first of a trilogy, followed by a prequel) is considered to be a classic, and it's easy to see why. The Tripods (machines? living beings? robots gone wrong? aliens from another world?) rule over the post-apocalyptic Earth, keeping humans in their (faux-medieval) place by means of "capping" them at puberty: that is, surgically implanting metal helmet-like contraptions on people to keep them docile and content. Young Will, the protagonist, flee
...more
One of the best Young Adult authors ever, John Christopher, kicks of his masterwork trilogy with this book about a retro-future in which the world has been colonized by Tripods. Three boys, before undergoing the coming-of-age transformations of Capping Day (incidentally, this has to be the namesake of the Seattle band, remember them?), run away. Will they make it before the tripods find and brainwash them?
It's amazing how much Scott Westerfeld's PRETTIES has borrowed from this series--not that W ...more
It's amazing how much Scott Westerfeld's PRETTIES has borrowed from this series--not that W ...more
After being immensely impressed by The Death of Grass by John Christopher, I decided to start his "Tripods" series right away.
Although the primary target for this series are the readers in the young-adult category, it is so unlike today's young-adult books where the post-apocalyptic/dystopian scenario just serves as an inconsequential and poorly developed background for a cheesy romance between hormonally charged teens.
The White Mountains introduces us to the thirteen year old teen protagonist, ...more
Although the primary target for this series are the readers in the young-adult category, it is so unlike today's young-adult books where the post-apocalyptic/dystopian scenario just serves as an inconsequential and poorly developed background for a cheesy romance between hormonally charged teens.
The White Mountains introduces us to the thirteen year old teen protagonist, ...more
Finally getting down to listening to this with my son and my husband. Having read this as a 9 year old and again as a 20-something, I'm eager to read it with my 9-year-old son. We had a hard time getting into it, mostly because of the long (in reality only 4 minutes) intro by the author. I'm also questioning the choice of a clearly middle-aged man to read a story written in first person. But otherwise, his narration is very good. Will report on what my son and husband think.
Finished! Unfortunate ...more
Finished! Unfortunate ...more
Sep 21, 2007
Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
adventure loving boys
Shelves:
childrensbooks,
sciencefiction
I was in 6th grade, had just moved to the Seattle area, and was as unhappy as an uprooted, adolescent girl living under perpetually gray skies can be - but this book, read to my class by the teacher, showed me that, hey, it could be worse! I could be on the run, hunted by aliens in giant tripods who wanted to control my brain with a metal cap device on my head. It gave me perspective, you know?
A great introduction to real SF for kids.
A great introduction to real SF for kids.
Given the time this book was written and target audience it could be a 4 star.
The idea certanly gets 5 though.
The idea certanly gets 5 though.
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:There's nothing like a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel to take your mind off current ills, providing that what's described doesn't approach too closely to reality. That's the case with the first of Christopher's Tripods trilogy, which seems to describe a time which may be in the 2060s, roughly a century after when the novel was first published. There are echoes of H G Wells' The War of the Worlds (1898) along wit ...more
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
The White Mountains was a book that was never on my radar until recently. Not sure if that's a bad or good thing but I guess I'm happy that I got a chance to dive into it.
In it, you will meet Will, who lives in a world where alien lords rule over them. No one knows who is in charge of the Tripods that roam around the world.. but no one ever questions it either. It also doesn't help that they have zero control over themselves either.
Honestly, if I lived in this world... it wouldn't work. I would ...more
In it, you will meet Will, who lives in a world where alien lords rule over them. No one knows who is in charge of the Tripods that roam around the world.. but no one ever questions it either. It also doesn't help that they have zero control over themselves either.
Honestly, if I lived in this world... it wouldn't work. I would ...more
Aug 09, 2012
Erik Graff
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
sf fans
Recommended to Erik by:
Dorothy Gregory
Shelves:
sf
There seems to be some complexity to the Tripod novels and stories written by Christopher (actual name, Samuel Youd). Whatever their order, this book stands by itself as one a reader can begin with, without worrying about what may have been set or composed earlier. It does not, however, tell a full story. 'The City of Gold and Lead' (1967) and 'The Pool of Fire' (1968) complete this particular tale.
While ordinarily regarded as a young adult novel, I did not feel patronized. The protagonist and ...more
While ordinarily regarded as a young adult novel, I did not feel patronized. The protagonist and ...more
These books are precious to me. But not the type of precious that requires a little hobbit to come along to my lair in my misty mountain hideout and steal them away, take them across some deserts and throw them into some smoking volcanic mountain. No these are precious for childhood reasons.
