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Empire of the Sun

By J. G. Ballard
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Check link for latest rating. ( 22,220 ratings, 1,341 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Empire of the Sun, J. G. Ballard offers a gripping narrative set during World War II, following a young boy named Jim in Shanghai as his privileged life is disrupted by the Japanese invasion. Separated from his parents, Jim must navigate the chaos of war, adapting to life in a prison camp while striving to retain his hope and resilience amidst dire circumstances. This semi-autobiographical work poignantly captures the harsh realities and the indomitable spirit of human endurance.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an interest in World War II seen through the eyes of a child. It blends historical events with a gripping personal story, capturing the resilience and loss experienced during times of war. Lovers of poignant, character-driven narratives and historical fiction are likely to find this story compelling.

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Empire of the Sun

The classic, heartrending story of a British boy’s four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War. Newly reissued with an introduction by John Lanchester.

Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the master of dystopia comes his heartrending story of a British boy’s four-year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War.

Based on J. G. Ballard’s own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy’s life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai – a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, starvation, and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint.

Rooted as it is in the author’s own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard has been highly praised for its extraordinary achievement in literature, blending horror and humanity in a powerful narrative. Critics highlight its imaginative force, success in form, and unique perspective on war, marking it as one of the great war novels of the 20th century. It combines history, autobiography, and fiction into an unforgettable and moving story.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780007221523

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 February 2006

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Contributors:

  • Introduction by John Lanchester

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 352

Collections

Fiction General Fiction J. G. Ballard Literary Fiction

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. 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 controversial novel Crash was also made into an equally controversial film by David Cronenberg. His most recent novels include the Sunday Times bestsellers Cocaine Nights and Super-Cannes.

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