Wyndham, John: 1903-1969
The Day of the Triffids, 1951 - Language/Style
- English Language Level: Challenging, Formal
- Formal, Mid-20th-Century British English – some vocabulary and phrasing are outdated or less familiar to modern readers (e.g. “Mingy” – means stingy or shabby. “I had no intention of trying to drive; the idea seemed too reckless” = “I didn’t want to drive—it seemed too dangerous.”).
Complex Sentence Structures – Multiple clauses, descriptive passages, and occasional philosophical reflections.
Specialized or Contextual Words – e.g., scientific/plant-related terms, post-apocalyptic concepts (e.g. Stinger – the Triffid’s venomous appendage, described like an animal’s sting).
- Formal, Mid-20th-Century British English – some vocabulary and phrasing are outdated or less familiar to modern readers (e.g. “Mingy” – means stingy or shabby. “I had no intention of trying to drive; the idea seemed too reckless” = “I didn’t want to drive—it seemed too dangerous.”).
- The novel uses outdated vocabulary, complex sentences, and semi-technical scientific/plant terminology that require careful reading.