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Battle Royale

by Koushun Takami

4.19 · rating details · 6,936 ratings · 1,000 reviews

Koushun Takami's notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan - where ...more

Paperback, 624 pages

Published February 26th 2003 by VIZ Media LLC

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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 14,647)

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Nov 21, 2011

Simeon rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thrillers, favorites

I read the first hundred pages of Battle Royale before I fell asleep and dreamt that I was in The Program. (I remember fleeing a pretty intense gunfight and thinking nonsensically: dammit, at least I'm getting good exercise.)

I hardly thought about it until the next evening, when I began reading again and only finished as the sun rose.

You cannot know gunfights or car chases until you've read Battle Royale.

It's fantastical, it's pulpy, and it's brilliant. I wish it had been wri...more

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Mar 31, 2009

Sparrow rated it

Shelves: punching-tour, utopia-dystopia, reviewed

Everything about this book makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth. I say again, "yuck yuck yuck," both to the absurd violence and the shallow emotion of this story. Every time the plot turned toward something interesting, it was quickly replaced by a turn toward Lame. I get the comparison of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, with this book (which is the reason I picked it up in the first place) because of the basic Lord of the Flies, kids-will-be-kids premise. I, however, f...more

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Apr 20, 2011

Tatiana rated it

Shelves: 2009, dystopias-post-apocalyptic, only-i-will-like

I came across this book after reading “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins which was claimed to be a “Battle Royale” rip-off. Needless to say, I was curious…

I have to admit, similarities between these two books are undeniable. They both are based on the same idea of teenagers forced to participate in a deadly game where only one person wins and lives. However at the same time these books are completely different. I believe you can enjoy and appreciate them both equally. If “Hunger Game...more

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Oct 13, 2009

Michael Alexander rated it

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 o...more

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Aug 12, 2011

Kira rated it

Recommends it for: People who don't throw up a lot

Recommended to Kira by: An irish guy

Shelves: favorites, books-that-changed-my-life, dystopian

EDIT: Okay, so as of 12/08/2011, I have 100 followers! Yippee! Thanks, guys.

(Note: I chose to announce this petty little achievement on my Battle Royale review simply because of the epicness of said book. Don't judge me.)

There is absolutely nothing I can say about this book other than WIN.

If you have a weak stomach, be prepared. If you have a pacemaker, also be prepared. But really, people, can you honestly say that Ms. Collin's work didn't rip this off? Come...more

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Feb 27, 2007

Rae Walker rated it

Recommends it for: Chris LaVine

Okay, this book has a premise that you can't beat: 40 school children are set on an island with exploding electronic collars and are ordered to kill each other. Each child is given a backpack with one weapon and sometimes that weapon is good (hand held machine gun) or bad (a violin). BOOM! POW! Can't be beat! Except for the writing (or perhaps the translation) is so bad that one can hardly get through the chapters without at least fourteen eye rolls and maybe one dry heave.

Plus giga...more

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Apr 29, 2008

Katherine rated it

Shelves: 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 ...more

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Apr 21, 2011

Cassy rated it

Recommended to Cassy by: Reviewers of "Hunger Games"

Shelves: 2010, fiction-dsytopian-and-apocalyptic, region-asia, physical-own

Whenever I think of this book, I picture Takami sitting down with a piece of paper and making a list of dozens of cool, violent ways to kill a person. Poison! Jumping off a cliff! Lot of guns! Strangulation! An exploding head! Falling off a roof! And my personal favorite, splitting open a head with a machete like it is a ripe watermelon!

Then he goes about the task of writing a book that incorporates each and every one of these deaths.

And are you concerned that you will ne...more

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Apr 15, 2009

Trudi rated it

Shelves: dystopia, survive-this, young-adult, pulpy-page-turners, 2009, uber-graphic-extreme, deadly-games, love-the-premise, group-in-peril

I'm a huge fan of dystopian books, where the future is bleak and infinitely dangerous and if you're gonna survive, you better check your morals at the door. With reality TV everywhere we look these days, and the UFC a mainstream pastime, it's easy to imagine a Survivor where tribe members voted out don't go home, but are executed instead. I figure society's perpetual blood lust is never as deeply buried as we think (or hope).