I first discovered the pleasure of reading through the power of the Chronicles of Narnia. My mother had a small bookshelf on which was kept all her favourite childhood books and as I learnt to read those were ...more
I first discovered the pleasure of reading through the power of the Chronicles of Narnia. My mother had a small bookshelf on which was kept all her favourite childhood books and as I learnt to read those were ...more
Sep 30, 2020
tENTATIVELY, cONVENIENCE
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sf
review of
John Christopher's The White Mountains
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - September 30, 2020
I've mentioned before that H.G.Wells was an important writer to me as a young'un. His The Time Machine was particularly important but so was his The War of the Worlds. I've also mentioned that as a young teenager I had a picture of Wells & spouse sitting naked on the back porch of a cabin, presumably at a nudist camp. They were both a bit flabby, H.G. was wearing light-colored socks (probably whit ...more
John Christopher's The White Mountains
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - September 30, 2020
I've mentioned before that H.G.Wells was an important writer to me as a young'un. His The Time Machine was particularly important but so was his The War of the Worlds. I've also mentioned that as a young teenager I had a picture of Wells & spouse sitting naked on the back porch of a cabin, presumably at a nudist camp. They were both a bit flabby, H.G. was wearing light-colored socks (probably whit ...more
I've been cleaning my way through my office. Last week I scored: Way at the bottom of the bookshelf, deeply hidden, was this book AND the rest of the trilogy. The originals from my childhood! I absolutely loved this series as a child, I read it at about 11, and I couldn't wait to re-read it this weekend. I'm happy to say the story held up for me, and not just because of nostalgia. A favourite book is a very delicate memory thread to your childhood self. I remembered most of it, had brain-tingly
...more
Somehow missed this series when I was a kid; really enjoyed this author's The Death of Grass and thought the prequel novel was pretty good too.
Teen Will lives in a world that has regressed considerably due to the foreign influence of the Tripods. In a society without serious science or decent propulsion, Will is certain of only one thing - he doesn't want to be "Capped". Nobody in this book knows what the caps do, but they suspect an unswerving loyalty to the overlord aliens.
Will escapes to the ...more
Teen Will lives in a world that has regressed considerably due to the foreign influence of the Tripods. In a society without serious science or decent propulsion, Will is certain of only one thing - he doesn't want to be "Capped". Nobody in this book knows what the caps do, but they suspect an unswerving loyalty to the overlord aliens.
Will escapes to the ...more
May 10, 2014
Robin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi,
dystopia,
childrens,
series,
book-1-in-a-series,
speculative-fiction,
child-narrator
I read this as a child and vividly remember certain particularly fraught scenes but not the overall plot. I read it again yesterday in one sitting.
This book doesn't age at all -- it just as fresh and readable and compelling as it must have been in 1967 when it was first published. The narrator is young Will Parker, still a child, not yet initiated into adulthood via the mysterious "capping" ceremony, where the child is taken briefly away by towering metal creatures called Tripods and fitted with ...more
This book doesn't age at all -- it just as fresh and readable and compelling as it must have been in 1967 when it was first published. The narrator is young Will Parker, still a child, not yet initiated into adulthood via the mysterious "capping" ceremony, where the child is taken briefly away by towering metal creatures called Tripods and fitted with ...more
Feb 16, 2018
Agnė
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
fiction,
for-class,
dystopia,
classics,
series,
audiobook,
adventure,
science-fiction,
middle-grade
An intriguing beginning, a boring adventure, a rushed, disempowering ending (in particular, I have in mind this sentence in the last paragraph: (view spoiler)).
Also, I didn’t really care for any of the characters and kinda disliked the world-bu ...more
Also, I didn’t really care for any of the characters and kinda disliked the world-bu ...more
Also posted here.
This is not included on my book pool but I’ve decided to start my YA-D2 adventure with one of the oldest Young Adult Dystopia fiction there is. I figured that if we really want to explore the ya dystopia genre, we must trace its roots by reading the first books that is published under the genre. John Christopher’s White Mountains, without a doubt, influenced a lot of dystopian novels being published recently. I think that dystopian authors, even if they haven’t read this, owes a ...more
This is not included on my book pool but I’ve decided to start my YA-D2 adventure with one of the oldest Young Adult Dystopia fiction there is. I figured that if we really want to explore the ya dystopia genre, we must trace its roots by reading the first books that is published under the genre. John Christopher’s White Mountains, without a doubt, influenced a lot of dystopian novels being published recently. I think that dystopian authors, even if they haven’t read this, owes a ...more
This is the first of my favourite set of books from when I was a child. The books and the TV serials are wonderful memories for me that I like to relive from time to time.
