Ballard's novel

High-Rise

(1975) begins three months after a series of unusual events in which the inhabitants of a London tower block descend into barbarity and madness. Robert Laing, a medical doctor and a key figure in the novel, is sitting on the balcony of his apartment reflecting on the event that first signalled this return to primordial being: the explosive appearance of a champagne bottle knocked onto his 25th floor veranda from a party taking place six floors above. This striking image – a representation of civility falling into violence and self-destruction – provides the framing idea for a story concerned with atavistic degeneration, violence and psychological breakdown, urban space and its effects upon individual and group ethics, and the consequences of applying…

1196 words

Citation: Waddell, Nathan. "High-Rise". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 January 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4753, accessed 29 March 2024.]

4753 High-Rise 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.