The City of Gold and Lead (2) (The Tripods)

This review will cover the original trilogy. I read these over 40 years ago and reread them recently. I was surprised, from my perspective, how well they have held up and how much I enjoyed reading them again as an adult. They are short in length, but therefore concise, with very little that draws away from the tension of the central conflict. As an aside, the abysmal BBC series adaption is available on Youtube, and did I already say abysmal? This series merits a serious and mature adaptation to film. I am left the rare feeling of wanting more, and note that I have read the prequel as well. It's still satisfying after all of these years.

The second book in this trilogy finds Will, Beanpole and a boy named Fritz embarking on a dangerous journey to participate in a contest being held in a distant town. Basically it's an Olympic type of challenge where the strongest contestants win the dubious honor of serving the Masters inside their domed city.This book is much more grim than the first. The boys are no longer on an adventure to a hazy place in the distance. Their eyes have been opened to the world as it really is and with that knowledge comes the loss of a good deal of childhood. This journey will be more harrowing than the first in many respects.They learn harsh lessons along the way. Such as when they must learn that someone being nice it doesn't necessarily make them a friend. That they must not allow the lure of an easy life turn them aside from their goal. And, perhaps the most dispiriting lesson of all, that all too often people are perfectly willing to stay on the sidelines, believing it's best to fit in and not make waves.One of the things I recognize and appreciate more now is the author's belief in the power inherent in children. The great thing about kids is their ability to think beyond the norm. Since they don't already think they know how things are supposed to work they naturally think outside the box and will keep at it, which leads to action. Their lack of education and experience allows them to believe that anything is possible.Perhaps even bringing about the downfall of their alien overlords.

John Christopher was one of the greats. The Tripod trilogy (later he wrote a prequel) begins with the White Mountains. I would suggest a reading level of about 8th grade with comprehension ability to match. Sometimes kids have trouble with the time it takes for world building. The premise of the trilogy is that humans are begin subjugated by mind control. City of Gold and Lead is the second in the trilogy and takes the reader into one of the cities of the Masters. The third book, Pool of Fire brings the epic battle for freedom on earth to a close.

I enjoyed this, and I think the novel stands well on its own. Although this series is generally considered "juvenile" or "young adult" sci-fi, it has surprising depth and moral ambiguity about it. The heroes have flaws and sometimes do bad things for the right reasons, and other good guys turn out to be not so good at all. There is a sense of peril and forboding throughout, without much humor or levity to balance it out.For whatever reason I was not as taken with this as I was with "White Mountains". Perhaps because I first read "White Mountains" as a young adult, so there was some nostalgia there when I re-read it as an adult. However, that novel also follows the classic motif of three young men on a long journey. This novel is something different. It has a bit of the "on the road" aspect at the beginning, but that's a minor part. The bulk of this book is set in the Masters' city. Will is much more passive in this outing, and doesn't have much choice but to persist while events unfold around him - as such there is less action. I also found "The Games" to be kind of a strange setup for the main plot of the story.The depiction of the Masters and their city and lifestyle is quite imaginative - well, downright weird actually - and also complex with their own quirks and their own moral ambiguity. Much different than what I had expected.Overall this was a good read, and I look forward to reading the conclusion.

I recently reread The City of Gold and Lead and enjoyed it just as much as I did when I was a middle schooler in the late 1960's. I am writing a book that incorporates events from the 1960's and 1970's, so was prompted to read many of the books that I was reading at that time. John Christopher, the author of the Tripod series of books, skillfully creates a world of repression where aliens have ruled the earth for over 100 years. In The City of Gold and Lead, the reader is shown what life is like within the alien bases here on earth, for both the aliens and their human slaves. Start by reading The White Mountains, proceed to The City of Gold and Lead, then read Pool of Fire. imaginative and thought provoking, the series will please science fiction lovers from middle school/young adult to adult. A fun summer reading diversion.

This story had some nice touches. The boy hero of the first book (this is the second of the series) sneaks with another into the city of the Tripods. Mysteries are revealed and adventures are had. But I had two problems with it. First, it's slow. Journeys are described in detail and the buildings and food are also explained carefully. These stretches really slow tue story down. An author once said that good stories are life with the boring parts taken out. He forgot to take out a few boring parts in this book.The other issue was that I didn't admire or respect the main character. His laziness and selfishness aren't countered with any special redeeming features. Worst of all, a passive lead character makes for a passive story.The underlying ideas make it good. The slow execution keeps it from being great.

REading the set to grandchildren and we are having a marvelous time.

The story line was not what I expected. But very effective. It made me eager to read the continuing saga of the tripods and master's.

School recommended this book.My son really enjoyed the story.