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Empire of the Sun (Charnwood Library)
  
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Empire of the Sun (Charnwood Library) [Large Print] (Hardcover)

by J.G. Ballard (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 528 pages
  • Publisher: Charnwood; Large Print edition edition (July 1985)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0708982700
  • ISBN-13: 978-0708982709
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Product Description

About the Author

* #17 in the Millennium SF Masterworks series, a library of the finest science fiction ever written * 'One of the brightest stars in post-war fiction' -- Kingsley Amis * 'There are those (I am among them) who would back Ballard as Britain's number one living novelist' -- John Sutherland, Sunday Times * 'This novel, with its brilliant descriptions of an inundated London and an ecology reverting to the Triassic, gained Ballard acceptance as a major author' -- Encyclopedia of Science Fiction --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A breathtaking masterpiece, 22 Jan 2004
This review is from: Empire Of The Sun : (Paperback)
Although everything I have read by Ballard is excellent, I would recommend this book as a starting point. The author weaves autobiography with fiction in a compelling way; in some places the novel hints at the dream-like sequences that he has deployed in other works, but the story is firmly grounded in reality. The most apparent theme is that of survival, but I don't think Ballard wrote this with any kind of agenda; perhaps that's what's so refreshing about it.
One of his greatest talents as a writer is finding moments of beauty in what, for lesser writers, would be mires of ugliness. Ballard's voice is thoroughly modern throughout, despite the book's retrospective narrative: you can instantly tell this is the author of 'The Concrete Island' or 'High Rise', despite how remote those novels are from the second world war.
Those who have seen Spielberg's film will be thoroughly shocked: there is little sentimentality here, and the story is quite different in its later stages. Not that the film is a poor adaptation - rather, it's a seperate entity. Always read the book first!
It's wonderful that an author can use his past as a starting point for fiction, rather than being either grounded in it or evading it. It's hard to tell what is fact from what isn't, and surely that's a good thing.
Finally, I must stress that this is a book which not only survives several repeated reads but seems to require it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime, 14 Jun 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Empire Of The Sun : (Paperback)
Put simply- this book is a masterpiece. In contrast to other, more lauded war novels such as "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Slaughterhouse 5", Ballard's effort seems much more soulful and life-like. It is no surprise then that, during the writing of this novel, the author drew heavily on his own childhood experiences of the Second World War. Set in China, "Empire of the Sun" offers a fresh perspective on the Pacific front and conflict in general through the hardships of a young English boy at the hands of his Japanese captors. Despite his problems though, 'Jim' still respects the fearsome Japanese fighters leading to some divided loyalties as the plot progresses. While maybe a little rambling near the middle, the book's beginning and end are strong enough for me to rate it as one of my all time favourites. On the whole I recommend "Empire of the Sun" to anyone with an interest in war literature and anyone with a taste for good British writing.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Justifiably the best book ever written about WW2, 31 Aug 2003
By Mr. Daniel J. C. Lillie "DJCL" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Empire Of The Sun : (Paperback)
To put it simply, Empire of the Sun is my favourite novel of all time. It is a moving, incredibly emotional journey from the safe ground of upper class Shangai, to the uncertain, horrific arena of Lunghua camp and the paddy fields of occupied China. Ballard uses a intense descriptive technique that not only forces the reader to take note of the devious acts of our past, but physically flinch at the prospect that any human being being could be treated in such a neglected, evil way. This novel is not just a semi-autobiographical account of chinese WW2, but a tribute to the great hope and the survival of humanity.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and very vivid writing
A very moving and, in places, quite horribly graphic fictionalised account of the author's childhood privations in an internment camp outside Shanghai. Read more
Published 15 months ago by John Hopper

5.0 out of 5 stars empire of the sun
A shocking but brilliant account of the Pacific War in China and the miseries endured by a young British schoolboy as a prisoner
of the Japanese. Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2004 by robert

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Ok firstly, I found the first five chapters of this book really boring. I was all set to give up reading it because I felt I didn't have the historical knowledge to appreciate the... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2003 by electricveil

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime
One of the best novels of the 20th century. Ballard has written a masterpiece. Great. And the movie's worth watching, too.
Published on 23 Feb 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars the best book i have ever read
This is not only the best war time story ever written, but my personal favourite. It's the best story I'ved ever read and is a must to all 14 years and plus. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2000 by jcalmachiusw@hotmail.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Ballard at his best
Empire of the Sun is arguably the authors best work. The images Ballard creates of a POW camp and and the feeling of displacement throughout the novel brings the reader closer... Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, highly recommend it, great themes.
Empire was a gret book to read. As an 18 year old doing his HSC in Australia, i found it complex in both the area of the themes as well as the plot and setting. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2000

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