- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Flamingo; New edition edition (6 Jan 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006548210
- ISBN-13: 978-0006548218
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
91,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #65 in Books > Fiction > Poetry & Drama > Essays, Journals & Letters > 20th Century
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Review
Few writers can write with equal facility about Elvis Presley, Norwegian lobsters and Deng Xiaoping. Ballard does so with great flair and energy in this fabulously diverse collection. It crackles with a mandarin diversity of interests, from Winnie-the-Pooh to General Schwarzkopf. As we get closer to the year 2000, Ballard offers an exhilarating account of 20th century mayhem. Ian Thomson, Independent on Sunday Ballard's prescience about technological development seems mostrously acute. Like H. G. Wells talking to an audience of the 1900s, he gives an impression not only knowing what the future will be like, but of actually relishing its arrival. As well as the prescience and the clear autobiographer's eye, we should also value J. G. Ballard for his sense of humour. D J. Taylor, Independent In a shrinking world increasingly bereft of original imaginations, J. G. Ballard stands alone, a bizarre visionary maverick. Cinema, surrealist painting, crime, the future, madness, sf and China - these a Ballard's specialist subjects. Best of all in this eccentric, relaxed, always readable collection are his laconic wartime memories, the treasure house he kept locked for forty years. Eileen Battersby, Irish times. For the reader, pleasure derives largely from coming on the unexpected on every other page, and from randomly discovering new insights into familiar topics, or introductions to unfamiliar ones. Ballard's cool sardonic gaze, eyeing the absurdities of the late twentieth century through the distancing science-fictional viewfinder, renders tragedy almost amusing. Times Literary Supplement
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
‘Few writers can write with equal facility about Elvis Presley, Norwegian lobsters and Deng Xiaoping. Ballard does so with great flair and energy in this fabulously diverse collection. It crackles with a mandarin diversity of interests, from Winnie-the-Pooh to General Schwarzkopf. As we get closer to the year 2000, Ballard offers an exhilarating account of 20th century mayhem’ Ian Thomson, Independent on Sunday
‘Ballard’s prescience about technological development seems mostrously acute. Like H. G. Wells talking to an audience of the 1900s, he gives an impression not only knowing what the future will be like, but of actually relishing its arrival. As well as the prescience and the clear autobiographer’s eye, we should also value J. G. Ballard for his sense of humour’ D J. Taylor, Independent
‘In a shrinking world increasingly bereft of original imaginations, J. G. Ballard stands alone, a bizarre visionary maverick. Cinema, surrealist painting, crime, the future, madness, sf and China - these a Ballard’s specialist subjects. Best of all in this eccentric, relaxed, always readable collection are his laconic wartime memories, the treasure house he kept locked for forty years’ Eileen Battersby, Irish Times.
‘For the reader, pleasure derives largely from coming on the unexpected on every other page, and from randomly discovering new insights into familiar topics, or introductions to unfamiliar ones. Ballard’s cool sardonic gaze, eyeing the absurdities of the late twentieth century through the distancing science-fictional viewfinder, renders tragedy almost amusing’
Times Literary Supplement
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A User's Guide To The Millennium by JG Ballard is a must-read for this interested in the psyche and artistic development of this seminal author. The pieces collected here open little windows into his psyche and artistic methods. He talks about art and surrealism and Elvis and Coca Cola and a million myriad topics, with deep insight and clarity of vision. If you would like to learn more about his influences, this is the book for you. Go ahead. It's definitely user-friendly.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the previous review states, this works as a great, user friendly introduction to the world of J.G. Ballard. The pieces are short (most of them only two to three pages) and cover a myriad of issues (including a review of Mein Kampf) he also writes about in his works of fiction. If you want to know where he got his ideas or what what he found troubling enough to tackle with, this is the place to start. I suppose this volume might be of interest even to those who are not familiar with Ballard's work but like to read penetrating insights of our postmodern culture. Highly recommended.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A big fan of J G Ballard's short stories, I have also read many of his essays and articles printed in magazines (in particular, New Worlds) over the years. All of them are worth reading, whether his thoughts about a film or book or SF and other media.
Not sure if all his essays are included - couldn't find any information about that.
Not sure if all his essays are included - couldn't find any information about that.
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