Reviews with content warning for Classism - High-Rise

Not sure what I was expecting going into this one but it was extremely transportive and I'm happy to have read it in a couple of sittings. We observe life in a High Rise through 3 different male perspectives. Each narrator is of a different class and corresponding level within the High Rise. The lower class/level narrator is Wilder, Middle Class Laing and the Upper Class Royal (who also is the architect of our tower). I enjoyed how suggestive their names were and their perspectives were all rather unique, though became very similar towards the end of the novel as the High Rise's decline grew more stark. None of these characters are likeable, though I think Laing's viewpoint was the most palatable? I'm being very generous using that word because even his view is horrifying, but what I mean is that he makes some astute observations that perhaps those in the polar ends of the class system are unable to see so markedly...
Ballard does a great job of making the High Rise seem both labyrinthine and vast, while also suffocating and claustrophobic. The wonders of the Tower's facilities quickly descend into settings for gore and great misfortune. The tension Ballard builds is so tangible and visceral I was feeling the need to look over my own shoulder! A lot of reviews rightly draw comparison between High Rise and Lord of The Flies, and it definitely resembles the old classic, but dare I say its modern tower block stage made its subconscious commentary on the regression of civilisation and society much more poignant. At the end of my copy there is a brief interview with Ballard and he explains how due to his previous life experiences, he is very much aware that our everyday lives and human comforts can be 'dismantled overnight'.
My only qualms with this novel were its female characters...I would have enjoyed a female perspective, rather than seeing them largely as victims and servants. Perhaps this is a commentary in its own way but it did get tedious. Lastly, it got a bit repetitive at times, towards the halfway and 2/3 mark it seemed to need to find its footing again but this didn't grate on me too much.
Overall I'm excited to hear of other people's experience with this novel and look forward to reading more Ballard...just hopefully with a more diverse cast list.

Content Warnings

bookbelle5_17's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Review of High Rise

By: J.G. Ballard

Robert Laing, a professor of medicine seeks solace after his divorce in this infamous high-rise built by architect, Anthony Royal, but finds himself getting lost in the madness as things start to go horribly wrong in the High-Rise. Richard Wilder is a documentary filmmaker determine to ascend to the top of the high rise and expose its gritty underbelly. Anthony Royal, the architect of the building, studies the residents and how they respond to the building’s malfunctions as if they were animals in a zoo.

This is a bizarre and dark story about humans giving into their more savage and primitive natures. The characters are metaphorically trapped in this high-rise and even when there is an opportunity to go out into the real world, they make excuses not to. The first main character we’re introduced to, Robert Laing refuses to see the reality around him and even when there is no electricity, and he can’t use the water he doesn’t care. His odor represents the wild nature of the high-rise and he’s pleased with it. It’s as if he’s in a drugged state of mind. Richard Wilder, notices Laing has distanced himself and he observes, “Or was there some other impulse at work—a need to shut away, most of all from oneself, any realization of what was actually happening in the high-rise, so that events there could follow their own logic and get even more out of hang?” Laing when watching people from his balcony leaving for work, finds the “civilized behavior” as “unsettling”. Behavior we see as routine and normal is weird and unnatural to him. Richard Wilder, on the other hand, has become more savage and giving into his more primitive nature. Like the other residents, who are determined to protect their floor as if it’s territory, he will kill anyone perceived as a threat. He doesn’t even see that he needs to get his wife and sons out of high-rise as they’re suffering. He stops caring about them seeing them as a nuisance to his desire to climb the ladder of the high-rise. Anthony Royal is the most interesting of the characters as he watches over the residents, fascinated by them. He’s a scientist exploring humanity at its worst. Some of his thoughts are “The five years of his marriage to Anne had given him a new set of prejudices. Reluctantly, he knew that he despised his fellow residents for the way in which they fitted so willingly into their appointed slots in the apartment building, for their over-developed sense of responsibility, and lack of flamboyance.” He sees himself as superior to the other residents and like Robert Laing craves to be by himself. He also resents the people in the high-rise, “In a sense, the vanguard of a well-to-do and well-educated proletariat of the future, boxed up in these expensive apartments with their elegant furniture and intelligent sensibilities, and no possibility of escape”. When we get to his point of view, he and his wife are packing to leave, but even his wife, Anne, knows Royal can’t bring himself to leave. This shows a group of humans losing themselves in their more primitive pleasures and living in the bubble where reality ceases to exist. The only reality is the high-rise. This reminds me of The Circle by David Eggers. Both stories explore getting trapped in your own fantasy reality and not seeing your identity disappear. It’s basically a cult using pleasure to lure you in. Ballard writes beautifully how savage humans can be and how unhealthy it is to isolate yourself from reality. It is disturbing to read, and some parts made me sick, but it’s a brilliant examination of human nature.

Content Warnings

yossy_cookie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.0

I'm not really sure what I just read or if I enjoyed it. This book is incredibly clever and well written, it describes the residents of a new luxury tower block and the "high rise" was an allegory for society in general. Like "Lord Of The Flies", it describes the descent of humans that are confined in an artificial society.

This felt like the kind of book that needs to be studied. I think you could study every page of this book and draw conclusions about everything - the choice of words, the imagery... Even from the main characters being called Wilder (who lives on the lower levels) and Royal (who lives on the top) - I think there is so much you could explore within this book if you wanted to.

There were a lot of parts of this book I didn't enjoy though and often found it heavy going. Some of it is quite disturbing. One relief is that the book itself is quite short.

It's a book I respect, and I think it achieved what the author wanted it to achieve, but I don't think that I would say I particularly enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a light read though.

Content Warnings

lars702's review

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challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

mariska17's review

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challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

3.75

Content Warnings

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