Stephen King describes Battle Royale as "an insanely ...more

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Jun 23, 2007

Albert rated it

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 ...more

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Mar 18, 2009

Brandy rated it

Shelves: 2009, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, library, boy-books, adult

I picked this up based on the fervor over "OMG The Hunger Games so totally ripped this off." And for the first half of this book, I agreed: I thought I knew exactly where BR was going, and how it would get there. It's the story of 40 teens who are instructed to kill each other until only one remains, and are each given a bag containing food, water, and a weapon--some as great as machine guns, others as worthless as forks. Early on some alliances are made, then broken; people are bet...moreI picked this up based on the fervor over "OMG The Hunger Games so totally ripped this off." And for the first half of this book, I agreed: I thought I knew exactly where BR was going, and how it would get there. It's the story of 40 teens who are instructed to kill each other until only one remains, and are each given a bag containing food, water, and a weapon--some as great as machine guns, others as worthless as forks. Early on some alliances are made, then broken; people are betrayed and killed.

But about halfway through, Battle Royale and The Hunger Games part company. By the end, I don't think it's the same story at all. It's a similar story, definitely, but BR's strength is that most of the 40 characters manage to be sympathetic characters. We get backstory on just about all of them, find out who they were before they were thrown int this crazy game, what motivates them to do certain things, and we even see their individual battles against each other. There are a couple of factions we return to multiple times, the ones who are clearly our heroes, but with only one or two exceptions we don't have villains. Hunger Games, everyone who wasn't from District 12 was a villain, someone to be avoided and distrusted, and that was easy because we didn't know who those other characters were. In Battle Royale, we know all these people--they're classmates, some dating back to elementary school. There are histories here, friendships and crushes and romantic entanglements, and that makes the killing that much more horrible.

Oh, and for those who thought Hunger Games was a violent book? Whooooooooo boy. This was absolutely horrifying at times. The gunfights were bad enough, but the graphic descriptions of hand-to-hand combat were particularly brutal. It's not the violence that's gratuitous, exactly, but the lengthy descriptions of it, and even that goes a long way toward world-building and accurately conveying the horror of the situation.

A bit on the writing: This is not Shakespeare. There's a lot of "basically" and "of course" and "in other words," and there's a LOT of use of the passive voice. Whether this is a writing issue or a translation one is a mystery to me, but you'll roll your eyes at the writing at least once a chapter, I'd say. (Note that I remember seeing at least 70 chapters here... start your eye exercises now, so you're prepared for all the rolling!) But writing quirks aside, this is really engrossing, the kind of book I blew bedtime by several hours for three nights running.(less)

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Jun 25, 2011

Cinnamon rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, dystopian-apocalyptic, 5★-incomprehensibly-awesome, sci-fi, young-adult, reviewed, own

This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

I think it's been about five minutes since I read the last word of Battle Royale. My heart is still pounding abnormally fast, and every few seconds, I have to take a break from typing to watch the French countryside rushing by outside the train window instead.* The view is strangely soothing, and I definitely need some calming right now.

So. Battle Royale. Was. Epic. Dare I say it? It was better than The Hunger Games, an...more

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Jan 20, 2009

Jim rated it

Shelves: action, general-fiction

Kind of like a cross between Survivor & 'Lord of the Flies', the story is about a future when the government sends a class of kids to an island to kill or be killed. Each gets a weapon & they battle until only one is left.

It was pretty well written, but didn't do a lot for me. The basic premise of game didn't seem particularly well set up to me nor very real. The reasoning behind the game, the politics, was unreal. The action was OK, fairly realistic in some ways, wrong in others. ...more

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Jul 18, 2010

Malissa rated it

Shelves: adult-fiction-nonfiction

I read this book because I had heard that the plot was *very* similar to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games (this was published first), and I was curious. So, of course, I was reading it as a Hunger Games fan and comparing. While the plots are definitely similar in a lot of ways, I didn't like this nearly as well as The Hunger Games for several reasons. One, the author seemed to try to develop *all* of the 42 students who participate in the "game" to some extent and I felt like that lef...more

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Jul 15, 2008

bannikin rated it

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 ma...more

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Jun 27, 2008

Shannon rated it

Shelves: sci-fi, 2007, dystopian, favourite

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 country 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...moreWow. 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 country 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 - with 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)

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Jun 05, 2007

Morgan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophical-social-political

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 Royal...more

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Nov 13, 2008

Dan Smith rated it

I expected this to be a Japanese take on "Lord of the Flies" but what I got was un unexpected thrill-ride. It's not a cerebral workout (except for keeping all of the Japanese names separate and distinct; tough at first but as the story progresses, you find out those who you really need to know). This is the type of page-turner that I like to save for my annual beach vacation and, truthfully, I bought it with that purpose in mind but I ended up wasting my time on another 'best seller' t...more

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Jun 16, 2011

Jonathan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse-now

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I want to rate this a 3.5. Can there possibly be too much action? This book doesn't really let you take a breath through its 576 pages. Far more brutal than The Hunger Games.

