John Christopher (1) (1922–2012)

Dieser Roman folgt einer Gruppe Menschen, die in einem fiktiven Großbritannien nach dem Zusammenbruch der Zivilisation durch einen Virus, der sämtliche Getreidearten befällt und abtötet, versuchen, ein Tal zu erreichen, in dem sie sich Sicherheit erhoffen.
Tatsächlich ist die Frage, wodurch die Zivilisation zusammengebrochen ist, hier eher nebensächlich. Auch die internationale und die britischen Reaktionen auf die Katastrophe sind zwar interessant und weisen spannende Parallelen zu tatsächlichen Ereignissen auf, werden aber nur knapp geschildert. Das eigentliche Thema des Romans ist, wie in vielen Romanen dieses Autors, die Reaktion der Menschen auf die Katastrophe - wie weit gehen sie, um zu überleben und ihnen nahestehende Menschen zu schützen, welche Dynamik entsteht in einer Gruppe solcher Flüchtlinge und zu welchen Taten ist der Einzelne fähig.
Eine durchaus spannende und zum Nachdenken anregende Charakterstudie.… (meer)

Thematically, this has a lot in common with one of my favorite books, [b:The Giver|3636|The Giver (The Giver #1)|Lois Lowry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342493368s/3636.jpg|2543234]. It's about a boy who discovers that the tranquility of his community comes at a great cost--and then that boy faces a choice. Does he accept a world where most people have easy, lobotomized lives, or does he rage against the powers that are subduing humanity? (In The Giver it's a totalitarian government, in The White Mountains it's aliens.) I don't think this book is as good as Lois Lowry's, but it's got a more adventurous feel to it. There are a lot of heart-pounding moments and there are more terrifying villains.

My main criticism of this book is that the author takes for granted that only boys would be recruited to join the resistance against the Tripods. Ugh, as if! The book was written in 1967, so I suppose the author didn't even consider including a girl in his trio of Tripod resisters. There is only one significant female character in the book, a princess named Eloise, who seems to represent everything Will (the hero) stands against.

If you can get past the sexism, this would be a good read-alike for fans of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. It's less violent so I'd give it to younger readers who are dying to read HG but probably not ready for the murder and politics of Panem.… (meer)

The final volume of the Tripods trilogy tells how our protagonist Will plays a vital part in the final overthrow of the Masters who have ruled the earth for generations. This time the action plays out across the four years before the Masters enact their final plan to transform the earth's atmosphere and in doing so kill all existing life. Again Will's impetuosity both guides and hinders him. The book ends on an ambiguous note as mankind, freed from the need to unite against a common enemy begins to resurrect old squabbles and Will and his companions must choose whether to pursue their own interests or fight for a better world.… (meer)