Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Ben Elton's new novel High Society initially appears to be a cautionary tale about Britain today, but its vision of a society totally in thrall to criminality has elements of the visionary novel about it. Happily, the state of the nation is not (yet) quite as awful as it's rendered in this terrifying kaleidoscope. We're taken into a world in which drug use holds total sway, and the whole world essentially functions as a single criminal network. From royalty and the upper crust to drug abusers and prostitutes--right across the social spectrum--we are (in Elton's unsparing universe) plunging into a criminal world.

Elton's cast of characters is massive, but all (notably a government minister who is trying to push through a bill to legalise drugs) are etched in with maximum vividness. Interestingly, although Elton casts a cold eye across the whole of society (including an unforgiving look at the media) the final effect of the book is anything but bleak. All the trademark wit is here, along with a sense of focus that is considerably more sophisticated than anything Elton has tackled before. As a serious satirical novel (yes, there is such a thing), High Society makes an indelible mark. --Barry Forshaw

Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Not his best, 17 Nov 2006
As an academic exercise this is fine: Elton makes his point persuasively -the war on drugs has been lost and the answer is legalisation and control - and his interweaving of characters and storylines is clever. But as a novel it's not his best by a long way: the 'uplifting' stories are completely unbelievable and the realistic ones just depressing; and the characters are so unsympathetic it's hard to care anyway.

Just read it..., 12 Jun 2006
The author covers some of the most taboo issues in today's society by splitting the book into a range of different stories and portraying a massive amount of characters. Elton takes us into the criminal world of drugs abuse. He shows how drugs affect every class and every branch of society - from prostitutes and the homeless up to the upper classes and royalty- and he does it well. Elton shows both sides of the argument between drug legalization and drug addiction.
Even though this book is fiction it makes you wonder about the truth behind it and it helps you get into the minds of hundreds of drug abusers and addicts around the world. This book is aimed at older readers due to its explicit nature and it is not written for the easily offended. This book is gruesome but impossible to put down.


Worth a read..., 17 May 2006
I was a bit uncomfortable when I started reading this book and thought that I was going to hate it after 20 pages, however the book and subject matter does grow on you.

Having read a number of BE's other novels, the skill with which he weaves a number of characters towards an inevitable conclusion is to be admired, if the result is a little predictable.

In the end I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what happened to one of the characters in particular.

The book is BE's take on how the British media has the power to make and then break people. These are subjects which have been close to BE throughout his comedy career, and his distaste for the media and modern politics in general, shines through.

High Society - Ben Elton, 03 Mar 2006
A ‘Must’ read! Usually I am into thrillers, but this had me gripped from the first page. It might be difficult for a non-native English speaker as Ben introduces many colloquial accents (Scottish & Brummie etc) fairly early on. The story was tragic, gripping and too true to life not to take seriously. In places it’s utterly shocking, eye opening and horrific, but it depicts the underworld that many of us choose to ignore. Which ever way you look at it drugs are evil and the barons behind them just get richer and richer.

A poignant chapter for me was when Tommy was left to fend for himself on the street after being beaten up and without his numerous ‘minder’s and ‘fixers’ to sort everything for him – how easy it would be to fall into the abyss of the homeless and the sordid drug related word.

I loved the ending, I know it’s only a story but I was left in deep thought about the thousands of addicted victims of this world.

Well done Ben!

He makes me sick, 21 Feb 2006
Ben Elton makes me sick. Comedy writer, comedian, playrite, producer and now novelist. As much as I wanted to criticise his writing skills or the plot or the characters, I can't. The book takes a candid look into the murky world of drugs and asks some searching questions of government policies and peoples attitude to one of society's major problem. Well written, well researched, simply fantastic.

Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Not his best, 17 Nov 2006
As an academic exercise this is fine: Elton makes his point persuasively -the war on drugs has been lost and the answer is legalisation and control - and his interweaving of characters and storylines is clever. But as a novel it's not his best by a long way: the 'uplifting' stories are completely unbelievable and the realistic ones just depressing; and the characters are so unsympathetic it's hard to care anyway.

Just read it..., 12 Jun 2006
The author covers some of the most taboo issues in today's society by splitting the book into a range of different stories and portraying a massive amount of characters. Elton takes us into the criminal world of drugs abuse. He shows how drugs affect every class and every branch of society - from prostitutes and the homeless up to the upper classes and royalty- and he does it well. Elton shows both sides of the argument between drug legalization and drug addiction.
Even though this book is fiction it makes you wonder about the truth behind it and it helps you get into the minds of hundreds of drug abusers and addicts around the world. This book is aimed at older readers due to its explicit nature and it is not written for the easily offended. This book is gruesome but impossible to put down.


