Concrete Island

( 1 )

Overview

On a day in April, just after three o'clock in the afternoon, Robert Maitland's car crashes over the concrete parapet of a high-speed highway onto the island below, where he is injured and, finally, trapped. What begins as an almost ludicrous predicament in Concrete Island soon turns into horror as Maitland-a wickedly modern Robinson Crusoe-realizes that, despite evidence of other inhabitants, this doomed terrain has become a mirror of his own mind. Seeking the dark outer rim of the everyday, Ballard weaves ...
See more details below
Available through our Marketplace sellers.
See All Options
Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (5) from $26.05   
  • Used (5) from $26.05   
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Note: Marketplace items are not eligible for any BN.com coupons and promotions
$26.05
Time For Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(565)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Very Good
0374128073 Very Nice Copy--SPEEDY SHIPPING/100% Money BACK Guarantee!

Ships from: Clermont, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$52.00
ZENO'S CA
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(12)

Condition: Very Good
New York. 1974. Farrar Straus Giroux. 1st American Edition. Very Good In Dustjacket. 176 pages. hardcover. 0374128073. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. keywords: Literature England. ... inventory # 1138. FROM THE PUBLISHER-With this book J. G. Ballard broadens his metaphor of the automobile as the symbol of modern life. While in his previous novel Crash he reiterated themes of technological violence and sexuality, he draws the reader into Concrete Island's wider range of vision through a highly suspenseful narrative. When his car jumps an embankment, Robert Maitland, a young architect, is thrown into a littered and unlandscaped traffic island beneath three converging highways. Shaken but uninjured, he climbs to the shoulder of one road to call for help. The swift flow of London traffic is unsympathetic, however, and no one will stop for him. Maitland's real ordeal begins when he is hit by the debris from a skidding car and hurled back into his sunken wasteland with a crippling leg injury. Unable to escape fro Read more Show Less

Ships from: San Francisco, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$74.90
Extremely_Reliable
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(7866)

Condition: Very Good
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$75.00
LW Currey NY
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(21)

Condition: Acceptable
[1974] Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First U.S. edition. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 4-15. King list, p. 389. Winter list, p. 268. A fine copy in fine dust jacket. (#142530)

Ships from: Elizabethtown, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$100.00
Telegraph Books CA
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(246)

Condition: Very Good
1974 Very Good Signed by author 0374128073 Very Good. (Binding: Hardcover, Jacket: Very Good) Cloth, 21 cm, 176 pages. Signed by Ballard on title page. A very.

Ships from: Berkeley, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Close
Sort by
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

On a day in April, just after three o'clock in the afternoon, Robert Maitland's car crashes over the concrete parapet of a high-speed highway onto the island below, where he is injured and, finally, trapped. What begins as an almost ludicrous predicament in Concrete Island soon turns into horror as Maitland-a wickedly modern Robinson Crusoe-realizes that, despite evidence of other inhabitants, this doomed terrain has become a mirror of his own mind. Seeking the dark outer rim of the everyday, Ballard weaves private catastrophe into an intensely specular allegory.

Author Biography: J.G. Ballard is the author of numerous books, including Empire of the Sun, the underground classic Crash, and The Kindness of Women. He is revered as one of the most important writers of fiction to address the consequences of twentieth-century technology. His latest book is Super-Cannes. He lives in England.

"This is the excellent stuff of classic castaway adventure, stiffened here by contemporary overtones that call into question social values." San Francisco Chronicle

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Visionary of both style and substance . . . the literary equivalent of Salvador Dalí or Max Ernst."—The Washington Post Book World

"Ballard's novels are complex, obsessive, frequently poetic, and always disquieting chronicles of nature rebelling against humans, of the survival of barbarism in a world of mechanical efficiency, of ethropy, anomie, breakdown, ruin . . . The blasted landscapes that his characters inhabit are both external settings and states of mind."—Luc Sante

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780374128074
  • Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Publication date: 1/1/1974
  • Pages: 176

Meet the Author

J. G. Ballard is the author of numerous books, including Empire of the Sun, the underground classic Crash, and The Kindness of Women. He is revered as one of the most important writers of fiction to address the consequences of twentieth-century technology. His latest book is Super-Cannes. He passed away in 2009.

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 1 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 9, 2000

    Typical J.G. Ballard Style

    Ballard likes to throw supposedly 'average' characters into skewed situations and have them fight through it. In Concrete Island the character gets sucked right in and learns to love it more than his real life. This is a pretty harsh and realistic picture of the typical, rich, suburban husband. It has a good sense of humor going too.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 14, 2000

    Gripping, and Eccentric

    This is a fantastic read, I would recommend to anyone, who is into puzzling conclusions. It keeps you reading, and wanting more. Great book by JG Ballard.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)