Battle Royale

by Koushun Takami

Battle Royale

published	May 10th 2007 by Gollancz
first published	1999
binding	Paperback
isbn	0575080493 (isbn13: 9780575080492)
ebook
pages	416
date added	03-07-07 edit book

find at: Amazon | Half.com | Barnes & Noble | Abebooks | more...

Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.

discuss this book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

groups with this book

friend reviews (0)

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 934)

kurr

kurr rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

07/15/08

Cult novels are hard to resist. Lord of the Flies. Naked Lunch. A Clockwork Orange. Fight Club. Startling. Brutal. Original. Compelling. They frighten me to death, yet I love them. It's that kind of complicated.

I picked up Takami's Battle Royale mainly because the guy in the bookshop opened his mouth and said 'cult novel'. Just two little words and I was immediately consumed with the need to know why.

Wikipedia gives the following plot outline:

"The novel and manga Battle Royale takes ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Shannon

Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

06/27/08

bookshelves: 2007, dystopian, favourite, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi

Read in March, 2007

Wow. The movie was pretty full-on, the book perhaps more so (the book came first). I finished reading it last night and it's still revolving around in my head.

The gist of the plot is this: in an alternate present-day Japan, 50 grade 10 classes from across the year are forced into the Program, a Government-run initiative designed to subdue the population. The students in these classes are gassed while on a "study trip", and wake up in isolated locations - in this story, a tiny islan...more Wow. The movie was pretty full-on, the book perhaps more so (the book came first). I finished reading it last night and it's still revolving around in my head.

The gist of the plot is this: in an alternate present-day Japan, 50 grade 10 classes from across the year are forced into the Program, a Government-run initiative designed to subdue the population. The students in these classes are gassed while on a "study trip", and wake up in isolated locations - in this story, a tiny island - which collars around their necks, and are ordered to kill each other.

There are 42 students in Shirowai Junior High School Class B. Some of them are playing the game. No one can trust anyone. And there can only be one survivor. Each student is given a bag, containing water, bread, map, flashlight and a weapon. Weapons range from all-out machine guns to a fork. Let no one say the perverted government in this story doesn't have a sense of humour! While officials place bets on who will win, the students must avoid the Forbidden Zones, or else their collars will explode, each other, and the deadline. If no one dies within 24 hours, everyone's collar will explode.

The novel follows the students as they hide around the island, keeping track of the body count - or, rather, of those who remain - at the end of each chapter. The hero is Shuya Nanahara, who is determined to keep Noriko alive, first for the sake of his best friend who had a crush on her, who was the first to die, and later because he falls in love with her. They are helped by Shogo, who, in a truly sick twist, was the previous year's winner. Because he was so badly injured, he fell behind and had to repeat a year at another school, putting him once more at risk of being in the Program all over again. But this time, Shogo has a plan, and if Shuya and Noriko can bring themselves to trust him, they just might be able to beat the system.

This is one violent book! While the movie was pretty gory too, we are getting pretty desensitised to graphic scenes of violence these days, but it is less usual to come across them in books. It is not sexually graphic at all, though some of the things that happened to a few of the characters when they were younger is sickening to read about. But this book isn't really about violence. It's about how we respond to unlikely, terrifying situations. It's about our humanity, our efforts to think well of others, our trust issues, and love.

I recommend this book to anyone who was affected by Lord of the Flies (it has similar themes), and anyone not easily sickened by gory scenes. There were only one or two scenes that made me really grimace, most just made my heart clench for the characters' dire situations. What I love about these kinds of stories is the trapped feeling. It reminds of the movie Cube. (Watch it with a friend, I watched it alone and had a great deal of trouble sleeping afterwards!) In that movie, a seemingly random group of people are trapped within a giant, moving cube, containing smaller cubes all linked on every side, top and bottom. Some are death traps. The really scary thing about the entire concept is that, there is no reason behind it. It's completely - what's the word - it's slipped my mind, but I want to say that although there is a shadowy figure behind it all, there's no point. Although Takami has gone to the effort of making the Program slightly logical - to its creators, anyway - the movie was perhaps more effective for making it seem completely arbitrary.