Worth a read..., 17 May 2006
I was a bit uncomfortable when I started reading this book and thought that I was going to hate it after 20 pages, however the book and subject matter does grow on you.

Having read a number of BE's other novels, the skill with which he weaves a number of characters towards an inevitable conclusion is to be admired, if the result is a little predictable.

In the end I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what happened to one of the characters in particular.

The book is BE's take on how the British media has the power to make and then break people. These are subjects which have been close to BE throughout his comedy career, and his distaste for the media and modern politics in general, shines through.

High Society - Ben Elton, 03 Mar 2006
A ‘Must’ read! Usually I am into thrillers, but this had me gripped from the first page. It might be difficult for a non-native English speaker as Ben introduces many colloquial accents (Scottish & Brummie etc) fairly early on. The story was tragic, gripping and too true to life not to take seriously. In places it’s utterly shocking, eye opening and horrific, but it depicts the underworld that many of us choose to ignore. Which ever way you look at it drugs are evil and the barons behind them just get richer and richer.

A poignant chapter for me was when Tommy was left to fend for himself on the street after being beaten up and without his numerous ‘minder’s and ‘fixers’ to sort everything for him – how easy it would be to fall into the abyss of the homeless and the sordid drug related word.

I loved the ending, I know it’s only a story but I was left in deep thought about the thousands of addicted victims of this world.

Well done Ben!

He makes me sick, 21 Feb 2006
Ben Elton makes me sick. Comedy writer, comedian, playrite, producer and now novelist. As much as I wanted to criticise his writing skills or the plot or the characters, I can't. The book takes a candid look into the murky world of drugs and asks some searching questions of government policies and peoples attitude to one of society's major problem. Well written, well researched, simply fantastic.

The Reader - The Detective, 06 Apr 2008
In the Name of the Rose, is in many ways a frustrating book to read, because the reader required as much perseverance as the monk-turned-detective protagonist, William. It is a very top heavy book, complete with Latin phraseology, which in spite of Umberto Eco's obvious gift for narrative, is testing to navigate; many will begin and not finish. However, if you are a curious sort, and love to unravel a good mystery, you will no doubt continue - seven deaths is no mean body count for a secluded monastery - and finally reap the rewards of crossing the halfway point. The unravelling of the plot is brilliant - it questions stereotypes, tests faith, interrogates purity and most of all entertains. The labyrinth at the centre of the monastery is in many ways a metaphor for how the plot unfolds, with one final room that one finds oneself outside, but cannot enter.

For the lazy readers, a tip; each chapter has a summary of its contents and so you can actually decide to skip some chapters if you want to get to the meat. In all honesty some chapters just serve to illustrate the intelligence of William of Baskerville or to discuss other works (underlining Eco's post-modernist outlook), so you can do that without missing much. This is exactly what I did my first time, but I enjoyed the end so much that I went back to do the hard work.

I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable but challenging literary read; if you want untaxing entertainment, forget it - or maybe watch the film.

Thwarted, 25 Jan 2008
Having heard so many people rave about this book, I had high hopes and desperately wanted to like it. I have now attempted to read it twice, and each time it has thwarted me. While the actual plot is interesting, it is buried under so much rambling that you lost the interest (and the will) to continue. I personally won't be recommending it to anyone else.

A very good historical whodunnit, 29 Oct 2007
Having read this first and then afterwards most of Eco's other books too, "The Name of the Rose" still remains my favourite. There's a very good balance here between the pure historical whodunnit and the knowledge & learning conveyed in the book (and necessary to understand the whodunnit, while to my mind in the later books the 'learning' is much too predominant).

The atmosphere of a medieval abbey is very well done and, as it is secluded from the outside world, an abbey where a killer's on the loose is the perfect site to build up the tension. Add to that plenty of colourful characters and, in the right measure, a wealth of information on religious strife in the Middle Ages and what you get is a top-notch historical thriller!

A 20th century classic, 23 Aug 2007
The first time I tried to read this book as a 19 year old student desperately trying to impress my peers I abandoned it after less than a hundred pages as I found just too hard going. Several years later and at the insistence of several friends I tried again, this time determined to see it through to the end. It was, and remains, a revelation.

First of all, dispel any thoughts of the rather tame and dreary film that cam out in the 80s as it just did not do justice to this remarkable novel. Yes, it is frighteningly dark and sinister but there's a real warmth and kindly wisdom about Willaim of Baskerville and an endearing naivety from his young charge, Adso, to help the reader through the very grimmest of the plot developments.

