The Drowned World (The Drowned World - Ballard J.G.)

Member Name: edie

Product:	The Drowned World - Ballard J.G.
Date:	23/07/01 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wondeful descriptions, Easy to read

Disadvantages: Too short

The Drowned world was J G Ballard's first novel and it introduced his style of psychologically based science fiction that would be developed in his later books. Although I don't think its his best it's one of my favourites possibly because it's the first one of his books I read. But also because it's a very filmic novel. It often recalls Apocalypse Now, with its oppressive sweltering jungles and one character Strangman was clearly created in the Kurtz mould. Although since that film hadn't been made yet, it was probably more influenced by Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

It is set in the future about 50 years from now where the ice caps have melted and the majority of the world (as described by the title) is now underwater. The Drowned World was published in 1962 so it was quite prophetic about the effects of global warming. But fortunately its no Waterworld type tale. Typically for Ballad's cerebral writing, he concentrates less of the mechanics of this water world and more on the effect it induces on his characters

The story takes place in a London that is now a subtropical lagoon and the characters are a group of soldiers and scientists on an expedition to record its ecology. Plus the obligatory beautiful mysterious female Beatrice who lives alone in the top floor of the flooded Ritz. They are all slowly going mad through constant heat, water, giant reptiles and haunted by a collective sense of deja vu. But some much-needed action is brought by the arrival of waterborne nut case (the aptly named) Strangman who travels around with his ramshackle, private army in an old gambling paddleboat collecting works of art. Strangman drains the lagoon to collect paintings from museums and inevitably there is a confrontation with the biologist Kerans who has grown oddly attached to the water.

The Drowned World is not a totally satisfying read. The novel explores the theme that the world was reverting to a Jurassic age of
swamps and giant lizards and the characters experiencing a primal memory of this prehistory. It's an interesting premise (Though after constant references I wanted to say "Enough, I get it already.") but apart from that there's little to The Drowned World in the way of plot and charcterisation.

The world he creates is a fascinating one and there's mesmerizing descriptions of the lush insanity of Strangman's boat: roulette tables, salvaged Renaissance paintings, algae and alligators. There's memorable set pieces like the diver's dreamlike-descent into the flooded Planetarium and the draining of the lagoon to reveal a soggy, dead-fish strewn Leicester Square. But in only 175 pages I wanted to explore it more. The Drowned World is not as well developed as it could be although it does make for a intruging, nightmarish diversion. Let's hope it never comes true.

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