Product Description

In the community of Waknut it is believed mutants are the products of the Devil and must be stamped out. When David befriends a girl with a slight abnormality, he begins to understand the nature of fear and oppression. When he develops his own deviation, he must learn to conceal his secret.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104063 in Books
• Published on: 1973-06-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
In the community of Waknut it is believed mutants are the products of the Devil and must be stamped out. When David befriends a girl with a slight abnormality, he begins to understand the nature of fear and oppression. When he develops his own deviation, he must learn to conceal his secret.

From the Publisher
Connection Series
‘Connections will leave a legacy for youth theatre groups everywhere. The collections should be enthusiastically received in the classroom.’ Times Educational Supplement

Connections is a new series of challenging and entertaining playscripts for 11-19s, commissioned by the Royal National Theatre and written by professional playwrights. Each books contains reference details for online educational resources for teachers and youth group leaders, as well as Royal National Theatre website information where details of past productions and interviews with authors can be accessed.

If we hope to have discerning practitioners and audiences tomorrow we must ensure that work of quality is available to young people now. Connections provides that quality.

Customer Reviews

More Park Year Six review of The Chrysalids
We think that Wyndham's book 'The Chrysalids' was an extraordinary book with amazing descriptions. This book would be suitable for people of 11 years and upwards. Some of the ideas are quite challenging, but we read it in class, and were able to have discussions about some of these elements, for example whether the Great Horses were a deviation or not.

The book starts with David's dream of a calm sea, and a shining city with flying fish shaped machines, but this is a world that the people of Waknuk have never seen. The introduction made us think initially that the book might be a little boring, but then we met Sophie. Sophie is a normal, fun loving girl...or is she...

'The Chrysalids' is great because it doesn't give us all of the information straight away, it is packed with elements of surprise, and we enjoyed looking for, and working out the clues as we went along.

We were all a little disappointed with the ending, as there were still a lot of unanswered questions, and we wish that Wyndham had written a sequel, so that it wasn't such an abrupt conclusion.

If you enjoy science fiction and adventure this is the book for you. Even if you don't there are plenty of plot lines, and situations which pose moral dilemas which made us sad and annoyed and is definately worth reading.

Science fiction at its finest
Before I read "The Chrysalids" the title of the book made me expect something very similar to John Wyndham's "The Day Of The Triffids", and that 'chrysalids' would be some form of monster or danger. In fact this story is quite different in many ways.

This novel is post-apocalpyptic but warns of dangers quite different to those hinted at in "..Triffids". The world has experienced a holocaust, details of which are never too closely explained, which is one of the ways in which the novel can remain timely. Surviving tribes have reverted to pre-industrial and extremely religious ways of life, because the Bible was the only book to have survived intact from 'the old times'. So God-fearing are these people that any child, animal or crop that shows any sign of genetic deformity is immediately and brutally killed. The story centres around David, a young man who slowly realises that he has telepathic abilities, and that there are others around him who share these powers.

Like "Triffids", the novel is science fiction at its finest, that manages to say a lot about modern society without prescription or Star Trek-style condascending tones- but with healthy doses of adventure thrown in. In particular "Chrysalids" is very concerned with issues of organised religion, and religious fervour, which are handled excellently.

Disturbing, but compelling
Have you read any John Wyndham yet? Not even Day of the Triffids? o.k. start with this one. A haunting story in which 'disablities' are outlawed, even those which could be considered evolution....sharing thoughts with other for instance.
A brutal society is some ways, so very human in others.
Written in typical Wyndham style, ever so slightly 1950's.