I liked that chapters alternated the focus to almost all 42 of the students in the program. I liked that a lot of the violence came unexpectedly. "Whoa that was horri... WHAAATT?? Damn, didn't see that com... HOLY BABY JEBUS' TRAINING WHEELS!!!"

I didn't like half of the personalities of the...more

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May 15, 2011

Brittany rated it

Recommends it for: Hunger Games fans.

Recommended to Brittany by: Jen

Shelves: dystopian, fiction, high-school, international-flavour, movie, thriller, favorites

How I Came To Read This Book: One of my fave things on GoodReads is reading my friend's reviews of books, and after reading The Hunger Games, I read Jen's review which mentioned Battle Royale and the similarities between the two. So I took it out from the library for comparison's sake.

The Plot: In a dystopian version of East Asia, the government runs 'programs' that pit junior high students against each other in a fight to the death. In this instance, we are dropped onto an island wi...moreHow I Came To Read This Book: One of my fave things on GoodReads is reading my friend's reviews of books, and after reading The Hunger Games, I read Jen's review which mentioned Battle Royale and the similarities between the two. So I took it out from the library for comparison's sake.

The Plot: In a dystopian version of East Asia, the government runs 'programs' that pit junior high students against each other in a fight to the death. In this instance, we are dropped onto an island with 42 unsuspecting fifteen-year-olds who are given a pack of supplies and a random weapon each, plus a sinister collar around their necks that makes escape virtually impossible. From there it's an all-out bloodbath as the students fight for the victory of one.

The Good & The Bad: seeing as how I read this after hearing (and immediately understanding) the comparisons to The Hunger Games then my review is naturally tinged by comparing the two books. I'll say this - Battle Royale is far, far, far more gruesome and violent. So if you found THG disturbing, you may as well skip this one.

Where Battle Royale excels over The Hunger Games is the fact you actually do see every single death happen. Despite the fact there's 42 students (with, to us Westerners, similar-sounding Japanese names) to keep track of, Takami does a shockingly good job at distinguishing the characters and giving every single one of them a special send-up - whether it's a few pages or spread out over a few chapters, you get a taste of every single student's game experience, something I felt was lacking a bit in the Katniss-centric Hunger Games. Reading about the assortment of random weapons each kid was armed with was pretty hilarious (in a dark way), but also interesting because coupled with each kid's motives and abilities, really coloured their stories and experiences. It was 'neat' going into every chapter wondering whether this would be the end for the character, even if you were just meeting them, or if they'd stick around for awhile - it put you in the same state of fear and doubt as the characters.

Another big difference is the narration style. The Hunger Games is a very linear story that lets you get very deep into Katniss' heart and mind. In contrast, Battle Royale has a totally wack narrative style that magically works wonders. Switching between objective third-person to inner-thought first-person, to stream-of-consciousness insanity, to an omniscient third-person narrator that loves to drop hints and make jokes and tell you what's coming up, it's a colourful blend that surprisingly makes sense. It also serves the story in that you really don't know who will die, even from the core three characters you follow the most closely, because the narration is primarily third-person. While it's helpful in that sense, I also felt a sense of detachment from this book. Reading Katniss' first-person thoughts in THG literally had my pulse pounding, while with Battle Royale I merely wanted to keep on turning pages to get through the cold, detached, brutal nature of the book. It was exciting to be sure, but I didn't care quite as much about the characters as I did with THG, which ranks it just a notch lower (I'd really give it a 4.5).

That being said, both books have their merits, weaknesses, and overlaps. If you liked one you'll like the other, with the caveat that this one is seriously unapologetically violent at times...with an unsettling ending.

The Bottom Line: A work that successfully defies the odds as much as its protagonists attempt to.

Anything Memorable?: Nope.

50-Book Challenge?: Book #24 in 2011. (less)

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Nov 05, 2011

Hira rated it

Recommends it for: People who like reading epic books

Recommended to Hira by: Epic people

Shelves: favorites, need-to-watch-movie, favorites-2011

Wow. Just...wow.

I put off reading this book for a long, long time. Partly due to it's size (it didn't take that long to read, but it is sort of lengthy), and also because I heard that The Hunger Games was ripped off it. The similarities between THG, and Battle Royale are undeniable, but I still like them both because of their own unique qualities.

Battle Royale is set in future Japan, where every year, 50 third year junior high classes are chosen for 'the program'. The Pr...more

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Feb 12, 2010

Jillian -always aspiring- rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-books, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, ultimate-favorites, best-characters, best-endings, 2010-reads

I picked this book up on a whim simply because (a) I've been a fan of Japanese storytelling (modern-day, fantasy, horror, whatever) for years and (b) I've heard about the manga series incarnation of this book from years of being a manga/anime fan. Finally, I picked up the book (despite its $16.99 price tag) -- and I didn't regret it one bit.

