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  • The Midwich Cuckoos

  • By: John Wyndham
  • Narrated by: Stephen Fry
  • Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,497 ratings)

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The Midwich Cuckoos

By: John Wyndham
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
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Summary

In the sleepy English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and all the inhabitants fall unconscious. A day later the object is gone and everyone awakens unharmed - except that all the women in the village are discovered to be pregnant.

The resultant children of Midwich do not belong to their parents: all are blonde, all are golden eyed. They grow up too fast, and their minds exhibit frightening abilities that give them control over others and brings them into conflict with the villagers just as a chilling realisation dawns on the world outside....

The Midwich Cuckoos is the classic tale of aliens in our midst, exploring how we respond when confronted by those who are innately superior to us in every conceivable way.

About the author: John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Benyon Harris was born in 1903, the son of a barrister. He tried a number of careers, including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, and started writing short stories, intended for sale, in 1925. From 1930 to 1939 he wrote stories of various kinds under different names, almost exclusively for American publications, while also writing detective novels. During the war he was in the Civil Service and then the Army. In 1946 he went back to writing stories for publication in the USA and decided to try a modified form of science fiction, a form he called 'logical fantasy'.

©2008 John Wyndham (P)2021 Audible, Ltd
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What listeners say about The Midwich Cuckoos

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fry disappoints

This is an excellent John Wyndham novel that has barely dated. But the reading by Stephen Fry lets it down. He has chosen voices that really do not suit most of the characters, especially the children.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not as I remembered it! Much better.

Read this at school and saw the film. A much better story than I remembered and more credible. Read by Stephen Fry who kept the story and the tension together well. It adapts well to an audio book. Recommended, not scary but with its moments, especially during lockdown evenings or insomniacs nights.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Unique story -loved it

Really enjoyed this book, such a good and unique tale and narrated really well by Stephen Fry.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

classic Sci-fi

loved it. well read and performed. A great production and free as well. five stars.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Audiobook

Loved this book. Narration was brilliant and story gripping. Some views were a bit backwards however considering the time this book was written i found them acceptable.
Brilliant book and highly reccommended

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting concept, though a product of its time

While very much a product of its time in terms of gender roles, Midwich Cuckoos is ultimately an enjoyable story. It's also a very narrow view of the concept, and could have been expanded greatly, but I enjoyed this for what it was. Also excellent narration by Stephen Fry.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Masterful storytelling

Outstanding narration enhances every aspect of this powerful story. Thank you Stephen, I'm sure Mr Wyndham would feel that you had done him proud.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Really good

After reading some rubbish reviews I still gave this a go and really enjoyed it. Stephen fry was good he’s just s distinctive voice. I loved this story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

well

I love Mr Fry but I think his talent fits better to different types of books. HP was superB.
But here reading a horror story doesn't seem right.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I like Fry and love Wyndham; they don’t belong together

The book is a classic that stands the test of time. Although 50s sensibilities and views are present in the writing, the story is timeless and has aged well. A very engaging and thought provoking subject. Well written with a good pace.

Stephen Fry appears to have narrated this as Melchett from Blackadder. It comes across as if Fry was unaware of the story and believed it to be a comedy, rather than mild horror and drama. His style moves between hysteria and pomposity, with nothing in between. He also uses a strange intonation or words for no apparent reason.

The story is a classic, given the book is free it is worth reading, however, if I had purchased this I would have been far more disappointed by Fry’s narration.

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