Novel 8: Empire of the Sun by James Graham Ballard

The protagonist of the Empire of the Sun by James Graham Ballard is a boy named Jim. Secondary characters include Jim's parents; Basie, an American cabin-steward and Dr. Ransome. The antagonists are the Japanese. The story takes place during World War II in the Pacific theatre, specifically in Shangai, an open-air cinema, Lunghua camp and the area around Shangai. Jim is an English boy in Shangai and when the Japanese conquer the city, he is separated from his parents. He wanders through the city, is captured by the Japanese and is enclosed in an open-air cinema. Then, with Basie and Dr. Ransome, he is transferred to Lunghua camp. There his life continues and when Japan looses the war and the prisoners are freed, he does not know what to do without the Japanese and tries to find his parents. Eventually, he finds them and goes to England. This is a powerful story on the harsh conditions of Japanese prisoner camps.

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