Anyway, this isn't everyone's cup-of-tea, and it would have benefited from a good proof-reader (it's riddled with typos and grammatical errors, small enough to read over), but if you're interested in the darker, psychological side of things, this is one truly fascinating "experiment"....less

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Colleen AF

Colleen AF rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

03/29/08

bookshelves: fiction-adult, read-2008

Read in March, 2008

In a terrifying way this TRULY the most realistic portrayal of 9th grader emotions I've ever read. I might argue this should be considered YA, and brilliant YA at that, but considering the amount of folks who are determined to keep this book, and the movie it derived from, banned, I might want to keep my mouth a bit more shut.

A surefire way to get me to pay attention to something is to tell me how often it's banned. That was the original reason I sought out the film (and an all-region DVD p...more In a terrifying way this TRULY the most realistic portrayal of 9th grader emotions I've ever read. I might argue this should be considered YA, and brilliant YA at that, but considering the amount of folks who are determined to keep this book, and the movie it derived from, banned, I might want to keep my mouth a bit more shut.

A surefire way to get me to pay attention to something is to tell me how often it's banned. That was the original reason I sought out the film (and an all-region DVD player aka the best purchase I ever made, since this and many other amazing movies are not available in the US market). The film was both extremely violent and utterly charming. I hated it at first, watched most with my eyes half covered, but as I got to know the characters it was so much more about their emotions than the game they were stuck in...40+ students stuck on an island forced to play a "game" of war where one student would survive.

Back to what makes YA YA. Nowadays you can get away with almost anything sex related in YA. Sure you'll still wind up on the banned list, but that's practically an honor. Violence, however, especially violence of this magnitude, is still utterly taboo. (Though I may argue the real reason for the international banning is more related to the strong anti-government themes.) They claim the violence would give kids "ideas" and they would go attacking their peers, but the thing about this book in particular was it was beautiful...the pages which dealt with characters deaths were eloquent and stunning. Glimpses into final thoughts and pages of memories before the final black-out. All the while remaining utterly teen, most of the motives behind all of the characters were crush related, a literal amplification the "if he doesn't love me I'll die." This book made me remember exactly what it felt like to be a 9th grader "in love" and how over-the-top my emotions and reactions to everything were.

There's one memorable scene where one boy has been refusing to fight, but searching endlessly for one particular girl the entire game. You assume they are in love and he's trying to save her, but when they finally meet up you find out not only aren't they a couple, but he's barely ever said one sentence to the girl. She assumes he's there to kill her, and reacts accordingly, having no idea what he went through to "save her." As he dies he tells her he loves her, only to have her say something along the lines of "wait, what! you jerk! You've never even spoken to me!"

Now if you are a fan of the movie, keep in mind the book differs immensely. They didn't try as hard to put in humorous moments between the warring and there is no such thing as compassion from any of the adults represented, BUT characters who only got 10 seconds of screen time get huge chapters here. No one feels slighted and the details only add to the story more.

Definitely one of the most gripping things I've read this year....and while I might argue the YA card, even I didn't feel it right to put this on my YA-fiction shelf. ...less

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Megan

Megan rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

05/14/08

bookshelves: horror, social-theory

Read in March, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

There were a lot of characters in this book, many that were completely opaque to me and then were almost immediately killed, so it was hard to sympathize too much with anyone. It didn't bother me much, however, since even though there's a part of Battle Royale that's hard for me to get through to due to cultural differences, the larger social issues of violence and human nature remain fascinating even without a lot of character developement. And though the main villain(s)and antagonistic forces ...more There were a lot of characters in this book, many that were completely opaque to me and then were almost immediately killed, so it was hard to sympathize too much with anyone. It didn't bother me much, however, since even though there's a part of Battle Royale that's hard for me to get through to due to cultural differences, the larger social issues of violence and human nature remain fascinating even without a lot of character developement. And though the main villain(s)and antagonistic forces seem a bit too indestructable and crazed without much reason, I suppose there just wasn't time to develop every character fully before killing them off. I mean to burn through that many characters in only 600 pages took a constant stream of death as it was, and throwing in any amount of suspense or pacing made that all the more difficult, I'm sure. I do wish, however, that I had understood or sympathized with Shogo more, and that Shinji had been given more believability with his ultimate inexplicable coolness, and that the story of his plot with Yutaka would have taken up more of the book and maybe been more suspenseful about whether that, or Shogo's plan, would be the answer. I sort of wish Shogo's whole arc would have been more dramatic - if I could have gone from totally mistrusting him, to understanding and trusting him, until the end... that would have been more of an exciting read, I suppose.

