Chocky was the last novel John Wyndham wrote before his death (although a semi-finished one called Web was published posthumously) and for some reason I never read it while I was in high school – although I remember flicking through a copy at the library and not being intrigued enough to properly read it, just as I wasn’t intrigued by The Trouble With Lichen. I suppose it’s because unlike his classic big four novels, neither of these deals with an apocalypse, a post-apocalyptic setting, or (in the case of The Midwich Cuckoos) an apocalypse averted. I really am ashamed of my teenage self, because Chocky is as imaginative and captivating as any of Wyndham’s better-known works.Matthew Gore is an ordinary eleven-year-old schoolboy in the London suburbs whose parents become somewhat concerned when he develops an imaginary friend named Chocky, carrying on vocal arguments with a voice that only he can hear. Not only is he a bit too old for an imaginary friend, but Chocky appears to be teaching him some advanced scientific and mathematical concepts, and asks strange questions of her own. Matthew begins to draw local landscapes with spindly, distorted figures, as if seen from another viewpoint. To a science fiction reader it’s obvious from the first chapter or so that Matthew has developed a telepathic link with an alien intelligence, but Chocky is nevertheless an eerie and unsettling novel, narrated from the point of view of Matthew’s concerned father.As in any Wyndham novel, there’s a wise character who cottons on to what’s happening before anyway else does. And as in any Wyndham novel, it also feels quite dated, although it’s fortunately not quite as unwittingly sexist as The Midwich Cuckoos; though Chocky is narrated by Matthew’s father, both his parents have an equal footing in responding to the issue (even though the mother is often portrayed as unreasonable.) But as I mentioned in my review of The Midwich Cuckoos, it’s hard to fault Wyndham for being a product of his age. Brian Aldiss, writing the introduction to this 2010 Penguin edition, describes it as “an antique charm.”Anyway, this is where the similarities with his previous books end. As I said earlier, Chocky is not an apocalyptic novel, and it also seems to reject Wyndham’s thesis (presented to a greater or lesser degree in all four of his most famous novels) that two foreign intelligences will inevitably fight to the death. Readers of Wyndham’s previous novels will certainly feel a bit of frisson when Chocky asks Matthew (more than once) exactly where Earth is, and comments that it’s a lot nicer than where she’s from. I won’t spoil the plot, but suffice to say that Chocky is one of Wyndham’s more optimistic stories. The final line in the book – which is actually an image – is surprisingly and deeply affecting, and works on multiple levels. Chocky is an excellent novella, which is perhaps not as great as Wyndham’s more well-known novels – but then, that’s a high bar to set. Essential reading for any fans of science fiction.
Chocky é um pequeno grande livro, uma verdadeira estória de ficção cientifica "à moda antiga" como já há muito não tinha o prazer de ler. Tudo começa quando o pai de Mathew ouve o filho travar uma acalorada discussão consigo mesmo, quando comenta o facto com a mulher ambos temem a "presença" de um amigo imaginário não apenas porque o rapaz já tem 11 anos mas, sobretudo, porque a irmã mais nova de Mathew teve um amigo imaginário que deu muitas dores de cabeça à família. Pela voz do pai de Mathew o autor guia-nos pelo dia-a-dia da família e pelas dificuldades com que os seus membros se deparam sem que em momento algum deixemos de nos interessar pela estória e de nos preocupar realmente com a situação vivida por Mathew. O jovem, tal como os que o rodeiam, não compreende o porquê de ouvir aquela voz dentro da sua cabeça, uma voz que nem sequer quando está doente o deixa dormir e que o leva a adoptar comportamentos pouco usuais em crianças da sua idade - como começar a usar novas técnicas nas aulas de física ou o código binário nas de matemática. As diferentes reacções ao problema e a descrição do sofrimento de toda a família são um dos pontos altos desta narrativa pois conseguem demonstrar-nos com imenso realismo o que alguém poderia ter que enfrentar numa situação semelhante: a irmã mais nova fica cheia de ciúmes porque Mathew lhe rouba o protagonismo em casa; a mãe recusa-se a aceitar que algo exterior influência o seu filho, não abre mão da ideia do amigo imaginário; na escola dizem que o jovem está louco; e, por último, o pai, assustado com a ideia de que um ser estranho possa entrar na cabeça do seu filho, enfrenta a situação de forma mais inteligente e com uma mente muito aberta que lhe permitirá não apenas ajudar Mathew mas ouvir alguns dos segredos mais bem guardados do mundo. Apesar de todas as dificuldades vividas e das lutas travadas a ternura e a humanidade dos personagens são uma constante. Outro dos pontos que mais chamam a atenção neste pequeno livro é a caracterização dos extraterrestres que nos são apresentados como seres de uma inteligência muito superior à dos humanos, jogando-se com a possibilidade de algumas das maiores invenções e descobertas da humanidade terem origem extraterrestre e não humana. Claro que hoje esta ideia não é nova mas na década de 60, aquando da escrita desta estória, era uma visão claramente revolucionária e modernista. Aliás, todo o argumento é carregado de originalidade e surpresas, muito coerente e a narrativa mantém um ritmo constante que facilita muito a leitura. O final não deixa grande espaço à imaginação, é realmente um final efectivo mas isso não retira em nada o encanto ao livro.Recomendo a todos os fãs de ficção científica e aos que queiram desfrutar de bons momentos de leitura com uma estória com a graça da F.C original.
What do You think about Chocky (1970)?
This is a short novel which I expected to finish in two sittings but it took an entire week, so I guess I never really got into it.Sometimes novels date in unexpected ways. When Matthew went missing for ten days, I simply didn't buy the muted reaction from his parents. Even in 1968, I don't believe a child's disappearance would have been taken lightly at all, and nor would I expect many children to ever come back after they go missing for so long, but nowadays I'm sure the first thing the doctor
—Lynley
Oh, this was SUCH a good read. Twelve-year-old Matthew seems to have a new friend, but not of the corporeal sort. The sort who teaches him binary counting, how to paint through new eyes, how to swim (even when he can’t), and encourages him to ask the most unusual questions of his parents and teachers. Not the sort of questions you’d expect from a 12-year-old. Chocky provides an interesting perspective on childhood, imaginary friends, and the nature of intelligence. Well worth the few hours it takes to read. Recommended.
—Donna
A wonderfully engrossing little story which I read in one sitting after intending to only read the first few pages just 'to get a feel' of the text. A perfectly normal young boy suddenly disturbs his family when he forms a relationship with an invisible friend inside his head called 'Chocky'. His parents are sure that Chocky doesn't exist but are puzzled by all of the unusual questions that their son begins to ask and the development of his strange abilities.I kept waiting for everything to turn dark and depressing and was pleasantly surprised when it never did. Or, at least, not from the area I was bracing myself for. Well worth a read.
—Nicola