While the setting provides a suitably unsettling backdrop to the grisly goings on, the heart of this book is in it's characters from the pious abbott, the disturbing Salvatore, the sinister Jorge and the downright terrifying Bernardo Gui of the dreaded Inquisition, all of whom are fleshed out with their own stories. Adso asks he questions the reader wants answered in a Dr Watson type way, while sleuthy William of Baskerville ( a none too subtle tip of the deerstalker hat to Arthur Conan Doyle by the author) provides the answers... and answers them with riddles.

The Name Of The Rose sheds a glimemr of light on a disturbing period of European history when plague and famine were a constant concern and religious fanatacism was the real power governing people's lives. While set several centuries ago, the theme of dogmatic zealots throwing their weight around to the peril of ordinary people is all too familiar in today's troubled times and modern day parallels are, sadly, all too easy to draw. That said, Umberto Eco does not launch an unbridled attack upon religion as he is very sympathetic to the genuine faith of many of the characters. Instead he targets those with blind faith who do not question themselves and use "the will of God" to subjugate and punish others, whether it is the men of the Inquisition or the heretical Cathars. That's not say it's a book about religion as that would miss out the murder mystery element, the sex, the architecture, the red herrings, etc.

Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose is a magnificent book of masterly storytelling and enlightening prose. Yes, it's hard work to get into, but then many great books are and the rewards are worth the effort so don't be put off. Ideal reading material for dark winter nights.

Read this, and don't bother with the film., 19 Jun 2007
Films often fail to capture the essence of the books they are based on. Case in point, here. Admittedly verbose in places, with passages in Latin etc, this book is still a marvel. You just have to exercise your judgement: skip the bits you find boring and wonder at the rest.

The Name of the Rose is a fascinating look at a forgotten world - a turn of the (first) millennium Benedictine monastery. This book is part historical novel, part forensic whodunit, part apocalyptic prophecy, with an insight into the conflicts rocking the then Christian church - between Holy Roman Emperor and Pope, Franciscans and Dominicans, heretics and scheming clerics, librarians and infidel philosophers, destitute villagers and powerful church figures. This book reeks the rich tapestry of all that life.

If you've read any of the other reviews, you'll probably know the background. Brother William of Baskerville is a former Inquisitor, entrusted with a secret mission on behalf of the Emperor. He's also an amateur detective of prodigious skill (something that is brilliantly revealed when he arrives at the Monastery and meets the abbey's cellarer). With his pupil Adso (the book's narrator) in tow, Br William has been dispatched to prepare for a meeting between representatives of the Franciscan order and the Pope, at a Benedictine Monastery in Northern Italy - with the Benedictines acting as hosts. Only they've had a bit of bother with one of the younger monks, and the abbot wondered if Br William could take a quick look ...

And the ending. Truly apocalyptic.

Ben Elton's Dead Famous brings together his talents in comedy and crime writing to produce a hilarious and devastating novel on the gruesome world of reality TV. Peeping Tom productions invent the perfect TV programme: House Arrest. Its slogan is: "One house. Ten contestants. Thirty cameras. Forty microphones. One survivor." This is all a clever parody of the massive TV hit Big Brother, with its vain, ambitious contestants with their:

tattoos and their nipple rings, their mutual interest in star signs, their endless hugging and touching, and above all their complete lack of genuine intellectual curiosity about one single thing on this planet that was not directly connected with themselves.

However, Elton adds a clever twist to this very funny send-up. On Day 27 of the programme, one of the housemates is killed live on TV. Everyone in the country has a theory about the killer, "indeed the only person who seemed to have absolutely no idea whatsoever of the killer's identity was Inspector Stanley Spencer Coleridge, the police officer in charge of the investigation". Coleridge is an old fogey from the 1950s, who has to learn quickly about lesbians, piercings, blow jobs and the seductions of TV fame before he can crack the case. Elton's wicked parody of the housemates is brilliant, the murder fiendish in its ingenuity, and the ending wonderfully over the top. Dead Famous is great fun, and even has some social comment thrown in for good measure. --Jerry Brotton

Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Not his best, 17 Nov 2006
As an academic exercise this is fine: Elton makes his point persuasively -the war on drugs has been lost and the answer is legalisation and control - and his interweaving of characters and storylines is clever. But as a novel it's not his best by a long way: the 'uplifting' stories are completely unbelievable and the realistic ones just depressing; and the characters are so unsympathetic it's hard to care anyway.

