Summer Reads...

Empire of the Sun by J.G Ballard- 3 stars ***

I'll be honest, this wasn't the most hooked on a book I've been, but it was interesting nonetheless. It follows the story of Jim, a twelve year old English boy from a wealthy background who lives in China. The novel begins in his luxurious home, where the author tells of his various servants and extravagant lifestyle, which is then thrown into disarray when the impact of the Second World War finally hits the area.

Separated from his parents, Jim has to adapt to a life vastly different from the one he is used to, struggling to survive and not knowing who to trust. He wanders alone in the hopes of being reunited with his family, until he is captured and put into an internment camp, where he meets some shady characters, as well as some more friendly ones.

The reason why I found this book quite challenging is because of the manner in which it is written. It is more analytical and to the point than a lot of the fiction that I normally read, lacking the 'pretty' metaphorical language that I enjoy. However, I think this is mainly due to the subject topic of the book, as obviously a war is a horrific ordeal filled with tragedy and horrendous conditions, so figurative language would have seemed out of joint with the focus of the piece. Despite this, there were some sections that resonated with me quite deeply, for example, 'Jim sat up and touched the hailstones, nuggets of white gold scattered on the grass. Beside him, Mr Maxted's body was dressed in a suit of lights, his ashen face speckled with miniature rainbows. But within a few seconds the hail had melted into the ground.' I thought that these few sentences really emphasised to the reader how alone Jim is, and also how much of a child he still is to be coping with such awful times. I also particularly like the line, 'Death, with her mother-of-pearl skin, had almost seduced him with a sweet potato.' purely because it is such a random sentence!

The author, J.G Ballard, based the novel on his own childhood experiences, and this is shown throughout by his great attention to detail and also the authenticity of the main character's point of view. It may not be an easygoing holiday read, but this book is worth picking up if you fancy something with a well developed story that is a bit more serious.