Another of Wyndham's gentle SF books, quite enjoyable, although it's hard to tell for a while whether it is science fiction. Told by a 12-year old's father, the tale begins when Matthew, the son, begins to ask questions and exhibit behaviors beyond his age and training. He becomes an accomplished artist overnight and saves his sister from drowning when, if fact, he cannot swim. To their dismay, his parents discover that he appears to have an imaginary friend, although that explanation does not really fit the evidence, and it becomes obvious he may be inhabited by a second, more advanced but benign, presence. As is typical with Wyndham, he approaches these events from the viewpoint of a sane, middle-class protagonist, which is deceptive in its power on the reader, who is sucked into thinking that yes, that's what I'd do, too. There is also a surprising message of energy conservation and the danger of using up limited natural resources - surprising because the book was originally published in 1968. ( )

Much gentler than some of Wyndham's other books (i.e., no alien invasions, no battles royal, no survivors barely hanging on), this is a story, as told by his father, of a boy who is "possessed" by Chocky. Matthew's mother wants him cured of this being, his younger sister scoffed at him, and his dad mostly listens to him, partly believing him at first, and then believing in Chocky.

This is one of the 1001 Must Read books, which surprised me much more than Wyndham's Midwich Cuckoos being on the list. The choice was taken partly because this is a blend of science fiction and fantasy, and partly because it is story of family dynamics, Matthew is an adopted child, with no known birth family. His parents moved across town to avoid the regular encounters with his mother's family. Matthew begins to act a bit odd--and? Can anything else be expected? Probably not.

I'd recommend this, but not as a first reading of Wyndham. ( )

My review of this short book is more like a hastily written summary. It made me think about the way thoughts are transmitted, and how if we are in tune with them we can hear more that the average person. Chocky awakened Matthew's senses ... here is a synopsis of the story.

Matthew Gore begins hearing a voice; he refers to as "Chocky," asking him to find the meaning of XXXXX. When he begins talking to the voice, he starts asking unusual questions in school and at home. He draws attention to himself, by suddenly beginning to excel in physics, a subject in which he has never been taught. His parents have him to see a "shrink” and his friends call him mad. His music teacher thinks he's a genius after he composes a unique piece of music while under the guidance of Chocky. She enters a song composed by Matthew in a contest and he wins a prize.

One day while out with Polly, his little sister, they fall through thin ice. Matthew, who never learned to swim, is suddenly able to swim saving himself and his sister from drowning. He claims that Chocky saved them. When the media gets involved by reporting the heroic way Matthew saved Polly, the "existence of Chocky" is publicized. Chocky is referred to as the children's "guardian angel."

Matthew is later kidnapped and scientists who have questions about Matthew's sudden understanding of physics, ability to swim, musical talents, inject him with a sort of truth serum to bring Chocky out.

Through it all Matthew's dad remains his son's confidant. When Matthew eventually makes it home, he talks to his father about the experience and says Chocky wants to talk to him too. He goes along with it, not believing at first. Chocky identifies him/herself as a traveler from far away. Matthew, being a child, was picked as a host, because
children are prone to ask questions, and therefore would make a good cover. The purpose of the visit was to instill mathematical understanding of the way the mind could send messages (XXXXX). When Chocky becomes attached to Matthew, he/she is unable to let him drown. By interfering and preventing the natural occurrence of events, Chocky is in danger of exposure. With Matthew's newly acquired skills, and the attention he receives, Chocky has come this last time to say goodbye, and to advise Matthew not to pursue a career in Physics. Instead she encourages him to use what she/he taught him about music, to share the message with others ... Listen to what is around you more closely and new worlds will open up. ( )

Chocky's a fine science fiction tale. In it, a boy named Matthew begins to have conversations with an imaginary friend—who turns out to be more than imaginary. The back cover states that the friend, "was far too intelligent and frightening" to spring from the mind of Matthew alone.

This story pulls you in from the first couple pages. There's an element of potential horror surrounding the plot that makes it compelling. There's a some depth here, too. It's interesting to hear about the family dynamics of Matthew's mother. Wyndham could have made much more use of that side-story.

On the whole, this book ranks just slightly above average. The climax was a bit of a let down for me. Still, I love Wyndham, so it was a pleasant read. If you're not a Wyndham fan, there are other more interesting books to begin with. ( )

This is perhaps the most slender of Wyndham's novels, and certainly one of the least dated. It was a delight to re-read and polished off in one lazy day at my mum's. ( )