Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Crash

Crash
Crash
Author: J. G. Ballard
ISBN-13: 9780374524128
ISBN-10: 0374524122
Publication Date: 4/1/1994
Pages: 224
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 17

3.5 stars, based on 17 ratings
Publisher: Noonday Press
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

4 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Crash on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very avant-garde psycho-science-fiction story of car-crash sex fetishists. Yes, that's right! Surprisingly very readable basis for the movie of the same name.
mattc avatar reviewed Crash on + 45 more book reviews
It seems like I keep hearing about this book in various literary circles, including some people whose opinions I respect. When I read it, my first response was to be a little shocked. It's sex scenes are intense, graphic, and constant. Second, I was a little grossed out. How many times do I need to hear about semen dripping off some part of a smashed car? But obviously the book was meant to be disturbing. The shock value is necessary. But as I reflected on this, what else is there besides the shock value? The plot is actually almost nonexistant. The sex and violence become repetitive, and at the end, the book is incredibly dull. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I suspect the weirdness of the novel works to conceal the utter tedium of this pointless exercise in twisted eroticism.
reviewed Crash on + 5 more book reviews
Brilliant Ballard. Not for everyone and definitely not your traditional sci-fi, but if you like weird and psychological stuff then maybe this is for you. Hey, David Cronenberg did the movie for this novel, enough said. I place Ballard right next to Philip K. Dick for this type of novel.
reviewed Crash on
I found this book very hard to read, i read more than half of it and decided that i didnt even care what happened. The characters are not believable in the least, the story is very slow, and lots of repetitive scenes involving cars and sexual intercourse. Although i expected something dark and edgy, this book has as much edge as a butter knife.