Empire of the Sun was one of the best examples of putting your life up to a critical analysis and staring unflinchingly at it . . . Ballard's portrayal of himself during World War II as a child has to rank as one of the more honest (even when it's not so flattering) attempts at a self-charactization that I can really only compare to Norman Mailer's Armies of the Night. Here he continues his own story, using the first person...
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Truly an excellent book. Important to read Empire of the Sun first since this is something of a sequel.
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The Kindness of Women is a compelling semi-autobiographical novel -- look no further for a terrific book, and a great example of Ballard's skewed and surreal sensibilities.
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'The Kindness of Women' is one of the most extraordinary books I have ever read - it gripped me with the shock of seeing deep into a man's hurt but inspired psyche, it left me weeping in pity for Ballard and marvelling at his survival. And laughing out loud. The account of Ballard's life after Singapore, this is no ordinary narrative autobiography - rather, a series of chapters each of which might stand as a small masterpiece...
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I became a fan of J.G. Ballard after seeing the film "Empire of the Sun" and reading the book it was based on. I became intrigued by Ballard's experiences, and The Kindness of Women does not disappoint. Here we see the subtle effects of his harrowing experiences in the war, and we are entranced as he moves on through a maze of love and sex. It is truly a good book, worthy of multiple reads.
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