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Battle Royale: The Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 16,830 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In an alternative future Japan, junior high students are forced to fight to the death!
Koushun Takami’s notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: A class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan—where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller—Battle Royale is a Lord of the Flies for the twenty-first century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world. Made into a controversial hit movie of the same name, Battle Royale is already a contemporary Japanese pulp classic.
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"It took a while to get used to the characters' names, since they are very non-Western sounding. Once you get past that, though, it is a fantastic read! Not terribly long, so you could probably finish it over the course of a rainy weekend if you wanted to. The ending is absolutely fantastic! Quite the emotional roller-coaster ride. I won't spoil it, though :)"
— Elizabeth (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An insanely entertaining pulp riff.”
— Stephen King
Battle Royale Listener Reviews
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" OMG!! This is so, so, so much better than The Hunger Games! "
— Melly, 2/7/2014 -
" I simply loved this book. It's truly a work of art. Kazuo is the best. "
— Koby, 2/6/2014 -
" If you still don't think The Hunger Games was a rip-off of this, read the book. "
— Priyanka, 1/22/2014 -
" Best book EVER, truly a masterpiece. As Stephen King said, "Insanely Entertaining" "
— Michael, 1/12/2014 -
" Outstanding story. English translation is superbly written (i.e. very few if any translation oddities). "
— Bob, 12/30/2013 -
" I just couldn't get into it. The author keeps hinting at an escape plot, and a fight-the-system sort of story line, which I like, but he's taking too long to get there. It's mostly just everybody talking about who they have a crush on, and then dying in various ways. "
— Fitzgerald, 12/4/2013 -
" The Hunger Games before The Hunger Games existed... But gorier. UH. MAY. ZING. "
— Kat, 11/8/2013 -
" Thrilling and gory. This novel will really appeal to today's generation as it is quite shocking. There are some pretty hardcore governmental underlying messages though. Overall, I loved it, read it in two days. "
— Lauren, 7/5/2013 -
" Awesome read, way better than "The hunger games" "
— Ashwin, 6/19/2013 -
" Battle Royale is one of those classic novels that is distinctly Japanese and proud of it. Some may balk at all the talk of who has a crush on who, but it's all melded into a tight story that's heavy on action and also social commentary. A winner in every way. "
— Rich, 1/14/2013 -
" One of my favorite all time reads. Kind of an updated Japanese version of Lord of the Flies. "
— Khristopher, 10/3/2012
About Koushun Takami
Koushun Takami is the author of Battle Royale, which was a finalist for the Kadokawa Mystery Prize. With its publication in Japan in 1999, Battle Royale received widespread support from young readers and became an international bestseller. In 2000 the book was adapted as a manga and made into a popular feature film.
About Mark Dacascos
Mark Dacascos is an actor and martial artist. His roles include the chairman on Iron Chef America, Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-0, and Kung Lao in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.