Empire of the SunEmpire of the Sun
Score Classic
What it's about
Jim is eleven, the son of a wealthy British family in Shanghai, when Japan attacks in December 1941. Separated from his parents in the chaos, he roams the empty mansions of the city, then ends up in a Japanese internment camp, where he survives for years by wits and adaptability, fascinated by the Japanese pilots at the airfield next door.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker finalist, and Spielberg's film starred a young Christian Bale. It's based on Ballard's own childhood.
You'll love it if you liked
The Book Thief
The Diary of a Young Girl
All the Light We Cannot SeeGood to know
It's harrowing, with starvation, death and war violence seen through a child's eyes.
By the numbers
- Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #148 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #595 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2081 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Invisible Man
Seventh Son
Double Star
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
The Wasp Factory
The GiverExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Empire of the Sun worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker finalist, and Spielberg's film starred a young Christian Bale. It ranks #2,081 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Empire of the Sun about?
Jim is eleven, the son of a wealthy British family in Shanghai, when Japan attacks in December 1941. Separated from his parents in the chaos, he roams the empty mansions of the city, then ends up in a Japanese internment camp, where he survives for years by wits and adaptability, fascinated by the Japanese pilots at the airfield next door.
How long does it take to read Empire of the Sun?
About 10 hours (388 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Empire of the Sun?
If you liked it, try The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.