Product Description

The fascinating, and largely autobiographical, sequel to J G Ballard's prize-winning 'Empire of the Sun', that follows Jim to post-war England. 'The Kindness of Women' continues the story of the boy whose life in Japanese-occupied Shaghai was described so memorably in 'Empire of the Sun'. it sets those traumatic events within the context of a lifetime as we follow the narrator, Jim, to England after the war. He tries and fails to find stability as a medical student at Cambridge and a trainee RAF pilot in Canada. Then, after settling happily into family life, his world is ripped apart by domestic tragedy. He plunges into the maelstrom of the 1960s, an instigator and subject of every aspect of cultural, social and sexual experimentation. All this and much more, we see as the attempt of a bruised mind to make sense of the uphaval around it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17403 in Books
• Published on: 1994-09-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Quite as extraordinary an achievement as "Empire of the Sun" ... A dazzling construction, a sequence of chapters almost every one a tour de force in its own right. He has put together the pieces of a fractured life here with honesty, humility and real brilliance.'Guardian 'This is autobiography taken to the highest reaches of fiction, another wonderful novel of scorching power, shot through with honesty and lyricism.' Observer 'Ballard is the most modern of writers; his art engages with the artefacts and obsessions of the second half of this century in a manner and with an intensity unmatched by any other writer. The book is full of mesmerising writing, classic examples of Ballard style, paragraphs and pages that disturba nd enthral. The blend is very potent and highly intoxicating.' William Boyd 'A poignant, vivid novel, rich in symbolism and psychological insight.' Independent 'Brilliant ... Ballard at his best' Independent on Sunday

About the Author
J.G. Ballard was born in 1930 in Shanghai, where his father was a businessman. After internment in a civilian prison camp, he and his family returned to England in 1946. He published his first novel, 'The Drowned World, in 1961. His 1984 bestseller 'Empire of the Sun' won the Guardian Fiction Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was later filmed by Steven Spielberg. His most recent novel is 'Kingdom Come', published in 2006, and his memoir 'Miracles of Life' will be published in 2008.

Customer Reviews

Ballard at his Best
I have read most of what Ballard has written; and I can't understand why this novel is so neglected, compared to The Atrocity Exhibition or Crash. To me this is the best thing he has written in the long form. Some of his short stories may be a bit better; but this is an absolute masterpiece, and it's probably the book I'd first give a friend to allow him or her to discover the Ballard World. It's a complex and astounding mix of facts and fiction, of visionary imagination and down-to-earth realism. The parts about the death of the protagonist's wife, the end of the war, the making of the movie Empire of the Sun in Shepperton should be in anthologies of English literature. His prose is dazzling, and this is probably the only long book by ballard where we don't meet his stereotypical characters only, but a wide variety of persons. All in all, a must-read for those who think Ballard is only Empire of the Sun and Crash.

An autobiographical tour-de-force
Ballard shows his mastery of narrative by giving us glimpses of the turning points in his life. Rather than opting for a straight chronological narration, he illustrates the defining role the women of his life have played, and the impact they've had on both his personal life, and his creativity as an author. At times hilarious, at times unsettling, the novel never fails to spark the senses and leaves the reader with a sense of an irresistable lust for life. Eminently readable on its own, but also a great companion read to Empire of the Sun.

One of the greatest books of the last centuary
This book fills in around "Empire of the Sun" and goes a long way to explaining the perversities of "The Atrocity Exhibition" and "Crash". Compulsive reading for almost anyone. The story of Ballards life (more or less). I can only say read it. Then read it again and give it to someone.