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 27 November 2024.]
