High-Rise

By: J. G. Ballard

Narrated by: Tom Hiddleston

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

British actor Tom Hiddleston, well-known for portraying the supervillain Loki (The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World) and the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (Midnight in Paris), brings his acting versatility and smooth voice to this visionary tale by acclaimed author J.G. Ballard (Empire of the Sun). When a class war erupts inside a luxurious apartment block, modern elevators become violent battlegrounds, and cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors. Human society slips into violent reverse as once-peaceful residents, driven by primal urges, re-create a world ruled by the laws of the jungle.

©1975 J. G. Ballard (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Critic reviews

"Harsh and ingenious! High Rise is an intense and vivid bestiary, which lingers unsettlingly in the mind." (Martin Amis, New Statesman)

Society in Micro

I was doubtful at first of purchasing this, but the name Hiddleston brought me in and I was not disappointed.
The story starts in a rather mundane manner and slowly draws you in for later contrast. O found this whole story unsettling. If you are squeamish be prepared for discomfort, after all discomfort makes for a good look inward and challenges your point of view.
My reactions at times were a desire to strangle some of the characters.
I am recommending this story to anyone I can. Finishing it was a sweet release.

Hard To Swallow

The story is an interesting one that left me feeling a little uneasy, I enjoyed it very much however and would recommend it.

Fairly one beat storytelling

I enjoyed the story and the examination of our base instincts and nature and how we could potentially recent back to a less evolved way of life, so very quickly.

While Tom Hiddleston is a great actor and wonderful in films....his narration is fairly pedantic and unenthusiastic.

Bonkers Dystopia

If you are a real stickler for dystopian fiction that follows a logical path to dystopia, this might not be for you. I didn't totally buy the path that we traveled down with our high rise neighbors. But, if you can suspend your disbelief just a little bit, this is a bananas story about a true urban jungle. Hiddleston's narration provides just the right sort of blase indifference that suits the novel's tone and balances the novel's insanity.

I found it a little disappointing that no women's perspectives were explored and we mostly had three men's perspective, but it was the '70s and I guess J.G. Ballard wasn't all that woke. On the other hand, it was the '70s but things felt very modern. Every now and again there would be a mention of a pay phone or a film camera but generally speaking, this felt like it could be set in 2018 as easily as any other late 20th/early 21st century era.

Heart of Darkness / Lord of the Flies skyscraper

J G Ballard's High-Rise is a fanciful of tale of life in a "high-rise," somewhat novel lifestyle for the 70's when the story is set. Built as a nearly fully self-contained living environment, the tower quickly degenerates into segregated groups with working class on the lower floors, professionals in the middle, and wealthy elites occupying the upper floors. The groups become territorial and begin restricting passage throughout the high-rise for services such as shops, groceries, and swimming pools by commandeering the elevators. At the same time, people avoid the outside world and even refrain from reporting crimes to the police. In the penthouse, sits the architect of the building and one individual from the lower floors attempts to confront him about the building.

This tale is a psychological fantasy where a single building becomes a microcosm for the larger collection of humans into densely packed cities. While much of the action appears unrealistic, it is simply mirroring behaviors happening all the time in most large metropolitan cities,

The narration is exceptional. Tom Hiddleston renders an excellent performance. It should be noted that Tom was sufficiently impressed with the writing to go on to produce and star in a cinematic adaptation of the work.

Lord of the Flies meets The Jefferson in England

The narration was supurb. The story was confusing as to the "Why" But then again, maybe that was the point. I would like to talk to someone who is much smarter than I am in the area of civilization and social structures as to what they thought about this book.

beautifully read and an interesting story

I really enjoyed this book, and Tom Hiddleston read it perfectly. want to hear it again!

..

I love listening to Tom Hiddleston read, I just wish it was the original book.

Unsettling

Tom Huddleston does wonders. The book made me uncomfortable, but I think that's part of the goal. To immerse yourself into a book so much you aren't sure how to feel about it in the end.

Lord of the Flies meets Smart City Infrastructure

Mr. Hiddelson should narrate more. I feel like I missed something elementary with the story though. It had me wanting to know more details of the overall decline. It went from subtle hints of what was to come to all out Lord of the Flies in too big a leap. Dying to see it visualized in a movie.