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lalawoman416's review against another edition
5.0
"Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr. Robert Laing reflected on the usual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months." - JG Ballard, High Rise
So Pride and Prejudice this is not, but this book has one of the best opening lines of all time. Believe me when I say that neither Jerry Brown nor Eric Garcetti have read this book. If they had read it, they would not push an agenda of mixed use high rise residency living.
This is a horror story. I've seen it described as a dystopian novel - but it's not. Not really. I mean, it happens in the not so distant future - five minutes in the future. Nothing really happens to put the world in crisis. The only thing that "happens" is that people live in a mixed use high rise and lose all need to leave their quickly devolving utopia. The building itself is the central character exerting its influence on all the other characters. Marginally, it's about the narrator, Dr. Laing, or filmmaker, Richard Wilder, or Anthony Royal, architect of this monstrosity. But at it's core, it's about the building.
And it's lovely. The abandonment of outside life, the breakdown of social constructs, and the escalation of violence (particularly against women and animals). It's the devolution of mankind and really a statement that, even in a high rise comprised entirely of the rich and middle class, we still become tribal and find striations in whatever society we find ourselves in.
So Pride and Prejudice this is not, but this book has one of the best opening lines of all time. Believe me when I say that neither Jerry Brown nor Eric Garcetti have read this book. If they had read it, they would not push an agenda of mixed use high rise residency living.
This is a horror story. I've seen it described as a dystopian novel - but it's not. Not really. I mean, it happens in the not so distant future - five minutes in the future. Nothing really happens to put the world in crisis. The only thing that "happens" is that people live in a mixed use high rise and lose all need to leave their quickly devolving utopia. The building itself is the central character exerting its influence on all the other characters. Marginally, it's about the narrator, Dr. Laing, or filmmaker, Richard Wilder, or Anthony Royal, architect of this monstrosity. But at it's core, it's about the building.
And it's lovely. The abandonment of outside life, the breakdown of social constructs, and the escalation of violence (particularly against women and animals). It's the devolution of mankind and really a statement that, even in a high rise comprised entirely of the rich and middle class, we still become tribal and find striations in whatever society we find ourselves in.
katiescho741's review against another edition
1.0
It says something about a book when I know there’s debauchery, anarchy and mayhem in it but I still can’t be bothered to get passed chapter 3!
The writing is so shallow that I don’t care about anyone. I’m sure it’s a great post modern social satire or whatever but I thought it was bloody boring.
Such a shame because I’d heard good things about this one.
The writing is so shallow that I don’t care about anyone. I’m sure it’s a great post modern social satire or whatever but I thought it was bloody boring.
Such a shame because I’d heard good things about this one.
amyamac's review against another edition
2.0
The premise of this book doesn’t quite work.
The high rise is meant to influence the behaviours of the occupants: to drive them towards brutality and debauchery. It’s true that corrupt cultures can influence people to behave negatively - there’s been a few case studies in prisons for instance - but I wasn’t convinced by the analysis that Ballard voices through his characters in response to their moral decline.
For this reason, the book ended up being about little more than a group of people - especially the men - behaving incredibly badly for apparently very little reason. To make the violence at all compelling there needs to be a stronger context and the writer needs to convey the characters’ motives in a subtler way than paragraphs of justification.
Also, I was frustrated by the passivity of the female characters. Not much seemed to distinguish them from one another.
The high rise is meant to influence the behaviours of the occupants: to drive them towards brutality and debauchery. It’s true that corrupt cultures can influence people to behave negatively - there’s been a few case studies in prisons for instance - but I wasn’t convinced by the analysis that Ballard voices through his characters in response to their moral decline.
For this reason, the book ended up being about little more than a group of people - especially the men - behaving incredibly badly for apparently very little reason. To make the violence at all compelling there needs to be a stronger context and the writer needs to convey the characters’ motives in a subtler way than paragraphs of justification.
Also, I was frustrated by the passivity of the female characters. Not much seemed to distinguish them from one another.
mcleary's review against another edition
3.0
Wow. Things get completely out of control pretty damn quickly.
noonday's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
yelisiei's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book. It’s dark, violent. It reminds me “Lord of the flies” and “The Death of Grass”. The prose is beautiful. Ballard’s style of writing is gorgeous and unique.
But I can’t. It was a hard read for me.
I do not rate a book. I rate my enjoyment of reading the book. So perhaps the book is great. But was it a fun read? Not for me.
But I can’t. It was a hard read for me.
I do not rate a book. I rate my enjoyment of reading the book. So perhaps the book is great. But was it a fun read? Not for me.
rickwren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is a dark commentary on humanity in the microcosm of a single high-rise building turned into a lawless scramble for dominance.
nastjarchive's review against another edition
2.0
this (really bad) novel set in a luxurious residential tower in that descends into chaos and anarchy. the story follows the residents of the high-rise as they become increasingly detached from the outside world, forming their own social hierarchy and indulging in hedonistic behavior; violence, abuse, rape, cannibalism, incest, exposing the dark underbelly of human nature and the fragility of civilization
so the premise sounded great. but i really could not enjoy this novel… what i noticed right away was that this is a “telling instead of showing“ type of novel and i HATE that. in the first few chapters all the main characters were already aware of the situation in the high rise and where it will lead to. they’re psychoanalyzing themselves and the other residents and the reader gets told instead of shown what the underlying messages and themes of this book are.
besides that, it just wasn’t executed in a way i found tasteful. pity, since i really was looking forward to this.
so the premise sounded great. but i really could not enjoy this novel… what i noticed right away was that this is a “telling instead of showing“ type of novel and i HATE that. in the first few chapters all the main characters were already aware of the situation in the high rise and where it will lead to. they’re psychoanalyzing themselves and the other residents and the reader gets told instead of shown what the underlying messages and themes of this book are.
besides that, it just wasn’t executed in a way i found tasteful. pity, since i really was looking forward to this.
iainiainiainiain's review against another edition
4.0
7
I enjoyed it and it was something I got more into past the half way point. I found most of its takes on society and the fragility of society to be quite surface level and uninteresting. I think his view that society is just one enclosed living space away from becoming a hunter-gatherer, absolute patriarchy to be unrealistic and just quite an oversimplification of late 20th century urban humanity. I did enjoy the book, I just don't think it's ultra intelligent or groundbreaking in any way.
I enjoyed it and it was something I got more into past the half way point. I found most of its takes on society and the fragility of society to be quite surface level and uninteresting. I think his view that society is just one enclosed living space away from becoming a hunter-gatherer, absolute patriarchy to be unrealistic and just quite an oversimplification of late 20th century urban humanity. I did enjoy the book, I just don't think it's ultra intelligent or groundbreaking in any way.