the death of grass

Hard to put down. A chilling psychological thriller and one of the greatest post-apocalyptic novels ever written, The Death of Grass shows people struggling to hold on to their identities as the familiar world disintegrates - and the terrible price they must pay for surviving. I was drawn into the story, the first half was probably some of the more terrifying end of the world stuff I have read. His novels were popular during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably The Death Of Grass (1956), The World in Winter (1962), and Wrinkle in the Skin (1965), all works depicting ordinary people struggling in the midst of apocalyptic catastrophes. The Death of Grass. For the film adaptation, see No Blade of Grass.The Death of Grass is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel writte... "No Blade of Grass" redirects here. I guess that's the British for you. The fact that no one really seems to care that much makes the blow even harsher. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2020. A number of people have remarked at this novel's similarity to the novels of John Wyndham and I would agree up to a point. It follows the fortunes of John Custace and his family as they make a perilous journey to his brother's farm, to escape London, where food shortages and rioting are rife. There's a sense in which all post-apocalyptic novels feel the same. I didn’t want it to end! How many pages are absolutely necessary to tell a gripping, frightening story? In my judgement, it is by far the better book. 1200, in case your editor died? It describes the appearance of a virus that kills all species of grass - rice, then wheat, barley, oats - the lot. It lacked the small details that make a good story (the main character neve. John Custance and his family battle their way out of London heading for his brother, David's small holding situated in a geographically isolated valley in the remote hills of Northern England. 15 Minute Drama. The Death of Grass. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The Death of Grass is no different, but it's very well written and well structured. A post-apocalyptic vision of the world pushed to the brink by famine, John Christopher's science fiction masterpiece The Death of Grass includes an introduction by Robert MacFarlane in Penguin Modern Classics. Leave it to the English and the whole stiff upper lip and tightening of the belts. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. I also disliked this book. One of the most terrifying books I’ve ever read, all the more so because the events portrayed could be just around the corner. Every time they took a savage reaction they would verbally explain it to others. The disaster arising out of ordinary lives, the horrifying realization that this is happening to people who are only divided from me by a few decades, that it is therefore my society which is being torn apart not some foreign land or fantasy kingdom or distant planet or parallel universe, not orcs or vampires or superthugs or talking bears but normal, ordinary, happy, sad, whiney, moaney brits. John Custance and his family flee London, though the … Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published This book is widely regarded as a classic and is often compared with novels such as, [murdered by her psychopathic husband so he can take a child bride as the spoils of war, having murdered the child's parents just a few chapters earlier. Christopher's works, those I have read, are engaging and accessible to any reader, but, should they be adapted for the screen, strong, extremely expressive actors would be necessary to drive the thing home, as his books deserve nothing less. I don't know who it was that said we're only ever three meals away from revolution but this book brings that phrase to life by showing that, no matter how civilized we think we are, however stable our society seems to be, we are never that far away from barbarity. Mountains of the Mind won the Guardian First Book Award and the Somerset Maugham Award and The Wild Places won the Boardman-Tasker Award. I also disliked this book. This is a disease that starts in China and kills off all grass species – not just the grass on the front lawn but rice, wheat, barley and rye. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017. I don’t know why it isn’t more we’ll known. This book aged very well; it didn't seem outdated at all. ‘The Death Of Grass’ is no doubt a monumentally important novel in the history of post-apocalyptic fiction. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. It's a pretty easy/quick read, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2017. A virus which attacks all strains of grasses (grass, wheat, barley, rye) begins to ravage Asia there seems no cure to it. 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the English … A virus which attacks all strains of grasses (grass, wheat, barley, rye) begins to ravage Asia there seems no cure to it. I heard about this one and really wanted to read it, but it's been largely out of print for some time, and quite hard to get hold of. A virus that attacks all species of grass, including wheat and rice, has caused mass starvation in China and is heading this way. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, Action & Adventure Fiction (Kindle Store), © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I was not disappointed. The death of grass by Sam Youd, 1957, Science Fiction Book Club edition, in English DOWNLOAD FILE. What better to read during a pandemic than a book about a virus which attacks grass?! John Christopher's The Death of Grass is a remarkable ecological disaster novel first published in 1956. Absolutely brilliant! People in the know have stockpiled supplies, guns and a remote place that is hopefully impregnable by the starving hoardes. 200? First wave hits China and South East Asia hard, wiping out all grasses including rice, mass food shortages and panic and riots take hold ending in. DEATH OF GRASS (aka No Blade of Grass) is a terrifyingly good book. 0 likes. Living with Covid and lockdown ,how pertinent is a story about a devastating virus!!! Performance 4 out of 5 stars. John Christopher (Author) Christopher Samuel Youd was a British writer best known for his science fiction published under the pseudonym John Christopher. A fascinating read especially in this Covid 19 time. Can John and his family and a group of individuals following him reach the farm before chaos overtakes the land? The Death of Grass by John Christopher book review - Fantasy Book Review The Death of Grass by John Christopher 3/10 I have not disliked a book so vehemently for a very long time. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. 