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Title: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, Yuji Oniki ISBN: 1-56931-778-X Publisher: Viz Communications Pub. Date: 26 February, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.48 (42 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting read...if you're willing to stomach the violence
Comment: Battle Royale is a very fresh book; I've never read anything like it before. Takami sucessfully blends high-octane action with a deep, interesting look on the nature of authoritarian governments.
The book's plot is along the lines of this: a class of 42 ninth-graders (Japanese) are unexpectedly entered into a government-run "ultimate survival" game. The students must kill each other, and the last student standing wins. There are rules of course (time-limits and "dog collars" which prevent the student from running away, etc.), but killing is the main idea of the story.
Now, from what I've described, this book may just seem like a mindless, trashy action book. But it's not. It's also a story about human nature: love, hate, and the will to survive.
Koushun Takami does a good job with making memorable characters. Though the typical non-Japanese reader may be a little confused by the sheer amount of unfamiliar Japanese names in the beginning, the reader really grows to "know" these students, and he/she will become attached to them.
The only turn-off about this book is the violence content. There is a LOT of violence here, and Takami does not limit his descriptions about the brutal deaths. If you're not one to take a liking to reading about gruesome, horrible deaths, then I would not recommend this book. But, if you think you can handle it, then go right ahead and take a look.
When I first picked up Battle Royale, I was hooked. The "different" storyline, memorable characters, and interesting morals presented made me addicted to this book. Go ahead, read this book. You won't regret it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Alternate history + philosophical slasher = GOLD!
Comment: Set in an alternate history, where the populace is ruled over by practically brainwashed secret police, and the people who don't know any better, Battle Royale takes the simple premise of a class trip, and develops it's characters so well, you can't believe it. Being a high school student, it sounds like people I know star. The geeks, the freaks, the unpopular guild, (although a little less the psychopath) and puts a Sig Sauer in their hands. The mental breakdown of some characters is further advanced by Mr. Takami's clever usage of writing out character's thoughts into the narrative. Even if the person portrayed is an exact opposite to who you may be, you understand them.
It's also amazing how many teen and govermental issues are firmly addressed. Rape, suicide, teen sex, basic mischief, Rock N' Roll (Even though the Greater East Asia Republic outlaws it) you name it, it's here. Aside from descriptions of gore and politics, enough humanity shines through for this book to get it's point across. It's not "This could happen to you", it's "If this happened to you... what would you do?"
Rating: 4
Summary: Ridiculous, Hilarious, Corny, Entertaining
Comment: Having just read "Battle Royale" last week, I can assure you that it is not the deep, thought-provoking classic novel that some Amazon reviewers have made it out to be. "Lord of the Flies" is still pretty secure atop the "commentary on human nature, using kids killing each other on islands as a microcosm of society" genre. With that said, it's still a highly entertaining read and is definitely worth your time.
The novel is about a class of 42 Japanese students, randomly selected by the government to take part in an annual "program" that pits the students against each other in a fight for survival. The last survivor is the winner. He or she gets to appear on the news, and wins an autographed photo of the Dictator, the leader of this fictional Japanese fascist regime.
Many have described "Battle Royale" as thought-provoking, and I suppose it is if you're younger and haven't read too many books. This book is clearly trying to make some social commentary, but it does so vaguely and in very general terms. Essentially, we "learn" that people who seem trustworthy and stand-up can turn ugly and vicious in situations where it's them or you, and that fascist dictators are a bunch of jerks who want to prevent you from living freely, loving, and listening to rock n' roll. The only thought this novel inspired in me was the thought of what I would do when faced with a situation like this; this factor alone makes the book highly entertaining.
Also entertaining is the brilliant comedy found throughout the novel. A particularly intelligent student finds a computer, gets it running by hooking it up to a car battery, and tries to save himself and his classmates with his hacking skills (and if you think this is completely implausible and preposterous, just wait for the ending). Also keep your eyes out for the class clown's thoughts as he tumbles down a hill, the gay kid (i laughed for about 10 minutes straight at some of the things he says) and the snobby, rich violin player.
Four stars for "Battle Royale". Its comedy (intentional or otherwise), violence, simplistic (but oddly charming) attempts at social commentary, and overall ridiculousness and implausibility make it a must if you're looking for a fun read.
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Title: Ring by Koji Suzuki, Robert B. Rohmer, Glynne Walley, Kkoji Suzuki ISBN: 1932234004 Publisher: Vertical, Inc. Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Battle Royale, Book 1 by Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi ISBN: 1591823145 Publisher: Tokyopop Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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Title: Battle Royale, Book 2 by Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi ISBN: 1591823153 Publisher: Tokyopop Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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Title:Battle Royale ASIN: B00005Y7L4 Publisher: Import [Generic] Pub. Date: 27 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $27.99 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $25.19 |
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Title: Battle Royale, Vol. 3 by Koshun Takami, Masayunki Taguchi, Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi ISBN: 1591823161 Publisher: Tokyopop Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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