Despite not feeling very connected to anyone throughout, at the very end I was surprised to find myself feeling quite inspired, even if three of the last few students to die just beforehand I felt had very anti-climactic ends to their otherwise interesting stories. I think if this had been an 1100 page novel I still would have slogged through it, and perhaps enjoyed it more for its greater depth.

My plan was to read this novel, then the manga adaptation, and then see the movie. So now I'm onto the next one.

p.s. - For anyone who has read this; what's the deal with the girl near the end, Mizuho Inada, Female Student #1? I was hoping the 'missing' character would turn out to be a major plot point somehow, and instead it was this total joke. At least, I think it was a joke, just one that I don't really get. ...less

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Ryan

Ryan rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

04/20/08

bookshelves: sci-fi

Read in April, 2008

This was an interesting experience for me - I came to the novel after having seen the film version and having read the manga (well, chapter 1 of it, anyways), and yet, at the same time, this was the first time that I can really saw that I got something other than mindless violence from Battle Royale.

The basic premise: a futuristic, totalitarian Japanese society has set up a game where each year, one high school class is randomly chosen to participate. Participants of the 'game' are placed o...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Michael

Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

10/08/07

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: the non-squeamish, trash film fans

So unputdownable it's ridiculous. Took a 4-hour plane ride i intended to sleep on and instead read all 624 pages of this; and while I'm a fast reader, even I'm not THAT fast usually.

Basically, as everyone else is saying, it's a book about one class of Japanese junior high kids put on an island with a small bag of supplies, a random weapon (grenade? crossbow? Uzi? fork?), an exploding tracking collar, and orders to kill, kill, kill. Nice fascist dystopia world you see around the edges of this p...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

6 comments

Morgan

Morgan rated it:

06/05/07

bookshelves: philosophical-social-political

Read in June, 2007

If you've ever seen the movie, you probably already know what this is about. If you haven't, I'm not sure which I could recommend more. The movie is much easier to watch than the book is to read, and that's saying something.

The basic plot: Japan is one of the few thriving countries in the world (economically speaking) and this is due to the strict control the government has over its people. Part of how it exerts this control is to marshal youngsters into order using the Battle Royale progra...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Steven

Steven rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

03/25/07

Read in May, 2006

Interesting book. Set in the not too distant future, next Sunday A.D. Japan is run by a fascist government. Dictating everyday life to a minor degree, however once per year "The Program" is run. Through flashbacks you gain the participants' insight into what it is. One junior high school class (Forty-two students. Significant number? Sarcasm? I'm not familiar enough with the Japanese school system to comment reliably.) is forced to kill each other off.

Lord of the Flies crossed wi...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Kevin

Kevin rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

03/25/08

One of the greatest fears upon reaching your third year in Junior High School in a Japan ruled with an iron fist, is whether or not your class will be chosen to partake in "The Program." The Program is a government-controlled scientific study that consists of a randomly chosen class of students being taken to a remote location and told that they must kill each other off until only one remains standing. The students can do nothing when they are chosen, nor can their teachers, nor their ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Katherine

Katherine rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

04/29/08

bookshelves: the-elite

"Lord of the Flies" meets "The Most Dangerous Game" meets the gruesome, bloody stylings of Quentin Tarantino... on acid who killed Stephen King and tossed his body into BTK's backyard.

I have read this book twice in the last two years both times within two days and I can guarantee that I'll read it a time or two (or three) again in the future (NERD!). The very thought of being 15-year-olds and being thrust into a situation where you have to kill or be killed, your best fri...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Elizabeth

Elizabeth rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

08/04/08

Read in August, 2008

I loved this book. It is a sick and twisted tale, and who doesn't enjoy that? The story takes place in an alternate reality of a current day (current to publishing date)Japan where, at random a grade nine class is selected and taken to a remote island. Once there, the learn that they are now part of the "program" which entails a brutual fight to the finish. They have to kill each other. One winner will emerge victorious and will recieve a pension. THey are randomly assigned a day pack....more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Zachary

