Reviews

Concrete Island by J.G. Ballard

clismo's review against another edition

4.0

erbarmelijke vertaling van B. ter Laat
geef mij Dan Nooit maar

noonday's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I read too many great books in a row so I picked up this unread Ballard book from my shelf, knowing it would irritate me. It has the usual Ballard unlikeable characters whose interchangeable ratlike personalities take a backseat to the story concept, but Concrete Island at least benefits from being extremely short and not having a few odd phrases/words repeated throughtout. 

I couldn't help but keep comparing it to Crash and High Rise. Concrete Island isn't as good as the former, it isn't as fucking terrible as the latter, and it isn't as memorable as either.

isloe's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Sexual harassment

hk255's review against another edition

adventurous relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed reading this. I struggled a bit with imagining the setting, though.

sydneyaurora21's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

biscuitcrux's review against another edition

3.0

The premise played out better in my mind than it did in this book. Ultimately it was kind of tedious.

jonfaith's review against another edition

4.0

A haunting tale, throbbing in its urban insecurity, matters of quotidian angst reach crisis. Each daytrader becomes a Crusoe. It is imperative that the reader control its breathing. Once the cast expanded, about half way through, the tension dropped considerably and a different game was unleashed, different and not near as compelling. This becomes a dialogue about conformity, productivity. Matters become controlled when steered by a bank account. I still enjoyed Concrete Island immensely.

balconyfalconry's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

5.0

As with most Ballard I've read, a vicious barb wrapped in the chrome of a fantastic idea, which provides a platform for the author to slyly work at methodologies of pain, pleasure, power.  A Freudian field day, with enough of a scaffolding to work as a pulpy thriller of the variety published in men's adventure magazines.

nrjohnson's review against another edition

4.0

“Gazing up at the maze of concrete causeways illuminated in the night air, he realized how much he loathed all these drivers and their vehicles.”

bibliokat24's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5