The premise is simple for those of you who have already been exposed to Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games: a group of school-age teenagers live ...more

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Dec 20, 2008

Mike The Don rated it

I don't really get the reason why we, as a society, stuff excessive amounts of violence into every nook and cranny of our lives. Not that I don't necessarily like it, I just don't understand why. Battle Royal doesn't seem to clarify that point. It's just constant face-beating that gets as bloody as a gerbil in a speed bag with broken glass (no exaggeration, it gets THAT bloody).
The book takes place in modern day Japan. The government, which is implied to be perversely evil, takes random cl...moreI don't really get the reason why we, as a society, stuff excessive amounts of violence into every nook and cranny of our lives. Not that I don't necessarily like it, I just don't understand why. Battle Royal doesn't seem to clarify that point. It's just constant face-beating that gets as bloody as a gerbil in a speed bag with broken glass (no exaggeration, it gets THAT bloody).
The book takes place in modern day Japan. The government, which is implied to be perversely evil, takes random classes of high-school students, puts them on a random island in the country, gives the kids random weapons and commands them to all fight to the death with only one survivor. If they don't, they will all be killed off anyway. It doesn't explain why they don't just drop a bomb on the kids, although it should because the alleged government apparently goes through insane lengths to make sure the kids get killed.
The book is written in third person perspective and revolves around three students, one of them who already survived the game (as it is called) once. These three run through the island trying to find a way to escape and save their comrades while avoiding other malicious students who apparently enjoy the killing spree.
The book is written toward high school students who like sky-high piles brains splattered on the floor (thus I read it while in high school). And because it was written for high school students, it doesn't really explain the loop holes in the story. For example, it doesn't explain how the United Nations is apparently unaware of such an atrocity while every single parent who has a kid going to school knows about it. The book doesn't even explain why the government even does this in the first place. Ok, to instill fear in it's citizens as the book says, but there are a lot more CHEAPER ways to go around doing that. If anything, I would imagine that this type of thing would start a revolt against the government. However, I am aware that Japan has a much different mindset than the west and that their ideas are probably a little different too, but I still left with just as much satisfaction as I would have had I watched an UFC match. It would have taken less time.
If you are into tons of violence, go for it. I'll stick to other good reads.(less)

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Sep 19, 2008

Hank rated it

Recommends it for: violent teenagers, Bruce Springstein fans

Shelves: dystopian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First of all, it's just interesting to read a novel set in a fascist fictional Japan. Mostly, I've been exposed to images of such possibilities set in America or England. Interestingly, all the modern ones seem to have one thing in common, Battle Royale included - extremist, dictatorial, oppressive governments don't like rock'n'roll. No siree, Big Brother does not rock out. Not even Big Brother-san.

Someone over on goodreads recently described it as "essentially a retelling of lo...more

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Mar 29, 2008

Colleen Venable rated it

Shelves: fiction-adult, 2008-read

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-regi...moreIn 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)

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Feb 05, 2008

Pat McGlynn rated it

Shelves: 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...more

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Apr 07, 2008

Stephen Nardi rated it

This book is truly suspenseful. You constantly fear for the lives of the students that get forced to kill each other. To build the suspense each chapter gives a count of how many kids or left alive as well as who is dead. Its extremely well written. Even though its a translated work from japan.

The book may seem strange due to the fact that middle schoolers are being sent to an island to kill. But if you step outside the box and think of what it would be like for this to really happ...more

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Aug 09, 2011

Ryan Milbrath added it

Weighing in at just under six hundred pages, Battle Royale is a pulp fiction novel that was just dying to be made into a movie. In fact, it was made into a movie. A very good Japanese movie I might add - one movie that needn’t be spoiled by the likes of Hollywood directors cashing in on the latest imported remake. The novel, which has also been doctored into manga form, has achieved a cult status in its native Japan. Koushun Takami worked as a journalist before giving it all up to become a nov...moreWeighing in at just under six hundred pages, Battle Royale is a pulp fiction novel that was just dying to be made into a movie. In fact, it was made into a movie. A very good Japanese movie I might add - one movie that needn’t be spoiled by the likes of Hollywood directors cashing in on the latest imported remake. The novel, which has also been doctored into manga form, has achieved a cult status in its native Japan. Koushun Takami worked as a journalist before giving it all up to become a novelist. Battle Royale is the only full novel he’s written; a few short stories here and there, but this seemingly being the only novel.

