Empire of the Sun
Encyclopedia
Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard
which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
. Like Ballard's earlier short story, "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future
), it is essentially fiction but draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II
. The name of the novel refers to the Kanji
characters of the Empire of Japan
.
Ballard later wrote a sequel, entitled The Kindness of Women
.
occupy the Shanghai International Settlement
, and in the following chaos Jim becomes separated from his parents.
He spends some time in abandoned mansions, living on remnants of packaged food, but is soon picked up by the Japanese and interned in the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center
.
Although the Japanese are "officially" the enemies, Jim identifies partly with them, both because he adores the pilots with their splendid machines and because he feels that Lunghua is still a comparatively safe place for him in these times.
Towards the end of the war, with the Japanese army collapsing, the food supply runs short. Jim barely survives, with people around him starving to death.
in 1987. The screenplay was filmed by Steven Spielberg
, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars
and winning three British Academy Awards
(for cinematography, music and sound). It starred 13-year-old Christian Bale
, as well as John Malkovich
and Miranda Richardson
.
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...
. Like Ballard's earlier short story, "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future
Myths of the Near Future
Myths of the Near Future is a short-story collection by J. G. Ballard, first published in 1982.It contains the following stories:*"Myths of the Near Future"...
), it is essentially fiction but draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The name of the novel refers to the Kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
characters of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
Ballard later wrote a sequel, entitled The Kindness of Women
The Kindness of Women
The Kindness of Women is a 1991 novel by British author J.G. Ballard. A sequel to his 1984 novel Empire of the Sun, which drew on the author's boyhood in Shanghai during World War II, The Kindness of Women presents a lightly fictionalized treatment of Ballard's life from Shanghai through to...
.
Plot
The novel recounts the story of a young British boy, Jim Graham, who lives with his parents in Shanghai. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
occupy the Shanghai International Settlement
Shanghai International Settlement
The Shanghai International Settlement began originally as a purely British settlement. It was one of the original five treaty ports which were established under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the first opium war in the year 1842...
, and in the following chaos Jim becomes separated from his parents.
He spends some time in abandoned mansions, living on remnants of packaged food, but is soon picked up by the Japanese and interned in the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center
Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center
Lunghua Civil Assembly Centre was one of the internment camps eventually established by the Empire of Japan in Shanghai for European and American citizens, who had anyway been resident under Japanese occupation since December 1941. James Graham Ballard was interned in the camp as an adolescent...
.
Although the Japanese are "officially" the enemies, Jim identifies partly with them, both because he adores the pilots with their splendid machines and because he feels that Lunghua is still a comparatively safe place for him in these times.
Towards the end of the war, with the Japanese army collapsing, the food supply runs short. Jim barely survives, with people around him starving to death.
Film adaptation
The book was adapted by Tom StoppardTom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
in 1987. The screenplay was filmed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and winning three British Academy Awards
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
(for cinematography, music and sound). It starred 13-year-old Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
, as well as John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
and Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
.
External links
- Listen to J. G. Ballard discussing Empire of the Sun - a British Library recording.
- http://www.rickmcgrath.com/jgb.html The Terminal Collection: J. G. Ballard First Editions.