Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
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Book Reviews of Battle Royale
Book Review: Not Just A Game..
Summary: 5 Stars
..it really isn't. I have watched the movie beforehand, but the novel opened up my perspective so much more.
With 42 students taken to an evacuated island, given a randomly supplied weapon, and wearing collars to blow you up, this is one gory novel. All the students are forced to kill each other till there is only one player left (in other words "every man for himself")
Every character is written about, giving at least some background information about who they are and why they act the way they do. From the main characters to even the littlest ones, everyone has a different death scenario, with a reason behind it. With the lack of trust from each other, no one can be safe.
When I first picked up the novel, I immediately read through it and could not put it down. Each page filled with more details from chapter to chapter. It may be more than 600 pages long, but once you start reading it, you wouldnt even notice it was that big of a book. I also recommend watching the movie after you have read the book. Pick up the book sometime and enjoy!
Book Review: Alternate history + philosophical slasher = GOLD!
Summary: 5 Stars
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?"
Book Review: Incredible!
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best books I've read in the last 10 years! This story of a group of junior high students deposited on an island and told that only the one survivor will be allowed to leave alive, is simply amazing. The book moves along quickly (read all 600+ pages in about 6 hours) because it is almost impossible to put down... each chapter leaves you wanting to move on to the next. The whole time I was reading the novel, I couldn't help thinking, "How is this going to end?". I didn't think there was any way this book could give a satisfying ending. Well, I was wrong. The ending is really incredible and may in fact be the best part of this book.
Another concern heading into the book was how I was going to keep all the characters straight. It's not difficult at all and you really care for (or hate) the major characters. And even the secondary characters have great scenes that allow you to relate to them, even if they only have a few pages devoted to them.
Don't pass this book up. You won't regret reading it!
Book Review: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was recommended the book Battle Royale by a friend of mine. I picked it up and was a tad apprehensive about following along with all the Japanese names and the overall length (600+ pages for an action story).Needless to say there was nothing to worry about. Battle Royale tells one of the most creative, quickest, shocking, and most violent stories of any book I've read in the last few years.
The premise follows the sci-fi standard of the human death sport where we play until only one contestant survives. This time we're playing with middle school children on a remote island. You kill your classmates or they kill you. In the midst of the staggering action (and body count) we see plenty of unique personalities emerge and some of the battles are truly inventive. It kept me turning the pages.
Anyone who enjoys an exciting read should check out Battle Royale...and if you can't get your fix on Death Sports then I also strongly advise you to pick up THE LONG WALK and THE RUNNING MAN by Stephen King (aka Richard Bachman).
Book Review: Butchery and Mayhem
Summary: 5 Stars
I had my first exposure to the "Battle Royale" franchise through the movie, which I went to see expecting a seriously violent bloodbath. In that, the movie did not disappoint. However, the added sense of dark humour also was a surprise.
The book is also rather violent, and the detail is very graphic. However, the added information, depth of plot and also the characterisations seem to add something more. The characters in the book seem to be people you can connect with in many cases, (though not all). The action is fast paced and keeps you moving all through the story.
On the downer side, I found some significant printing errors in the English version, (which annoyed me a little). Also, some parts seemed a little contrived, though I will not mention which parts. ;-)
As a book, it can be enjoyed on a few different levels, from just a bloodbath to a deeper, critical work on human nature and other aspects of life. I just enjoyed a good read and was sorry to reach the end.