24 Apr, 2015. It began with the rice crop. Finer feelings disappear, violence, theft, rape reappear. After all, civilization may go down fast but it doesn't go down easy. John Christopher (1922-2012) was the pen name of Samuel Youd, a prolific writer of science fiction. I shall list the reasons why. It's a classic. Book Review: 'The Death of Grass' Updated: Jul 17, 2018. It’s sheer unapologetic brutality and hard-hitting concept has since spawned many different routes for the subgenre to explore. That sense of ' Good grief, this could happen if such and such took place'. I was not disappointed. But seriously. A disturbing and at times deeply depressing novel about how quickly the veneer of civilisation disappears when a catastrophe strikes. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then Chung-Li mutates and spreads. The heather still grew, but the moorland grasses were gone; the outcrops of rocks jutted like teeth in the head of a skull.”. Sam Youd was born in Huyton, Lancashire in April 1922, during an unseasonable snowstorm. The tensions within the group are believable and realistic without being excessively detailed or over the top, leaving enough room for the reader to add their own spin to events as things go from bad to worse. The story is always the same, some agent, natural, military or even super-natural, causes the end of civilization-as-we-know-it. A smug Europe looks down on it all thinking it can not happen to them but the following Spring it arrives and takes hold. This was originally titled "No Blade of Grass" ? In all of them, we see society collapsing, torn apart by the pressure of finding a way to survive. Recommend Papers We’d love your help. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. It describes the appearance of a virus that kills all species of grass - rice, then wheat, barley, oats - the lot. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. 4 / 5 The journey to Blind Gill continues, with one addition to the group and one sudden loss. In DEATH OF GRASS the end of the world as we know it is brought about by the Chung-Li virus. David had prepared for what was coming and erected a stockade and ripped up his wheat crops and planted potatoes instead. Led by father John and mother Ann, the Custance clan sets out on a quest for safety in a savage world that may just end up turning them into the very thing they are fleeing. May 26th 1982 Pages 135 Page size 612 x 792 pts (letter) Report DMCA / Copyright. In this 1956 obscure but classic sci-fi thriller, the breakdown is caused by a virus that annihilates all grasses on earth. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. This was a little bit of a slow starter but once I could see where things were heading every sentence was laden with a sense of dread and impending doom. Terrifying because in this day of genetically engineered crops the plot is plausible and you wish that it wasn’t. Also not based on zombies or nuclear war but something much more plausible and so much more unsettling because of it. Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? The Death of Grass – John Christopher. EMP Shelter In Place: EMP Survival in a Powerless World (EMP Post Apocalyptic Survi... To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. In the group the book identities as heroes, they are always dist. Outstanding. A chilling psychological thriller and one of the greatest post-apocalyptic novels ever written, The Death of Grass shows people struggling to hold on to their identities as the familiar world disintegrates - and the terrible price they must pay for surviving. This was happening in Asia; they’d figure out a cure. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. Another post-apocalyptic novel. Very good post-apocalyptic novel that realistically depicts the break-down of society in the wake of a global disaster. Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2017, Love this book. “A long time ago. It was published at roughly the same time as The Day Of The Triffids. Who are you going to believe - me or Tolkien? I have always loved the novels of Wyndham and all his chilling elements run rife here. Available now. By John Christopher. But there are other refugees like them who are also battling for survival and seeking sanctuary in the countryside, and the denouement leads to an unexpected, and chilling, conclusion. It's a paperback book, great story, worthy of a hard back. Brilliant. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. 50? Dramatisation of the science fiction novel by John Christopher, narrated by David Mitchell. I almost wish it had been longer. The famine that followed brought down modern civilisation around the world, and the story follows the loss of accepted morality amongst everyone involved. What/s to say? Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2012. Books similar to or like The Death of Grass. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. But while civilization devolves into dog-eat-dog, I couldn't help thinking how our protagonists were so damn polite about it. The Death of Grass, by John Christopher (Sam Youd), is one of these: all the world’s grass crops, including cereals, rice and pasture grasses, are succumbing to a blight that, within one growing season, leaves most of the world without food. The Chung-Li virus has devastated Asia, wiping out the rice crop and leaving riots and mass starvation in its wake. The dialog and interaction between the characters is painful to try to get through and just all around implausible and awkward. I was disappointed by the way what should have been a great premise was handled. Episode 4. Now perhaps in these days of global warming, Asian bird flu and genetically modified crops, it is perhaps time for a revaluation. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2018. In this 1956 obscure but classic sci-fi thriller, the breakdown is caused by a virus that annihilates all grasses on earth. I could not forgive it. I love stories like this, that have an element of the possible and that result in nature showing humanity that we really are not the ones in charge after all (kinda morbid and a little twisted I know but what can I say, human arrogance really annoys me). SF fans, fans of dystopian novels, sociologists. The rest of the world looks on with concern, though safe in the expectation that a counter-virus will be developed any day. Something went wrong. Like “I know I speak from the exalted wisdom of an ex-Public Relations Officer, but you don’t have to have had much to do with humanity in the mass to know that honesty is never advisable and frequently disastrous.” ― John Christopher, The Death of Grass. Happen if such and such took place ' a story about a virus that annihilates all grasses on.... Have always loved the novels of Wyndham and all his chilling elements run rife here these ebooks can be. Experiences of people in similar situations looks down on it all thinking it can happen. 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