It took me an unusually long time to complete this book. But I stuck to my guns and finished it... eventually.
The plotline is mind-numbingly simple: newly-sacked advertising executive Pearson travels to suburban England from cosmopolitan London after he learns of his father's death from a random shooting in a suburban mall. In his quest to find his father's killer, he hopes to find the father he never knew as well as find some meaning in his own life. He becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy which eventually embroils him in all the kitsch, glitter and façade of the consumerism sham.
My thoughts about the book, simply put: I don't like the book because it is disturbing and way out in the weird curve. Before doing this review, I did some research and learnt that Ballard is well-known for creating dark and pessimistic landscapes of the world. His vision of the world usually invokes the wasteland and post-modern decay at its most bleak form. No wonder.Kingdom Come's extremity made it very depressing to follow, which accounted for why I stopped the book several times before finishing it. Notwithstanding, I have to concede that Ballard's prose and vision of a world dedicated to serving a consumerist god is rather compelling to follow.
The book left me with a mildly disturbing aftertaste in my mouth, much in the way (Philip)Roth's books work for me.
Rating: 2 out of 5 geek points
Random trivial: Ballard passed away in Apr 09 this year. Read more about him here.
1 comment:
I actually read a book by Ballard some time back too - 'Rushing to Paradise'. But it left a little weird aftertaste, and I couldn't quite bring myself to write a full review on it.
Glad I'm not alone :P
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