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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I nearly gave up on this. Several times. But I have a tendancy to persevere. Early doors I hated Maitland. I mean, I know we're hardly supposed to admired or like him, but my feelings towards him made it hard to become invested in the story.
That said, I am glad I carried on. Hang on, maybe 'glad' is the wrong word. The further I read, the further I was compelled by my own correct intuition that Maitland was a despicable character. But I guess the thing I meant to take away is how easy it is for us to be corrupted into atrocious behaviour when our back is against the wall. A cold, hard, mean world will produce just that? Meh, I probably needed something lighter and more nuanced in this particular moment of my life. I reckon if I had read this in my early twenties I would have lapped it up.
That said, I am glad I carried on. Hang on, maybe 'glad' is the wrong word. The further I read, the further I was compelled by my own correct intuition that Maitland was a despicable character. But I guess the thing I meant to take away is how easy it is for us to be corrupted into atrocious behaviour when our back is against the wall. A cold, hard, mean world will produce just that? Meh, I probably needed something lighter and more nuanced in this particular moment of my life. I reckon if I had read this in my early twenties I would have lapped it up.
Not Ballard's best. But a quick read. However, it just seemed to linger and never progress.
Bleak, like a ground-level version of Hi-Rise. It is self consciously an update of Robinson Crusoe - the unlikeable main character, Robert Maitland, even makes the comparison himself. Like Robinson Crusoe, there is an allergy of colonialism and slavery at play here, as Maitland starts to try to dominate the damaged pair that make their home among the abandoned cellars and bomb shelters, which lend a post-apocalyptic flavour to the motorway island.
The cars and coaches that speed past speaks to the disconnecting nature of people in vehicles, carrying their own private world with them, and the themes of people's disconnection from family and human relationships that play a big part in a lot of Ballard's work are very apparent here.
The cars and coaches that speed past speaks to the disconnecting nature of people in vehicles, carrying their own private world with them, and the themes of people's disconnection from family and human relationships that play a big part in a lot of Ballard's work are very apparent here.
dark
reflective
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Concrete Island is an interesting, post-modern spin on Robinson Crusoe, but was a bit too dry for my taste.
The concept was promising, the execution lacking. You're not going to get more detail from me--I'm not the Sunday Times.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced