The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham (1953)
Penguin Books
240 pages
Reader Response by Matt H. [v 1.7] from
Reading Odyssey
Rating: Recommended
Story Summary
A journalist couple (narrator and wife) witness an odd phenomena from a ship during their honeymoon. They see several red fireballs falling from the sky into the sea. Soon it becomes clear that this is happening elsewhere in the world too. From their variance in speed it seems they are not meteors but perhaps some kind of craft. They are much wondered at in the press but prove impossible to study. Later it becomes clear that something, probably connected to the fireballs has entered the “Deeps” of the ocean.
The story concerns the dire struggle that slowly unfolds between humankind and the “bathies” of the Deeps. First, shipping is attacked. Many military and passenger ships are lost. Then “Sea Tanks” begin to appear out of the ocean to collect people in a particularly gruesome manner. Humankind duly gains the upper hand against the Sea Tanks. But then the visitors begin to wage war on a gigantic, environmental scale.
Critical Reader Response
The Kraken Wakes is a highly realistic-seeming account of an alien invasion. The use of intelligent details and omniscient tone both contribute to its plausibility. It’s a very enjoyable book. Certain readers, though, might be put off by some aspects of it which are mentioned below.
In keeping with an emerging dictum of mine –
simplicity is power, this book is very spare in terms of plot, action and characters. The reader is free to enjoy the way in which the story unfolds, instead of expending energy figuring out a complex plot or keeping track of characters. This is centrally what makes it a good read.
The book is not “action packed”, but it is well-planned, giving a satisfying mix of action and commentary. It’s a sense of
restraint that gives it realism and enhances the mystery. The events describes are not hyped, in fact the contrary. A wise, cautious, global view of events is predominant and that gives it an objective flavor. Journalist as narrator is not an unfamiliar choice for a writer, and in this case it fits well. It makes the detailed first, second or even third-hand accounts of events more credible as “narrations.” And it serves double duty since the story itself largely revolves around journalism – media corporations scripts and radio broadcasts, especially the
inside workings of these activities.
It quickly becomes clear that the reader is to be immersed in a clique of two. The narrator and his wife are fairly similar. Their banter, cleverness and most of all irony permeates almost every paragraph. Wyndham’s style is a little erudite at times but still clean and very comprehensible. Occasionally one has to interpolate the meaning of deep British-isms of that time-period. There is an almost Shawian or Wildeean feel sometimes to the dialog. It is entirely possible a reader could find this stilted and unappealing and think the main characters kind of stuffy. If that were the case, it might affect the enjoyment of the book.
The author undoubtedly made vivid use of his and his country’s experience during World War II -- everyday life, propaganda, the press, public safety, etc. It’s hard not to see more than a hint of allegory, especially of the earlier stages of the War. The lack of “facing up” to the fact that Germany was a threat, the way in which the threat affected both the West and the Soviets, the underwater attack on shipping, the threatened invasion of the British coast all have their wartime parallels, as does the ways in which the populace responds. Though imperfect the comparison can be stretched. The fireballs as the airborne component could be paired with the Battle of Britain. The maximum deluge can be paired with the apogee of Axis domination in Europe.
Politics, economics and markets are important themes in the book. The co-protagonists even make a smart stock investment in the earlier stages of the crisis. Other themes include media "spin", word-on-the-street, and disastrously fickle public opinion. The publication date was 1953 and one can clearly see the influence of that era and its history. There are Cassandras, atom bombs and ostriches. To the author’s credit, it is a sophisticated take; he is hard on both the Soviets and the West. Though every item of information from the Soviets is highly absurd and predictable. Wyndham makes it very funny. In the end one could say it’s a book, that though fairly balanced, ultimately celebrates capitalism, the West and most of all the toughness of the Brits.
