REVIEW: The Death of Grass by John Christopher

The Death of Grass by John Christopher
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics (originally published 1956)
ISBN-10: 0141190175
ISBN-13: 978-0141190174
Copy: Bought online
Reviewer: Cara

On the back of the book:
At first the virus wiping out grass and crops is of little concern to John Custance. It has decimated Asia, causing mass starvation and riots, but Europe is safe and a counter-virus is expected any day. Except, it turns out, the governments have been lying to their people. When the deadly disease hits Britain they are left alone, and society starts to descend into barbarism. As John and his family try to make it across country to the safety of his brother’s farm in a hidden valley, their humanity is tested to its very limits.

A chilling psychological thriller and one of the greatest post-apocalyptic novels ever written, The Death of Grass shows people struggling to hold on to their identities as the familiar world disintegrates – and the terrible price they must pay for surviving.

“Agricultural grasses grown for their edible seeds are called cereals. Three cereals– rice, wheat, and maize (corn)– provide more than half of all calories eaten by humans. Of all crops, 70% are grasses. Cereals constitute the major source of carbohydrate for humans and perhaps the major source of protein, and include rice in southern and eastern Asia, maize in Central and South America, and wheat and barley in Europe, northern Asia and the Americas.” [Source: Wikipedia]

Although originally published in 1956, The Death of Grass is a warning to the human race of meddling with nature. The Chung-Li virus that first appears in China is highly aggressive and uncontrollable. It quickly mutates and spreads worldwide, killing all species of grass, causing famine and social unrest in its path. John Christopher makes the point that years of over-production, the trend for mono-culture and excessive use of pesticides contributes to the success and resilience of the virus. Without grass, meat production is doomed, as there is nothing to feed the livestock. Attempts to eradicate the virus have failed, millions are facing starvation because little provision has been made to force farmers to produce alternative food crops such as potatoes, and the UK government are making plans to drop atomic bombs on the main centres of population…

This is the background to The Death of Grass which focuses on John Custance and his family, following them as they flee London, heading for the safe haven of John’s brother’s farm in Westmoreland (now known as Cumbria). Custance is a mild-mannered engineer, living a nice middle class life in London with his wife and two children. With their close friends, Roger and Olivia Buckley and son Steve, they plan to escape London once Roger hears that the plans to bomb the cities are imminent through his work as a civil servant. The group attempts to drive north, but road blocks have already been set up to prevent anyone leaving London. Realising they need to be resourceful, Roger takes John to a gun shop where they agree to take the owner, Mr Pirrie and his wife with them in exchange for guns and ammunition.

As the group travels north, it becomes clear that society is breaking down and survival at all costs is the order of the day. A strong theme is that of how people react to the destruction of the familiar world around them; The Death of Grass deals with this by showing how an average Englishman becomes an aggressive leader of a motley band of survivors. At one stage, John’s wife and daughter are abducted and brutally raped. This is a turning point in the development of John’s character, where he accepts that killing is a necessary evil in this struggle for survival. Bearing in mind that this book is set in the mid 1950’s, only a decade after the end of the Second World War, the adult mindset is more accepting of violence, having lived and fought in the conflict.

While very dated in terms of the technology and culture of 1950’s England, The Death of Grass is justifiably a classic post-apocalyptic novel. How society quickly breaks down under the stress of an environmental disaster is chillingly portrayed and felt very realistic to me reading in 2010. John Christopher uses his characters to great effect, showing how they each deal with their changed circumstances. Some, like John Custance rise to the challenge and grow into their new roles, whereas others, like Roger, began the novel as strong characters but soon acquiesce to John’s leadership and fade in significance as the book progresses. Pirrie, on the other hand, is ruthless and amoral. While he does not challenge John’s leadership, it is clear that he could do so if he chooses. Pirrie is interesting because of his brutal and decisive nature, yet this is also the cause of his downfall. Women do not feature prominently and remain secondary characters throughout. I felt this reflected the social mores of the time, when women were predominantly homemakers, deferring to the men and having little influence outside of the home and family. With that social structure gone, their place in the new world in not yet clear.

The Death of Grass was written at a time when World War II was still prominent in people’s memories and the threat of the Cold War emerging. Post-apocalyptic novels were relatively common in the science fiction world; John Wyndham (The Day of the Triffids), Neville Shute (On the Beach) and George Stewart (Earth Abides) were all writing during this period. With a nuclear holocaust being a very real prospect, it is no wonder that this sub-genre was popular with writers and readers alike. John Christopher shows the dark side of survival, where everyone is looking out for themselves and altruism is a luxury few can afford. The Death of Grass is not a comfortable read, being quite brutal in places. However it is an excellent period piece and shows us that, when our familiar world falls apart, the basic human instinct for survival brings out both the best and the worst in all of us. It is also a very relevant book for today, warning us of the power of nature and of humanity’s total dependence on the Earth’s resources.

Plot: 8
Characters: 7
Style: 7

Rating 7/10