The reason for the current re-read was that they were discussed on Twitter. Myself and Kiraniumbra convinced Jacob and Karode to read the books and watch the tv series. With strict advice to read the books first. It tweaked me into re-reading them myself. So off I went to pick the trilogy and the prequel from my parents' house. ...more
The reason for the current re-read was that they were discussed on Twitter. Myself and Kiraniumbra convinced Jacob and Karode to read the books and watch the tv series. With strict advice to read the books first. It tweaked me into re-reading them myself. So off I went to pick the trilogy and the prequel from my parents' house. ...more
The White Mountains is a Young Adult Dystopian novel which most likely inspired a lot of the current YA Dystopian novels, although I think it itself probably owes quite a bit to The Chrysalids and obviously The War of the Worlds. The book follows the journey of a group of boys as they leave their small town and head to the eponymous White Mountains. Their journey is inspired by the upcoming capping day in which they would have small caps put on the backs of their head making them obedient and co
...more
This is the most affect-less YA novel I've ever read. The tone is so remarkably even-keeled; none of the potential disasters last long enough to be frightening; and then disaster is avoided every time. I didn't dislike it -- it's a pleasant enough read, and quick, and at first I found the even tone charming, until it became clear that it was going to remain precisely the same throughout the entire book. I don't understand its enduring popularity, especially in contrast to the much more emotive s
...more
I read this in 4th grade and absolutely loved it
The White Mountains by John Christopher
When this book was suggested to me by the school librarian, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about doing it as a novel study for my sixth grade students and the beginning impressed me even less. The protagonist talked about his father’s watch. How was I ever going to get my students to buy into a novel with such a boring beginning?
However, the librarian persevered and once I got into the story, with my students, I really liked it and so did they.
The story is set ...more
When this book was suggested to me by the school librarian, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about doing it as a novel study for my sixth grade students and the beginning impressed me even less. The protagonist talked about his father’s watch. How was I ever going to get my students to buy into a novel with such a boring beginning?
However, the librarian persevered and once I got into the story, with my students, I really liked it and so did they.
The story is set ...more
"The White Mountains" is a novel I remember thoroughly enjoying in middle school. It fostered a love for science fiction and a healthy mistrust of authority. I was not only eager to share the book with my sons, but to rediscover it myself. As the story concerns a small band of kids in post-apocalyptic Britain attempting to escape a kind of extra-terrestrial bar mitzvah which will leave them obedient to alien tripods, pre-teens beginning to seek more freedom from their parents may feel especially
...more
While the premise, set about 100 years in the future where giant three legged machines, the Tripods, control every human on the planet, may seem familiar, the execution is wholly original. What i loved about this set up is that Christopher didn't just go with the normal now-all-of-humanity-is-living-in-fear trope, but the entire other direction. Humans worship the Tripods. They have no choice.
The world is basically in a new Middle Age, with Kings, Nobles, and Knights. Will's village is more unto ...more
The world is basically in a new Middle Age, with Kings, Nobles, and Knights. Will's village is more unto ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Scifi novel similar to War of the World. [s] | 7 | 39 | Mar 01, 2020 07:37PM | |
| Too adult? | 11 | 86 | Feb 02, 2015 01:39PM | |
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. A YA sci-fi, dystopian, novel from the 70's. Two boys run away so they won't have to get brain implants from giant aliens [s] | 5 | 26 | Jun 05, 2014 01:29PM | |
| Class of 2014: The White Mountains | 8 | 17 | Jan 20, 2014 05:40PM | |
| wrong author??!! | 4 | 70 | Jul 27, 2011 09:26AM |
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Sam Youd was born in Huyton, Lancashire in April 1922, during an unseasonable snowstorm.
As a boy, he was devoted to the newly emergent genre of science-fiction: ‘In the early thirties,’ he later wrote, ‘we knew just enough about the solar system for its possibilities to be a magnet to the imagination.’
Over the following decades, his imagination flowed from science-fiction into general novels, cric ...more
As a boy, he was devoted to the newly emergent genre of science-fiction: ‘In the early thirties,’ he later wrote, ‘we knew just enough about the solar system for its possibilities to be a magnet to the imagination.’
Over the following decades, his imagination flowed from science-fiction into general novels, cric ...more
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