paul's review
High-Rise (Flamingo Modern Classic) by J.G. Ballard
A clever if flawed extrapolation on the theme of planned communities, the democratisation and, consequently, the effective devaluation of 'good taste' -- as also, later and most effectively critiqued by the likes of Martin Amis, Chuck Pahlaniuk, et al -- and the dissolution of social cohesion and, indeed, civilisation under the overbearing pressure of architecture itself, like many of Ballard's works, the reputation of High Rise, like that of Crash, far exceeds its actual quality.
