Cheap Chocky (Book) (John Wyndham) Price

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Customer Reviews of Chocky

Great Sci Fi
Some have dismissed this book as a minor Wyndham effort. I would disagree. Chocky is great sci fi all the way around. It's the story of two parents who have an adopted son and a biological daughter. The daughter used to talk to a pretend friend named "Piff." The son is now talking to something he calls "Chocky," but the parents notice that this is very different from Polly's "Piff." From there Wyndham takes the reader on a great journey, and one becomes very intimately acquainted with this family of four, especially the father, who is actually the main character. <
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>Some have described Wyndham as a more "conservative" science fiction author. Beyond stating that "conservative" is a pretty meaningless phrase when you think about it (it really doesn't tell you anything about a person's actual stance), I must say that I really don't see this at all. What was probably meant rather is that his writing is very British, which it is, but I've always liked that. <
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>In at least two of his books Wyndham launches into an attack on the world's dependence on oil. This is one of the two, and it was written in the 1960s! It is important that Wyndham was able to pull this off without letting the story devolve into a lecture; he is rather good at slipping his personal views into the context of the story's narrative. For instance, it's pretty obvious that Wyndham does not believe in god. He never comes out and has a character state this, it just emerges as an impression out of the characters' dialogue. The mother in the book starts questioning how well children can be at distinguishing what's real from what's fantasy if they are predominantly raised in a world where adults run around professing belief in things that don't actually exist. She of course is talking about humoring Mathew's insistence that "Chocky" is real, but the father then warns her that she is treading on dangerous ground with that comment, as most parents do in fact believe in things that aren't real. Later in the book the parents argue that even if "Chocky" is pure fantasy that it will still impact Mathew's life, just as "god" can impact the lives of people who insist that "god" is real, even if god does not exist anterior to their believing he does. The only difference between an invisible, odorless, soundless, intangible elephant, an elephant the existence of which cannot be verified, or more importantly, falsified, and no elephant at all, is only that it exists in the minds of the people who believe in it. As the parents in the book say, "When people live their lives by their beliefs objective reality is almost irrelevant." <
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>Many of Wyndham's other views come out in this book as well, especially at the end (but I won't give it all away). His frustration with women is especially hilarious. He portrays women as constantly competing, incapable of not competing with each other, and as smoothly backstabbing creatures employing what he calls an "indetectably refined blend of sympathy and bitchiness." He states that many people claim that men do not understand women, when actually it is women who do not understand themselves. This reminds one of Schopenhauer's observation that men have always only competed with men of the same profession, which allows random groups of men to be genuinely friendly and amiable. Women, on the other hand, have historically been in the profession of competing for men, which means that all women are used to always competing with all women. Another of Wyndham's views that sticks out in my mind is the father's argument that those in the status quo might be considered healthily "normal," but only at the cost of losing their individuality. He also makes the astute observation that what people really want is routine and stability, and that people do not like change, not because they are "up tight" or anything like that, but because resisting "change" is a logical defense mechanism for anyone interested in preserving the stability of their lives. <
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>Many have observed that many of Wyndham's books are epic, end-of-the-world type stuff, whereas Chocky is an intimate tale that mostly takes place in the same living room. That may be, I would add, but Chocky also ends with a warning about the end of the world. SPOILER HERE: I must add that I really like the idea, expressed at the end, that whenever scientists become inspired or are struck with an idea that moves us forward that it's actually due to an alien race implanting the ideas selectively in different people's heads, planting the seeds of change. This idea, incidentally, was used in the Doctor Who story City of Death, written by Hitchhiker's Guide scribe Douglas Adams. <
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>It is also interesting to note that, just as in the original film version of The Omen (and, it might be added, director Richard Donner has said that he had that film set up so that this would intentionally be the case), at the book's conclusion it is still the case that Mathew might simply be mentally ill and that "Chocky" does not actually exist. That a bunch of government droogs believes in the possibility of "Chocky" isn't evidence, nor is the fact that a psychiatrist believes it. The government has after all spent millions on "psychic" research only to conclude there aren't any psychics. Thus, perhaps "Chocky" is real, or perhaps Mathew is a little off but extremely bright, imaginative and creative. Personally I like the ambiguity, and either way you take it, Chocky is a great read.

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Chock Full of...
...delightful surprises! <
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>Matthew, 11, a bright, pre-adolescent boy has been receiving visits from a mysterious, possibly alien being called Chocky. He and Chocky have long, esoteric conversations that suggest that perhaps Chocky is not a resident of Planet Earth. The question is, does Chocky exist? And what gender is Chocky? Matthew initially identified Chocky as male, then later on Chocky is referred to as being female. <
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>The dialog is nothing short of brilliant; the dynamics are uncannily convincing. This is an excellent book. <
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>Matthew has a highly irritating younger sister. I just loved it when their father told her to shut up when she wanted to drone on about Twinklehooves, a fictional horse in one of her books. What a foolish girl chock full of inane chatter. I also thought that response served her right as nobody wanted to listen to her silly palaver. Matthew, on the other hand had an open, receptive mind and was able to receive Chocky. <
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>Chocky comes through for Matthew's irritating sister. When she nearly drowns, Matthew saves her, but says that Chocky saved her. His drawings become startlingly sophisticated, a talent he also attributes to Chocky. Matthew starts to view the world through Chocky's eyes and when his work is submitted to an art show without his permission, Chocky's "existence" snowballs. <
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>The boy's parents fear he will be kidnapped for his knowledge of esoteric matters via Chocky. Chocky realizes Matthew is in danger and that others will try to use him to get to him/her, Chocky and Chocky's information. Once Chocky imparts this final message, s/he leaves Matthew, never to return in any form. It is believed that Chocky is an extra terrestrial. <
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>The conversations between the boy and the being are deep and profound; they expound on questions of routine existence that many take for granted. Chocky raises Matthew's level of appreciation for his life and the people in it. <
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