I Thought You Were Dead
Millennium People - J. G. Ballard
New Ballard? But he's dead.
Oh, it's new to the US. Well, okay then.
I'll admit, right out front, that I love Ballard. I will also admit that he writes the same damn book over and over.
It's always about society changing in some way, with people forming new ways to interact and new societies. It could be a high-rise apartment building. Or an island sanctuary. Or a gated community. Or a river. Or a car crash.
Millennium People is the same damn book. This time, it's the middle class getting pissed off about their empty lives.
So, why do I love Ballard? Because it's not about the story. It's not even about the people. (Hint, the main male character is always Ballard.) It's the way in which he writes. There's a high-strung pitch to it. There's a descriptive sense of the world that elevates the ordinary to something higher. Or lower.
And, if you like Ballard's writing, then you'll like this book as well. If you don't, well, then there's nothing here to presuade you otherwise.
The one difference this book has is an actual happy ending. That's new.
No comments yet!
