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Concrete Island (Hardcover)

by J.G. Ballard (Author) "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..." (more)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd (April 18 1974)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0224009702
ISBN-13: 978-0224009706

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Review

"Visionary of both style and substance . . . the literary equivalent of Salvador Dali or Max Ernst."--"The Washington Post Book World"
"Ballard's novels are complex, obsessive, frequently poetic, and always disquieting chronicles of nature rebelling against humans, of the survival of barbarism in a world of mechanical efficiency, of ethropy, anomie, breakdown, ruin . . . The blasted landscapes that his characters inhabit are both external settings and states of mind."--Luc Sante" "

Product Description

On a day in April, just after three o'clock in the afternoon, Robert Maitland's car crashes over the concrete parapet of a high-speed highway onto the island below, where he is injured and, finally, trapped. What begins as an almost ludicrous predicament in Concrete Island soon turns into horror as Maitland-a wickedly modern Robinson Crusoe-realizes that, despite evidence of other inhabitants, this doomed terrain has become a mirror of his own mind. Seeking the dark outer rim of the everyday, Ballard weaves private catastrophe into an intensely specular allegory. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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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

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars amazing allegory, Jun 10 2004

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.

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3.0 out of 5 stars A classic, yes, but with reservations..., Jun 2 2009

By	Robert J. Lewis (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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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5.0 out of 5 stars Ballard is a genius, Jan 23 2004

By	Krista Barry (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concrete Island: A Novel (Paperback)

My first Ballard novel. I'm hooked. Brilliant reading. For young and old alike. "Ballard's novels are complex, obsessive, frequently poetic, and always disquieting chronicles of nature rebelling against humans, of the survival of barbarism in a world of mechanical efficiency, of ethropy, anomie, breakdown, ruin . . . The blasted landscapes that his characters inhabit are both external settings and states of mind."-Luc Sante -Fantastic!
I could not have said it better myself.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Truly unforgettable, unique, surreal story.
I found this by chance at the library MANY years ago. I never forgot it. Nor did I forget the title, so I looked it up again and it had the same impact the second time as the... Read more

Published on Nov 4 2002 by requin