Empire of the Sun
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
‘Extraordinary’ Angela Carter
‘One of the great war novels of the 20th century’ William Boyd
‘A remarkable journey’ Sunday Times
The heartrending story of a British boy’s four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War.
Like everything else since the war, the sky was in a state of change
Based on J. G. Ballard’s own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy’s life in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. Trapped in a prison camp and separated from his parents, Jim is witness to the death, starvation and chaos of the Second World War. His story is a mesmerising vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint.
Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and shortlisted for the Booker, Empire of the Sun is an astounding, hypnotically compelling novel by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered, but judged.
‘Gripping and remarkable … I have never read a novel which gave me a stronger sense of the blind helplessness of war … unforgettable’ Observer
‘A brilliant fusion of history, autobiography and imaginative speculation. An incredible literary achievement and almost intolerably moving’ Anthony Burgess
Reviews
‘An extraordinary achievement’ Angela Carter
‘A remarkable journey into the mind of a growing boy … horror and humanity are blended into a unique and unforgettable fiction’ Sunday Times
‘Remarkable … form, content and style fuse with complete success … one of the great war novels of the 20th century’ William Boyd
‘Gripping and remarkable … I have never read a novel which gave me a stronger sense of the blind helplessness of war … unforgettable’ Observer
‘A brilliant fusion of history, autobiography and imaginative speculation. An incredible literary achievement and almost intolerably moving’ Anthony Burgess
About the author
J.G. Ballard was born in 1930 in Shanghai, where his father was a businessman. After internment in a civilian prison camp, he and his family returned to England in 1946. His 1984 bestseller ‘Empire of the Sun’ won the Guardian Fiction Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was later filmed by Steven Spielberg. His controversial novel ‘Crash’ was also made into an equally controversial film by David Cronenberg. His most recent novels include the Sunday Times bestsellers ‘Cocaine Nights’ and ‘Super-Cannes’.
Customer Reviews
Unforgettable book about a young boy's experience during WWII
Gritty and authentic account of a 10 yr. old precocious boy plucked from a privileged life at the twilight of the British Empire and transformed by his years in a prison camp separated from his parents. Very well written. Perfectly captures the time period and provides fascinating insight into the various forms of adaptation required to survive a war as a civilian. The writing has a bit of a dreamlike quality sometimes, stemming from Jamie’s musings about the war and the occupants of the prison camp and requires concentration. The harsh realities are not glossed over at all in this book but there is nothing gratuitous in the descriptions of violence or privation experienced by both sides and is suitable for mature readers as young as 13. Both the book and the film are well worth your time, but be advised the film is based on the book and the novel’s narrative is different. You will be completely immersed in the story.