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High-Rise

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High-Rise

By: J. G. Ballard
Narrated by: Tom Hiddleston
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About this listen

From the author of the Sunday Times best seller Cocaine Nights comes an unnerving tale of life in a modern tower block running out of control.

Within the concealing walls of an elegant forty-storey tower block, 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 riots and technological mayhem.

In this visionary tale of urban disillusionment from the renowned author of Crash and Cocaine Nights, society slips into a violent reverse as the isolated inhabitants of the high-rise, driven by primal urges, recreate a dystopian world ruled by the laws of the jungle.

The audiobook of High Rise arrives as interest in the book and J.G. Ballard’s work reaches a new peak. The film adaptation of High Rise, directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers) will be released in September 2015, starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss.

Tom Hiddleston, who is known to millions worldwide for his role as the evil god Loki in the blockbuster Thor and Avengers movies, has lent his voice to this first UK audiobook adaptation of High Rise, which was published in 1975.

J. G. Ballard was born in 1930 in Shanghai, where his father was a businessman. After internment in a civilian prison camp, he and his family returned to England in 1946. He published his first novel, The Drowned World, in 1961. His 1984 bestseller Empire of the Sun won the Guardian Fiction Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was later filmed by Steven Spielberg. His memoir, Miracles of Life, was published in 2008. J. G. Ballard died in 2009.

©1975 J. G. Ballard (P)2015 Audible, Ltd
Fiction Hard Science Fiction Literary Fiction Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Tie-in

Critic Reviews

"Ballard’s finest novel.... A triumph” ( The Times)
"Another eerie glimpse into the future. A fast-moving, spine-tingling fable of the concrete jungle.” ( Daily Express)
“A gripping read, particularly if you like your thrills chilly, bloody and with claims to social relevance.” ( Time Out)

What listeners say about High-Rise

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Anarchy

Beautifully narrated by Hiddleston, I could listen to his voice for hours. Ballard describes a tower ranked by class, turned to anarchy by inconveniences which one could relate to today’s society. I went on to watch the movie, with Hiddleston as Laing, and it was well depicted by good script and great acting. It is worth reading the book first with Ballard’s fascinating description and literacy skills to entice the mind.

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a great thiller, a real page turning

great story. very patriarchal tho. the female characters needed more development, but it is a product of its time. Very very enjoyable

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Not for me

Not for me. The narration was very good but the book feels as though it is just the middle of a story and lacks any substantial development. I spent a long time wondering if I had somehow missed chapters at the beginning. I often appreciate this approach to storytelling but this one didn't engage me.

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Great story!

Being completely honest, I only bought this book because Tom Hiddleston was the narrator. But I'm glad I did, this was an amazing book! I will certainly listen to this again!

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Great read

2nd listen through was better than the first! Tom Hiddleston was amazing as narrator, would recommend if you liked the film adaptation.
Theme is also intriguing, enjoy seeing social heirarchy being picked apart like this.

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Dull, Tedious, Labored

Thought this sounded like an interesting story. Unfortunately it turned out to be very dull and tedious. One of those book you keep slogging through because you think it is going to get good at any moment - it doesn't. I am sure it has some deep meaning or commentary on society but it was beyond me - I just wanted an entertaining story.

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