Reviews

Millennium People by J.G. Ballard

mayhap's review

2.0

A weirdly compelling mess. I couldn't stop turning the pages even as it became increasingly clear that the book was lurching towards a simplistic and banal nihilism.

An advanced reading copy was kindly provided by W. W. Norton as a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.

raymond_murphy's review

1.0

wow. i really haven't disliked a book this much in so long. Millennium People was intensely cynical. There is nothing wrong with cynicism if it communicates an underlying truth. But there was just something really off about Ballard's treatment of the middle-class and their problems. It was either completely out of touch or overly sympathetic.

admorobo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kinosthesia's review against another edition

5.0

Once again J. G Ballard writes about a gated community though this time its closer to home than those of 'Super Cannes' and 'Cocaine Nights'. The idea that the middle classes can rebel is delicioulsy dangerous, the idea of throwing off the shackles of obligations and destroying culture in a bid to change the system. Meaningless violence, a country on edge from the random attacks - prophetic in 2003 when the book was written. The characters are believeable in their weaknesses and the way the system can protect its own as well as reject it.

ionm's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

J. G. Ballard is too often celebrated for how easily he pulls off a vision of a dystopian world that his fans will instantly praise a novel if they recognise the style and themselves in it. Yet, in spite of how appealing is to applaud "Millennium People", this is a failure with dangerous consequences, if taken seriously. In his attempt to develop a revolution of the London middle classes, he manages not only to create further pointless anarchy and distrust in politics (that led to similar vacuous revolutions as Brexit), but also he manages to create a novel with characters for whom none of us would ever be compelled to care for. A perfect example of how many intellectuals on the Left through critical acts have only helped the rise of the Right in the new millennium!

scytale's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

greyfromwork's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

clergyman domestic terrorist (because he was reading a book on psychology of religion) turned parish priest in tasmania was my favorite character.

librarimans's review against another edition

As interested as I was in the premise of this book (uprising of the middle class in England) I just could not get into it. I'm sure Ballard is a fine writer but he could not hold my interest at all and I think I only last about 60 pages of this book before throwing in the towel

rocketiza's review against another edition

4.0

This book has just become more relevant over time.

breadandmushrooms's review against another edition

dark medium-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? It's complicated

3.0