J. G. Ballard: Contemporary Critical Perspectives

by Jeannette Baxter (Series Editor)

J.G. Ballard is one of the most significant British writers of the contemporary period. His award-winning novels are widely studied and read, yet the appeal of Ballard's idiosyncratic, and often controversial, imagination is such that his work also enjoys something of a cult status with the reading public. The hugely successful cinematic adaptations of Empire of the Sun (Spielberg, 1987) and Crash (Cronenberg, 1996) further confirm Ballard's unique place within the literary, cultural and popular imaginations.

This guide includes new critical perspectives on Ballard's major novels as well as his short stories and journalistic writing covering issues of form, narrative and experimentation. Whilst offering fresh readings of dominant and recurring themes in Ballard's writing, including history, sexuality, violence, consumer capitalism, and urban space,the contributors also explore Ballard's contribution to major contemporary debates including those surrounding post 9/11 politics, terrorism, neo-imperialism, science, morality and ethics.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Jeannette Baxter, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Anglia Ruskin University, UK. She is the author of J. G. Ballard's Surrealist Imagination, and her recent co-edited collections include J. G. Ballard: Visions and Revisions (2012) and A Literature of Restitution: Critical Essays on W. G. Sebald (2013).

Reviews

[Paolo Ferrante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apprezzabile testo pieno di spunti e idee per approfondire il mondo ballardiano, a parte il questionario con l'ipnosi (terribilmente noioso e inutile) e il capitolo con i tentativi goffi di fare cut-up incrociando frasi da manuale medico con un'intervista mediocre a Ballard. Inoltre l'edizione 2008 della Shake è illeggibile causa refusi continui (ma non ce l'hanno un correttore di bozze?). Anche l'impaginazione lascia a desiderare (la foto delle arterie stradali è stata messa all'inizio e la didascalia della foto stessa alla fine). Malgrado questi ostacoli editoriali, la lettura risulta abbastanza godibile. Testo consigliato solo per fan sfegatati del visionario dell'Inner Space. Se potete, procuratevi un'altra edizione che sia sulla soglia della decenza.