- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Noonday Press (1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0374524130
- ISBN-13: 978-0374524135
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 249 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,310,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
SOON after three o'clock on the afternoon of April 22nd 1973, a 35-year-old architect named Robert Maitland was driving down the high-speed exit lane of the West-way interchange in central London. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
SOON after three o'clock on the afternoon of April 22nd 1973, a 35-year-old architect named Robert Maitland was driving down the high-speed exit lane of the West-way interchange in central London. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
amazing allegory,
By writer and music junkie "stellarchik79" (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Concrete Island: A Novel (Paperback)
This book, like a lot of J.G. Ballard's work, cannot be enjoyed by everyone. It lacks the shock value of "Crash" and the intrigue of "The Atrocity Exhibition". I found it, however, to be an enjoyable read in the event that I was prepared to sit down and read this deep piece of litereature. This novel is one big allegory so when you read it you have to keep in mind that it isn't a narrative novel meant for entertainment purposes; it is intended to make a statement, as with most if not all of Ballard's work. I gave it 4 stars based on its allegorical content and how well-written it is rather than how much I enjoyed the book. Ballard fans will certainly enjoy it, but if you are looking for a fluffy, light entertaining read, this is not the book for you.
2.0 out of 5 stars
The longest road...,
This review is from: Concrete Island: A Novel (Paperback)
To be fair, I had high expectations for Concrete Island. I fell in love with the idea (an urban Robinson Crusoe) long before I got a hold of a copy of the book for myself. That's rarely a good place to start.The allegory is too insistent, and instead of letting the reader discover it on their own, it's constantly re-iterated like a dull kick to the temple. The dialogues feel forced and obvious, and the characters consistently over-explain themselves. The one thing that Ballard does seem to get right is his lucid, often beautiful descriptions of his physical landscapes. It's a shame that understanding doesn't extend to the behaviour and nature of his characters. Concrete Island feels too much like a book written by an architect: the structure is well explained (if excessively), with plenty of time spent on the details. Unfortunately, I don't like reading blueprints.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A classic, yes, but with reservations...,
By
This review is from: Concrete Island (Paperback)
Ballard's companion novel to "Crash" is slightly more accessible but offers an equally outrageous concept: an affluent young architect crashes his Jaguar onto a traffic island at the Westway interchange and becomes an urban Robin Crusoe beneath a trio of converging overpasses. Subsiding on water from his radiator, a case of wine in his trunk, and food dumped to the curb from passing cars, days pass as he unsuccessfully tries to scale the embankment to flag down a passing vehicle, and eventually slips into dementia and paranoia. Unfortunately, Ballard can't contain the hook for long, and introduces two additional island denizens in the second half who keep the lead hostage ala "Misery" until he plays them against each other. The drama bogs down in some rather on-the-nose speechifying about the class system and psychobabble that betrays the author's more spartan and unnerving setup. Still, an engrossing, efficient, and original read as only Ballard could concoct...
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