hikari1993's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ronan_palmer's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What starts as a story about people in an extreme environment, moves to the environment inside the people, mediated through the interior journey of the main character, the strangely named Ransom
steeevie's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
martrj's review against another edition
4.0
Another vividly described depiction of the end of the world and the psychological unravelling of the handful of survivors.
stiricide's review against another edition
1.0
DNF p. 100. I'm sorry, Ballard, I really wanted to like this, but it's too much about boats for a book not actually about boats, and I have no idea what's going on.
brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mwx1010's review against another edition
3.0
The second (or third if you include The Wind From Nowhere) of Ballard’s disaster novels.
I’ve always thought this was a transitionary work. It has the imagery of The Drowned World but the plot is somewhat slighter and - as is often the case with Ballard - the characters are ciphers. This has a fairly clumsy overlay of The Tempest but it does feel like a retread of his previous work. I tend to look at this as Ballard practicing his craft building up to the urban collapse novels of the 1970s.
I’ve always thought this was a transitionary work. It has the imagery of The Drowned World but the plot is somewhat slighter and - as is often the case with Ballard - the characters are ciphers. This has a fairly clumsy overlay of The Tempest but it does feel like a retread of his previous work. I tend to look at this as Ballard practicing his craft building up to the urban collapse novels of the 1970s.
paulopaperbooksonly's review against another edition
3.0
The Drought by J G Ballard was another book that I didn't enjoy. I don't undestant all the nice things everyone says about this book. It his not that good but I am not a literary critic so I might be wrong. I have the other two books in this (could be) trilogy of disasters. Maybe one day I will adventure there. 5/10
carmelitasays's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0