World Famous Comics: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
By: Jack Finney Publisher: Touchstone Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: April 06, 1998 Studio: Touchstone
On a quiet fall evening in the small, peaceful town of Mill Valley, California, Dr. Miles Bennell discovered an insidious, horrifying plot. Silently, subtly, almost imperceptibly, alien life-forms were taking over the bodies and minds of his neighbors, his friends, his family, the woman he loved -- the world as he knew it.
First published in 1955, this classic thriller of the ultimate alien invasion and the triumph of the human spirit over an invisible enemy inspired three major motion pictures.
Be aware this is an update of the original story ^ I wanted the original version and was a little disappointed to find out this wasn't it. According to the inside of the book the original was published in 1954 in a magazine, with an expanded edition following in 1955. This revised edition was published in 1978 (presumably to accompany the release of the 2nd movie version). I do wonder how much was really changed though. Aside from dates, references to 70's model cars and jogging, not much is there to distinguish from the 1950's.
I've loved this story since seeing the 1956 film version as a kid. If you've seen that movie you'll find the feel of this book much the same. The only major differences come towards the end where we are given much more insight into the aliens and their motives, and a finish that is different from any of the theatrical versions.
Easily a five star story aided much by Finney's conversational prose. If you liked any of the movie versions it's worth reading the book.
brilliant, fast paced 1950s science fiction thriller ^ Dr Miles Bennell, a general practitioner in a quiet California town, notices a strange psychological epidemic. People begin believing that their loved ones aren't really their loved ones. And then he finds the seed pods...
This is a brilliant suspense thriller from the 1950s. I listened to the audiobook performed by Kristoffer Tabori, published by Blackstone Audio [and available here under the "Audio CD" edition]. Tabori was the perfect narrator: he really made the story come alive. I couldn't put my mp3 player down! And to boot, Tabori's father directed the original film and the audiobook includes an interesting interview at the end with Tabori about his father's film.
I listened to this during a business trip to Brazil and it was perfect escape listening. Only at one point did the characters make a ludicrous decision (like when people split up in horror movies); incidentally that part was cut from the original movie. And in this "updated" version, the date of the action is moved to the 1970s, even though it seems little else is updated, including the gender roles which feel very 1950s. The ending was a little quick; I had to listen to it twice to catch all that happened, and even so I have a couple of questions. But if you can handle that, What a ride! I loved this and immediately sent off for the 1950s movie. Highly recommended: the funnest audiobook I've listened to in months!
Note on potentially objectionable content: a smattering of "light" profanity, 1950s gender roles, and it's Very Scary.
Classic Cold War Science Fiction ^ Most people know the movies based on this book: from the Kevin McCarthy version, to Donald Sutherland, to Gabrielle Anwar and Nicole Kidman, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' is a good story for film. The original novel, while not everyone's cup of tea, is a more realistic look at what human beings would do if a silent invasion from outer space happened.(This edition is the 'updated' one, with the date allegedly 1976, although the world of the novel is straight 1950s, with weak women and conservative ideals.)
The plot is simple: Dr. Miles Bennell practices in his hometown of Mill Valley, California. He becomes inundated, as other doctors in the area are, by patients claiming that their loved ones are somehow imposters...but the patients can't provide any concrete evidence. What's thought to be some sort of mass hysteria is actually quite different: when Miles' friend Jack and his wife Theodora find a strange body in their house, it becomes clear there's something extraordinary going on. Mill Valley has been invaded by 'pods', which replicate, then destroy, the inhabitants.
There's a good slice of Cold War paranoia here; the 'pod people' claim that they are exactly like everyone else, but without the burden of emotion or ambition. One could say that the view of communism in this era, with its rejection of religion and what the West viewed as 'normal', as another way to describe these 'pod people'. Miles and his friends are struggling not just against a physical force, but an ideological one: Mill Valley is in a slow decay -- businesses close, the streets empty and dirty, the houses dilapidated. Unlike the film versions, the novel has a rather anticlimactic ending, which I won't spoil. Worth reading.
This classic deserves a wider audience.... ^ The worst thing this book has going for it is that it has become such a fixture of popular culture people may feel they don't need to read it. This is a shame because it really is a great work of science-fiction/horror. One can debate the originality of the concept - it has been treated elsewhere, as in The Puppet Masters or "The Father-Thing," yet this (I believe) is its most effective handling. This is, after all, the one with the "pod people."
Now the historicists (the goats) will say this book only matters in terms of cold war, red-scare hysteria. Not true. True, this book does have a 50's feel to it - in that the characters have an educated, witty, sensible, John Updikey feel to them. Yet, it is not a dated book. But the idea that this book can ONLY be read in terms of the red-menace is just wrong. In Danse Macabre, Jack Finney writes to Stephen King and tells him that there was no overt metaphor in the book. (King goes on to show how that Don Siegel--the director of the movie--did have a metaphor in mind, but critics got the opposite meaning.) The truth is that this story lends itself to such varying interpretations because THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT IS SO DARNED SCARY. If this really happened, how could mankind defend itself?
For those of you familiar with one or several movie version (and their knock-offs) you should still read the original book. (I believe it was originally titled The Body Snatchers.) You may be surprised at the differences between what you know and what you think you know. The ending may be quite different from what you were expecting. In any case, it will be time well-spent.
'Body Snatchers' A Good Read That Won't Let You Down ^ The book by Jack Finney is a lot like the 1950s movie except for the ending. Surprisingly, the book's ending is more optimistic than the original movie's ending. Any movie fan will remember Kevin McCarthy looking into the camera and warning everyone about the Snatchers coming after them. Well, the book is different. Finney does a good job of keeping you reading with a first-person narrative style that is both enjoyable and entertaining. A good book to read for a few days. The plot, as most people know, is filled with paranoia and explores what really makes a human being a human being. Emotion is at the top of the list. I suggest you read the book and then rent one of the three movies made based on the book. The original 1950s movie is probably closest to the plot of the book. Have fun. You'll enjoy the book and the movies. Highly recommended.
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