Takami’s novel creates a dystopian world where a fascist government named the “Republic of Greater East Asia” creates a game in which teenage students are forced to kill one another till one winner emerges. Equipped with a variety of weapons and monitored by the officials the students can choose to engage in combat or after three days suffer an immediate death. While Takami tries to give each student some sort of dimension (it becomes difficult and even mind numbing with 40 students to deal with) he focuses on only a couple: Shuya, Noriko, Shogo, Kiriyama, Mitsuko, etc. to really develop. The reader is able to see betrayal, love, violence, perseverance and revenge all in the same story.

I loved the different backgrounds the character’s came from and I enjoyed the dialogue that Takami had created for his character’s. It appeared realistic to the mindset of most middle and early high school students I’ve taught. It’s also a warning against empowering teenagers with social problems to enact revenge. The novel’s comments on power, government, structure, fascism, and paranoia could be translated to most cultures and most age groups. Though it’s a big a novel, it’s a page turner and a fast tread. My only complaint is that some characters could have been left out because they were never really developed anyway. On the other hand, one could argue it seems more realistic to portray a bunch of characters superficially because that’s how we might view most of our fellow students from middle and high school.

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May 02, 2011

La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it

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Shelves: sakura87, daniele

Questo è quello che si chiama ‘fascismo vittorioso’. In quale altra parte del mondo si trova una cosa così ripugnante?

Siamo nella '''repubblica''' della Grande Asia. In realtà la res è tutto fuorchè pubblica, dato che il paese è retto da un dittatore, l’Egemone. Per ovviare al problema della violenza giovanile, dilagante in uno stato che ha operato una violenta chiusura al mondo occidentale (principalmente a quello americano), l’esercito ha varato il Programma, una sorta di coscrizione rappresen...more

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Nov 16, 2009

Matthew Sham added it

Battle Royale
The setting, conflicts, and symbols make author’s novel Battle Royale intriguing. In Battle Royale, author Koushun Takami talks about a setting in a Japanese environment during World War 2 era beginning with a class of 42 students that gets captured in a deserted island fighting for they’re lives.
The setting is reflects the book because it is in a Japanese environment to show how powerful, dark, evil, and violent the Japanese were back in World War 2. In the deserted ...moreBattle Royale
The setting, conflicts, and symbols make author’s novel Battle Royale intriguing. In Battle Royale, author Koushun Takami talks about a setting in a Japanese environment during World War 2 era beginning with a class of 42 students that gets captured in a deserted island fighting for they’re lives.
The setting is reflects the book because it is in a Japanese environment to show how powerful, dark, evil, and violent the Japanese were back in World War 2. In the deserted Island there where restricted areas where the students cannot go because if they were go step forward into one of the restricted area they would blow up with a neck collar on they’re necks. The island is full of blood that represents death and pain in the book where the students have to kill everyone to be the last one to survive.
In Battle Royale the 42 students all know one another but still have to kill in order to live. The last one who survives wins so at all cost they must kill the ones they love in order to live. Kintano a student in the story says “It’s tough when friends die on you, but hang in there!” knows how difficult it is to kill someone like you like or love but knows he has to do it to survive. The thought of killing someone you know is very evil and difficult something that you could not imagine but in the book the students think of it as more than a game when someone dies.
Each student in the will get a weapon to protect themselves in the island. The weapons you get is all by luck, you can get a gun, knife if your lucky but if your luck doesn’t come you could be getting a pan or a chopstick The supervisor tells the student “You'll leave the room one by one; by first you get a kit! Inside are food and water, a map and compass, a flashlight and a weapon. So check it out later, ok? The girls might use personal items so you can all take them. Each weapon is different. Not just guns and knives either. It’s random, so maybe you'll get lucky, maybe not. It eliminates natural advantages. Oh! This one's super lucky!” In the beginning the students all think this is a fun game but when they find out people they know are dying things start to get serious.
Battle Royale is a great book for teens to read because it makes you think about in the students perspective and how difficult it would be in they’re shoes. This book comes with a very fatal ending and how Noriko as one of the last survivors.
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GUIDE TO REMEMBERING THE CHARACTERS	10	63	Nov 21, 2011 03:48pm
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About Koushun Takami

Koushun Takami (高見広春 Takami Kōshun?, born 1969) is the author of the novel Battle Royale,[1] originally published in Japanese, and later translated into English by Yuji Oniki and published by Viz Media and, later, in an expanded edition by Haika Soru, a division of Viz Media.

Takami was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture near Osaka and grew up in the Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku. Aft...more

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