Empire of the Sun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Cover of the first edition (hardback) |
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| Author | J. G. Ballard |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Autobiographical, War novel |
| Publisher | Gollancz |
| Released | 13 September 1984 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 278 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-575-03483-1 (first edition, hardback) |
| Followed by | The Kindness of Women |
- This article is about the 1984 novel. For the film see Empire of the Sun (film)
Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard. Though it is essentially fiction, it draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II. It recounts the story of a young English boy, Jim Graham (Ballard's own first names are James Graham), who is living with his parents in Shanghai just before its capture by the Japanese.
The novel was developed from an earlier short story, "The Dead Time", published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future. Ballard later wrote a sequel to the book, called The Kindness of Women.
[edit] Film adaptation
The book was adapted for the big screen by Tom Stoppard and Menno Meyjes in 1987. Their 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 a 13-year-old Christian Bale, as well as John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson. It also featured a young Ben Stiller in a bit part.
