30 Jul 2007
Battle Royale (novel)
Right from the first time I saw the controversial feature film, I was utterly gripped by the concept and story of Battle Royale, the portrayal of a cruel government programme that pits an entire class of high-school students against each other in a fight to the death. Koushun Takami’s original novel is probably less well-known than its movie or manga incarnation, but for me at least exhibits the most affecting mixture of visceral violence and meticulous characterisation I’ve ever seen set to print.
