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A review by lalawoman416
High-Rise by J.G. Ballard
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.