Concrete island
Book • 1974
Concrete Island, published in 1974, tells the story of Robert Maitland, an architect who crashes his car on a traffic island in London and becomes trapped.
The novel explores themes of isolation, alienation, and the breakdown of modern society as Maitland struggles to survive and escape his unusual prison.
As days pass, he encounters a squatter and a vagrant, forming a strange, uneasy alliance.
Ballard uses vivid imagery and psychological insight to depict Maitland's descent into a primal state, mirroring the disintegration of the urban landscape around him.
The novel critiques the dehumanizing effects of technology and the increasing disconnection of individuals within contemporary life.
The novel explores themes of isolation, alienation, and the breakdown of modern society as Maitland struggles to survive and escape his unusual prison.
As days pass, he encounters a squatter and a vagrant, forming a strange, uneasy alliance.
Ballard uses vivid imagery and psychological insight to depict Maitland's descent into a primal state, mirroring the disintegration of the urban landscape around him.
The novel critiques the dehumanizing effects of technology and the increasing disconnection of individuals within contemporary life.
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Joanne McNeil
Selected Novels | Joanne McNeil on J.G. Ballard
