The Midwich Cuckoos

John Wyndham
The Midwich Cuckoos Cover

The Midwich Cuckoos

Badseedgirl
8/19/2015
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I adored the movie "Village of the Damned." Let me be clear the 1960's version with George Sanders, not the craptastic 1995 version with Christopher Reeve. That movie was just so creepy, and those kids are in my opinion the second creepiest kids ever put on the screen, second only to the twins in the movie "The Shinning." So I was elated to see that it was based on a novel by British author John Wyndham. I read his other famous sci-fi novel earlier this year The Day of the Triffids.

This novel was good, and I enjoyed it. I felt this one did date itself in a couple glaring ways. The idea of terminating the pregnancies was ever even considered. Now this may be an abhorrent suggestion to some people but no medical doctor, I finding themselves in this situation the medical professionals found themselves in would have failed to even consider this option, especially considering the age of some of the women found to be pregnant.

I also found the villages willingness to cover the entire matter up, to be a bit bizarre. We now live in the age of "16 and Pregnant" and other reality TV. I find the idea of an entire town being cut off for over 24 hours and subsequently keeping 60+ births covered up to be impossible to comprehend.

All in all I liked this book, but think I liked the movie better.

3.5 of 5 stars.