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A review by suprconman99
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Part pulpy, action-packed thrill ride, part critical satire of totalitarian systems and the moronic, self-sabotaging ways in which they operate, and part parody of angsty teen melodrama — all shot through with gruesome violence and the horror of children being forced to kill each other. Basically a more effective Hunger Games, before the latter was a thing.
Some things, such as the generally misogynist and homophobic attitudes of even the “good” characters, have not aged particularly well. Whether these were intentional commentary on conservative Japanese culture or an attempt to realistically inhabit the mind of a teenage Japanese boy in the mid-to-late ‘90s, or a reflection of the author’s own unexamined biases, I don’t know. I doubt it’s the latter, though, as the author seems like a self-aware, reflective, and thoughtful enough fellow in the afterword of the ‘09 translation I read. Also, I just generally try to be charitable and extend the benefit of the doubt where possible. The characterization is also pretty shallow for the most part, although to be fair we’re dealing with a roster of like 40 characters.
All in all, this book mostly lived up to the hype by the end (aided in part by virtue of its stronger-than-expected closing chapters, beginning with the final chase/fight sequence on the island). I’d recommend to anyone looking for some thrilling genre fiction. It’s a big ol’ tome but the pacing will have the pages flying by once the action gets going.
Some things, such as the generally misogynist and homophobic attitudes of even the “good” characters, have not aged particularly well. Whether these were intentional commentary on conservative Japanese culture or an attempt to realistically inhabit the mind of a teenage Japanese boy in the mid-to-late ‘90s, or a reflection of the author’s own unexamined biases, I don’t know. I doubt it’s the latter, though, as the author seems like a self-aware, reflective, and thoughtful enough fellow in the afterword of the ‘09 translation I read. Also, I just generally try to be charitable and extend the benefit of the doubt where possible. The characterization is also pretty shallow for the most part, although to be fair we’re dealing with a roster of like 40 characters.
All in all, this book mostly lived up to the hype by the end (aided in part by virtue of its stronger-than-expected closing chapters, beginning with the final chase/fight sequence on the island). I’d recommend to anyone looking for some thrilling genre fiction. It’s a big ol’ tome but the pacing will have the pages flying by once the action gets going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death, Violence, and Gore
Minor: Misogyny and Homophobia