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Aurora Ariel
02-18-2006, 10:32 PM
EMPIRE OF THE SUN- Have you read any work by the contemporary writer JG Ballard?

This is one of the most amazingly powerful books I have read recently, and I completely agree that should definitely be included as one of the best British novels ever written about war. Has anyone else happened to read Empire of The Sun by JG Ballard? It was first published to critical acclaim in 1984, and won the Guardian Fiction Prize, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. I found it to be a remarkable read, and immensely engrossing. I think it has become my favourite novel about World War II. It's so stunningly written, and remains mesmerising right up until the final page. I think it's deservedly heralded as Ballard's greatest work thus far. It was also made into a film, directed by Steven Spielberg, which first came out in 1987, and starred Christian Bale as Jim (Jamie), and John Malkovich (Basie), among others. But I personally think the book is far more superior and vividly chilling in it's depiction of Jim's experiences. It's totally gripping, especially as it is fuses extraordinary autobiographical accounts of the writer, who was born in Shanghai in 1930, and spent four years in the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center. It's one of the books I have read this year, which I would highly recommend to others.

Virgil
02-18-2006, 11:56 PM
I have not, but I have heard that it is a good novel and that Ballard is a good writer. I have never read anything by him, so I'm not talking from experience. I've caught parts of the movie on several different occiasions when I TV but I've never seen the whole thing through. It seemed a little long and slow moving.

Theshizznigg
03-27-2006, 03:39 PM
I actually wanted to read that book, and see the film.
The Japanese occupation of China and Shanghai fascinates me.

ClaesGefvenberg
03-27-2006, 04:47 PM
EMPIRE OF THE SUN- Have you read any work by the contemporary writer JG Ballard?I have read Empire of the sun, some 20 years ago, and I agree that it is very good. In fact I think you just pushed me into rereading it - thanks. :D The film is not half bad either, but I agree that the book (as usual) is better.

/Claes

chmpman
03-27-2006, 04:52 PM
I've seen the movie, and wasn't actually aware at the time that it was based on a book. After your post, I'll have to read the book though. I thought the movie was quite good, although the beginning is a bit slow.

Xamonas Chegwe
03-27-2006, 05:08 PM
I have read lots of Ballard's books. I can particularly recommend "Concrete Island", "High Rise", "The Drowned World" and "Crash" (which is nothing to do with the recently Oscar-nominated film, but was filmed by David Cronenberg in the 90s).

Also worth a look is the short-story collection, "Vermillion Sands" - a collection of tales about an incredibly eccentric group of characters in a desert resort. Brilliantly inventive and hauntingly disturbing.

sjobson2000
03-28-2006, 02:35 PM
I agree, brilliant book. I would like to see the film but I don't think that there is a DVD version that works in the UK region!? I have read Millenium People, which was ok. Crash is supposed to be one of his best books; it's on my to read list.