Battle Royale: The Novel [Paperback]

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: Haika Soru; 2nd edition (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421527723
• ISBN-13: 978-1421527727
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  

By : Koushun Takami
List Price : $16.99
Price : $10.19
You Save : $6.80 (40%)

 

Battle Royale: The Novel [Paperback]

 

Consumer Critiques

This revised English translation of Koushun Takami's spectacular debut novel could not come at a improved time. It has been out of print from VIZ for a handful of years now, but their new Haikasoru imprint is best for bringing it back. This "notorious, high-octane thriller," presents a gripping story that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It is a straight forward story. A group of 42 high-school students are taken to an evacuated island, offered weapons and a time limit, and forced to kill each and every other till only one particular of them is left standing.
1st off, why is this a have to-get?
1. The translation has been improved. The 1st edition was rife with typographical errors, and a lot more than when a character would be addressed with another's name. I asked the Haikasoru editor personally, and he mentioned the book received a line-by-line edit, so this improved, tidied translation is one thing to be excited about.
2. A 22-page afterword by author Koushun Takami! This will be "his longest published perform because the novel itself," according to the Haikasoru website. His own opinion on the cult status of his own creation is some thing no fan should really miss.
three. A new forward to the novel by Max Allan Collins. The prolific Road to Perdition writer knows a point or two about decent fiction, and there can by no means be also lots of essays about really good novels by fine novelists.
4. Last but not least, an interview with the director of the initially Battle Royale film, Kinji Fukasaku. Sadly, Fukasaku died in 2003, so this will be an old interview, published in English for the initial time. It will be fascinating to know the opinions of this master director, who so perfectly adapted a film for a significantly younger generation than his own.
It is generally mentioned that the most beneficial fiction does not give answers, but rather asks concerns. That is Exactly what this book does. When a single reads it, one particular inevitably asks, "What would I do in this circumstance?" The easy moral dilemma presented in this book will lead not just to introspection, but to some fun, speculative conversations with good friends and family members. I very first read the book six years ago. Immediately after all this time, it still gets brought up in conversation, and it is a testament to the strength of the story that I am nonetheless so excited at present for this new edition. The book does not just excel as a conversation-starter, yet. Attached to the straight forward conflict of the story is a particularly, especially gripping narrative with living, breathing characters. When the psychological examination of a few characters drives the story along the most of the way, the reader is given glimpses into the minds of all 42 students. Far from getting confusing, this essentially draws the reader additional into the story.
New words by the author himself, an interview with the director of the film, and a forward by a modern day master of fiction are 3 factors that could, individually, motivate one to pick up this second edition of Battle Royale. What tends to make this buy a necessity for the fan or new reader, even so, is all of this packaged with a revised translation. When again, if you are a fan of the book, the manga, or the films, this book will prove a great excuse to reacquaint yourself with the franchise.
Personally, I preserve that the novel itself is the most effective way to encounter the story. I believe the author feels that the manga is the best way. Undoubtedly, some would side with the films. Regardless, none of them are anything much less than entertaining. If you are a fan of Battle Royale, pick this up, it will be worth it.
If you are not a fan however, this is, in my opinion, the perfect spot to start out.

I was 1st introduced to "Battle Royale" by a beneficial friend of mine who mentioned I just HAD to watch the movie. It took me a whilst 'cause the film is not distributed in the U.S. and, therefore, is challenging to purchase or rent. Finally, I located it to rent and the film was astounding ... phenomenal! I had bought the book (the novel NOT the manga) a couple of months ago (just before watching the film) but hadn't gotten about to reading it but. Immediately after watching the film, I just HAD to read it and finally picked it up and began reading all 620 pages within a week or so.
All I can say about the book is: it is 10 times better than the movie This book is clever and insane at the same time, producing it a terrific, cannot-place-the-book-down-type of read! As was mentioned in a single of the earlier reviews, you wouldn't believe it'd be simple and easy to keep up with the 42 students but, after a even though, it is. In contrast to the movie (which was especially great for the time they had to preserve it down to), the book is observed through pretty much just about every character's point of view and the action scenes as well as the explanation of injuries and deaths is so well-written and described that you can not assist but wonder what author Koushun Takami is going to write for his subsequent book.
I do have to admit that I'm a enormous Bruce Springsteen fan and since the novel mentions him and quotes a single of his renowned songs for the duration of a essential finish scene of the book, my liking of this book grew hugely! The reality that Takami was in a position to comment on not only young adult matters but also of country politics and economics, pc hacking, fascism and emotional concerns (plus the significance of rock music and its influence) is astounding! All of these issues are addressed within this book with no sounding preachy and complicatedly overdiscussed to the point of boredom. He writes with such expertise and detail of computer system hacking and homemade bomb-generating that it tends to make the reader wonder if he has individual encounter with these issues or not.
Like I mentioned, the reader Definitely gets to know extra of the characters and their emotions in this book, which tends to make it all the more tragic when each come to their demise. Mainly because there are 42 various characters, there are several stories, emotions and thoughts varying of like, hate, sadness, worry, and hope that you see through every individual. Simply because of not only our, but the world's, desensitized views on violence, I assume individuals who read or hear about this book (and see the film) really don't take in the extreme seriousness of the plot: Think about getting to kill your pals (... your most beneficial close friends, for that matter) to survive. Could you do it? Could you in fact reside with memories like that? The thought alone is scary as hell and these 9th grade students have to do just that!
The book is a mix of A Clockwork Orange, Lord of the Flies (Perigee), 1984 (Signet Classics), and Stephen King's The Running Man and The Lengthy Walk all in 1. I've continually been impressed with books, movies or Television shows that are ensemble and concentrate on a group of persons rather than just two or 1 individual(s). And the characters in this are all so wonderfully described that you wonder what would turn into of them or what they would be like if you knew them in actual life. If you wondered why some components of the movie were the way they had been, then read the book and it answers fairly much every thing. There is also a outstanding really like story (without becoming as well mushy) and A lot of action and plot twists. I do have to warn squeamish readers that this book is incredibly descriptive and violent. There aren't genuinely any sexual situations but the violence is plentiful. Like the movie Final Destination (New Line Platinum Series), close to the middle of the first component of the book, you morbidly begin asking yourself how the subsequent student will meet their death. And every death can be seen as a metaphoric failure-in-life given that of that character's character flaw below tension, which would lead to their failure in life mainly because of the usual stresses that life can often bring (i.e. SPOILER -- the young couple commit suicide rather than fight to survive and live their sort of really like has blinded them 'cause they can not think about living with no each and every other). Fear and selfishness are the accurate enemies which lead to death in this story.
The only flaw with the initial edition was considering that it was translated from Japanese to English, there had been at times grammatical errors and words missing but in this edition, they're all improved! Also included that's new to this edition is a forward by Max Allan Collins (The Road to Perdition), an afterword by the author (believe of it almost as a "commentary" on the book), and a interview with the director of the 2000 film, Kinji Fukasaku (The Yakuza Papers - Battles With out Honor Humanity (Total Box Set), generally the Japanese The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset DVD).
This book is simply one of the most beneficial stories I've ever read! In the form of a survival/violent action story, the plot is certainly about studying to make your way in the globe and not becoming afraid to go out there and live. Life can be scary but its worth living.