Reviews

Cocaine Nights by J.G. Ballard

georgilini's review

4.0

This is a good detective type story - it has a compelling mystery and lots of twists. Lovely commentary on brits who retire abroad.

koranmc's review

1.0

This is the first book by J.G. Ballard I have read, and probably the last. I was suprised by the dire quality of the writing from such a respected author, it's cliched and full of some of the clumsiest similes I have ever read. The characters are one dimensional and unbelievable and the dystopian 'leisure-world' depicted and indeed the whole premise of the novel are a stretch. Its been a long while since I've read a book I've found as fundamentally disagreeable as this one.

struwos's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

ant_bateman's review

mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

joshualenzo_'s review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25

dig2deep's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The central conceit felt sort of obvious and like a lesser version of Crash. This is only my third Ballard so maybe that's just his formula. The prose, especially in the opening chapters, is incredibly beautiful. I found it very hard to care about all these rich Brits and whether or not they were doing aerobics classes, so Crawford's "mission" just came off as foolish. Personally, I need more grime in my transgression.

krystofsubr's review

4.0

"I understand...vaguely. What’s the subject of these films?"
"Life in the Residencia. What else? There’s a kind of amnesia at work here - an amnesia of self. People literally forget who they are. The camera lens needs to be their memory."

kingtoad's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

juanupe13's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

1.25

milhe99's review

mysterious slow-paced

3.0