Author - Koushun Takami
ISBN - 9784872334523
Publication Date - November 17, 2009
Plot - Developed as an alternative time line for Japan, where they have joined a block of nations under a totalitarian ruler, society has been forced to bend to the will of its government. A group of innocent junior high kids is gassed on a bus and driven to a remote island setting to join a school and sign up for something known as "the program." As a secret project one discovers it is meant to keep the population subjugated. Every year, 50 third year high school students are separated and forced to fight for the death. Only one person is to survive the whole ordeal. They are given tracking collars around their necks. Anyone who attempts to escape, dies. Anyone who enters a forbidden zone, dies. And if everyone decides that they are not going to kill anyone, at the end of 24 hours, all of their collars detonate, and they all die.
Each person responds differently to their predicament. Some become cold and sadistic killers, others try to find a way out. Eventually there are four people left. Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa are first time fighters who really do not want to have to kill anyone but live to fight. Shogo Kawada has been in the program before and lived to tell the tale. Kazua Kiriyama is brutal and sadistic and wishes to rid himself of the three and survive. In a major battle they take out Kazuo and make their way to a big hill where they hope not to be spotted. Since most of the tracking is through microphone attached to their collars, Shogo fakes the shooting of the other two and takes off their collars, drawing the people in charge of the program to pick up Shogo as the winner. They all board the ship and overcome security. Shogo ends up dying from his wounds, and the two others escape, trying to find solace in the freedom of America.
Each person responds differently to their predicament. Some become cold and sadistic killers, others try to find a way out. Eventually there are four people left. Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa are first time fighters who really do not want to have to kill anyone but live to fight. Shogo Kawada has been in the program before and lived to tell the tale. Kazua Kiriyama is brutal and sadistic and wishes to rid himself of the three and survive. In a major battle they take out Kazuo and make their way to a big hill where they hope not to be spotted. Since most of the tracking is through microphone attached to their collars, Shogo fakes the shooting of the other two and takes off their collars, drawing the people in charge of the program to pick up Shogo as the winner. They all board the ship and overcome security. Shogo ends up dying from his wounds, and the two others escape, trying to find solace in the freedom of America.
Critical Review- Fascinating take on the being placed in a no one situation. It is a kind of combination of the Most Dangerous Game, with a lot of 1984 thrown in. While succumbing to some problems that are bound to occur with the translation of any work, as the original story was told in Japanese, there is a power to the story involved. There are some very important questions implied in the story. What should a society do when its government seems to want to control every aspect of their lives? Should a government have the power of life or death over its citizens? What does it mean to be human and how can one live humanely when put under circumstances that are bound to test the most honorable of people? There is such a beauty and simplicity to the tale, despite its complexities and nearly 600 pages in length. It is no wonder that other artists have told such similar tales throughout time, including the Hunger Games.
Reader's Annotation- How does one live when you are forced to kill the people you love? Can one truly be a friend in such a circumstance? What does it mean to be human? Takami explores all of those themes beautifully in Battle Royale.
Reader's Annotation- How does one live when you are forced to kill the people you love? Can one truly be a friend in such a circumstance? What does it mean to be human? Takami explores all of those themes beautifully in Battle Royale.
About the Author- Koushun Takami was born and raised in Japan, near Osaka. He grew up with a love of reading and literature and would eventually get a degree in literature. Initially going to further his education through correspondence he dropped out.
Through this he found himself working for a news company. They were involved in politics and world affairs. Through which he attained a good idea of government and politics and how the political system works. While completed after he left the news company, Battle Royale has been Takami's signature work of literature thus far. It allowed him to explore his ideas about politics and power structure through a powerful story about life and humanity.
Through this he found himself working for a news company. They were involved in politics and world affairs. Through which he attained a good idea of government and politics and how the political system works. While completed after he left the news company, Battle Royale has been Takami's signature work of literature thus far. It allowed him to explore his ideas about politics and power structure through a powerful story about life and humanity.
Genre-Science fiction / Horror
Curriculum Ties - Compare and contrast Battle Royale with other like minded science fiction fare, from the movie Logan's Run, to the more recent futuristic novel the Hunger Games. - Literature
Booktalking Ideas - Have each person in the group discuss what it means for them to be human. Keep a list and see how much they are willing to ignore if they consider their lives were on the line.
Reading Level/Interest Age - Grade 10 +
Challenge Issues - Death and destruction are leveled against teenage children. There might be some objection to the level of violence, especially considering the age groups involved.
Overcoming challenges - Develop a work sheet that asks some of the thought provoking questions of the novel. Be sure to have a worksheet available to parents so that they can work through some of the issues involved in the novel with their children.
Overcoming challenges - Develop a work sheet that asks some of the thought provoking questions of the novel. Be sure to have a worksheet available to parents so that they can work through some of the issues involved in the novel with their children.
Why Included - My wife ended up telling me about the movie while I was reading Hunger Games. She surprised me with a similar story. As I went to look it up I found that it was originally a novel, and I found it a must read as I liked the story of Hunger Games so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment