Books › High-rise
High-rise
First published 1975 · 252 pages
A clinical, claustrophobic descent into the feral underbelly of modern luxury.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like watching a meticulously constructed terrarium slowly overheat until its inhabitants tear each other apart. The experience is deeply claustrophobic and unnerving, driven by a propulsive pace that mirrors the rapid collapse of social norms. The prose is famously clinical and detached, observing horrific acts of violence and degradation with the cool precision of a medical examiner. This chilling emotional distance only amplifies the dread-soaked, surreal atmosphere as polite neighbors devolve into tribal factions. It is a dark, cynical exploration of urban alienation and the fragility of civilization, perfect for readers who delight in psychological satire and the grim unmasking of human nature. You will leave it feeling thoroughly unsettled, eyeing your own neighbors with a newfound, lingering suspicion.
- Mood
- claustrophobic
- dread-soaked
- surreal
- feral
- chaotic
- Tone
- clinical
- detached
- cynical
- satirical
- unnerving
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- fragility of civilization · class warfare · primal urges · urban alienation · technological hubris
- The writing
- Cold, precise, and almost medical in its detachment, contrasting sharply with the horrific events it describes.
- The arc
- A swift descent from detached curiosity into a visceral, feral acceptance of total societal collapse.
- Who it's for
- Readers who enjoy dark, psychological satire and watching the polite veneer of society peel away to reveal the beast underneath.
Content notes
- graphic violence
- sexual violence
- animal cruelty
- cannibalism
- psychological distress
About the book
Now a major film: J.G. Ballard's compelling and unnerving tale of what happens when life in a luxury apartment building descends into chaos. 'Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months.' Within the walls of an elegant forty-storey high-rise, the affluent tenants are hell-bent on an orgy of destruction. Cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on 'enemy' floors, and the once-luxurious amenities become an arena for mayhem. In this visionary novel, the veneer of civilised society is stripped away as the inhabitants of the high-rise, driven by primal urges, create a dystopian world ruled by intimidation and violence.
Description from Open Library.
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