Zachary rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

03/23/08

Read in March, 2008

I liked the idea of the story a lot, 42 students from this junior high school are selected to participate in "The Program" - a free for all killing spree until there's one student remaining. Simple enough. The book mostly follows one student, Shuya, but some chapters will be dedicated to one student from the class, and they generally end up dying at the end. This is all good and dandy, but the way the story is told becomes a double-edged sword. All of the students are ages 15-17 and t...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Gabriel

Gabriel rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

03/26/08

Read in March, 2008

This is a classic elevator story (you know, people with histories are trapped on an elevator and forced to reconcile their differences), elevated (ha, ha) to new heights with a "Clue"-type twist. Will it be Shinji with the grenade? Noriko with the fork? As such, it is best read by those who want to entertained with violence. Sure, there are lots of fun pieces discussing a revolution of a government (and even what governments do), fear, psychology of extreme stress and more ... but ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Laura

Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

06/06/08

bookshelves: advisory, over-400-pages

I read this book after seeing the movie. The movie was really well made and sujested by a friend in the film club. I decided that I might as well read the book too. It was super long and took me a whole day to read! But it was worth while. It's about a class of highschoolers in japan. The country is in chaos and children are constantly causing horrible problems. Each year a class of highschoolers are voted into a game called battle royal. In this game they go to an island of the coast of japan. ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Albert

Albert rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

06/23/07

Read in July, 2005

I heard about the movie before I read the book, so I knew that the premise was a combination of Lord of the Flies and automatic weapons. I just didn't expect the violence to affect me so deeply. I guess I've never been exposed to extreme violence in books where my imagination comes up with images. I definitely discovered a new closet of images with this book.

I started this book on a long subway ride home. I was so engrossed by the book I missed my stop by five stations. I will admit there wa...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Gordon

Gordon rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

07/07/08

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: Teenagers

The word that jumps out at me when I think about this book is trust. How hard is it to really trust someone with your life? This book deals with that aspect extensively throughout it's 600 or so pages. The book really is as advertised. Forty or so junior high school kids are thrown on an island and told to fight each other to the death until there is a lone survivor or be killed right then and there. These kids are all around 15 years old and they have the kinds of conversations you'd exp...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Kelly Robinson

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

08/04/07

Read in July, 2007

The premise to Battle Royale is irresistible: a futuristic Japanese government holds an annual “Program” in which a selected junior high class is taken to an island and the kids must kill each other off until there’s a winner. Each of this year’s 42 students is given a backpack with food, water, and a random weapon (guns for some, a fork for another). And suddenly you can’t *really* trust anyone, not even your closest friends.

The book is wildly entertaining, not only in its intri...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Brian

Brian rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

11/14/07

I inadvertently picked yet another dystopian novel with this choice. No matter, as it was another good one.
This dystopia is one less focused on the machinery of the regime than it is on the kids living in it. The kids in this fictional version of Japan (aka the Republic of Greater East Asia) are randomly selected to participate in "The Program," a winner-kills-all contest to see who is the strongest. The rationale behind it doesn't come out until very late in the book, but it doe...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Pat

Pat rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

02/05/08

bookshelves: actual-books

This book is not for the weak of stomach.

This book is Survivor and Lord of the Flies' bastard love child being baby sat by The Running Man. Take a class of Japanese middle schoolers in a dystopian alternate present (or not too far from tomorrow), force them to fend for themselves on an island with orders to kill or be killed and give them a random weapon, record and televise results.

The movie was good, but it can't compare to the book in terms of brutality. You just get dragged along a...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Larry

Larry rated it:

(review of isbn 156931778X)

07/07/08

One of my favorite graphic novel series of all time. Battle Royale takes place in Japan at an undisclosed time in the future. Once a year a seemingly random class of students is chosen to participate in "Battle Royale". The class is sent to an island and are told they all must fight to the death. At the end of three days if there is not one child left alive, the winner, everyone will be killed. To ensure this each student is fitted with a collar the explodes when a rule is broken or th...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 46 47 next »

book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.28 (934 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.33 (69 ratings)
number of reviews: 186

recommend it | blog it

popular shelves

to-read (260)
currently-reading (55)
fiction (33)
favorites (14)
horror