A review by tenmillionhardbacks
The Kindness of Women by J.G. Ballard

1.0

So hit and miss, this one. Loved it in parts, but by the end I just thought it was a bit ridiculous. J. G. Ballard only has to meet a woman for her to want to sleep with him, even if it happens 40 years after that first meeting. His wife gives him permission to cheat with the living incarnation of the Swinging Sixties before promptly dying and allowing him to pursue the affair relatively guilt free. And for all the Kindness of the Women, he doesn't have it in him to reciprocate, displaying their facelifts, scars and even their piles for all to see.
Really good when showing the inspirations that fed into his work, it is difficult to see this book as a sequel to Empire of the Sun, since it covers similar ground while dismantling some of that book's more powerful scenes. Definitely puts the semi in semi-autobiographical.