Just read it..., 12 Jun 2006
The author covers some of the most taboo issues in today's society by splitting the book into a range of different stories and portraying a massive amount of characters. Elton takes us into the criminal world of drugs abuse. He shows how drugs affect every class and every branch of society - from prostitutes and the homeless up to the upper classes and royalty- and he does it well. Elton shows both sides of the argument between drug legalization and drug addiction.
Even though this book is fiction it makes you wonder about the truth behind it and it helps you get into the minds of hundreds of drug abusers and addicts around the world. This book is aimed at older readers due to its explicit nature and it is not written for the easily offended. This book is gruesome but impossible to put down.


Worth a read..., 17 May 2006
I was a bit uncomfortable when I started reading this book and thought that I was going to hate it after 20 pages, however the book and subject matter does grow on you.

Having read a number of BE's other novels, the skill with which he weaves a number of characters towards an inevitable conclusion is to be admired, if the result is a little predictable.

In the end I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what happened to one of the characters in particular.

The book is BE's take on how the British media has the power to make and then break people. These are subjects which have been close to BE throughout his comedy career, and his distaste for the media and modern politics in general, shines through.

High Society - Ben Elton, 03 Mar 2006
A ‘Must’ read! Usually I am into thrillers, but this had me gripped from the first page. It might be difficult for a non-native English speaker as Ben introduces many colloquial accents (Scottish & Brummie etc) fairly early on. The story was tragic, gripping and too true to life not to take seriously. In places it’s utterly shocking, eye opening and horrific, but it depicts the underworld that many of us choose to ignore. Which ever way you look at it drugs are evil and the barons behind them just get richer and richer.

A poignant chapter for me was when Tommy was left to fend for himself on the street after being beaten up and without his numerous ‘minder’s and ‘fixers’ to sort everything for him – how easy it would be to fall into the abyss of the homeless and the sordid drug related word.

I loved the ending, I know it’s only a story but I was left in deep thought about the thousands of addicted victims of this world.

Well done Ben!

He makes me sick, 21 Feb 2006
Ben Elton makes me sick. Comedy writer, comedian, playrite, producer and now novelist. As much as I wanted to criticise his writing skills or the plot or the characters, I can't. The book takes a candid look into the murky world of drugs and asks some searching questions of government policies and peoples attitude to one of society's major problem. Well written, well researched, simply fantastic.

The Reader - The Detective, 06 Apr 2008
In the Name of the Rose, is in many ways a frustrating book to read, because the reader required as much perseverance as the monk-turned-detective protagonist, William. It is a very top heavy book, complete with Latin phraseology, which in spite of Umberto Eco's obvious gift for narrative, is testing to navigate; many will begin and not finish. However, if you are a curious sort, and love to unravel a good mystery, you will no doubt continue - seven deaths is no mean body count for a secluded monastery - and finally reap the rewards of crossing the halfway point. The unravelling of the plot is brilliant - it questions stereotypes, tests faith, interrogates purity and most of all entertains. The labyrinth at the centre of the monastery is in many ways a metaphor for how the plot unfolds, with one final room that one finds oneself outside, but cannot enter.

For the lazy readers, a tip; each chapter has a summary of its contents and so you can actually decide to skip some chapters if you want to get to the meat. In all honesty some chapters just serve to illustrate the intelligence of William of Baskerville or to discuss other works (underlining Eco's post-modernist outlook), so you can do that without missing much. This is exactly what I did my first time, but I enjoyed the end so much that I went back to do the hard work.

I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable but challenging literary read; if you want untaxing entertainment, forget it - or maybe watch the film.

Thwarted, 25 Jan 2008
Having heard so many people rave about this book, I had high hopes and desperately wanted to like it. I have now attempted to read it twice, and each time it has thwarted me. While the actual plot is interesting, it is buried under so much rambling that you lost the interest (and the will) to continue. I personally won't be recommending it to anyone else.

A very good historical whodunnit, 29 Oct 2007
Having read this first and then afterwards most of Eco's other books too, "The Name of the Rose" still remains my favourite. There's a very good balance here between the pure historical whodunnit and the knowledge & learning conveyed in the book (and necessary to understand the whodunnit, while to my mind in the later books the 'learning' is much too predominant).

The atmosphere of a medieval abbey is very well done and, as it is secluded from the outside world, an abbey where a killer's on the loose is the perfect site to build up the tension. Add to that plenty of colourful characters and, in the right measure, a wealth of information on religious strife in the Middle Ages and what you get is a top-notch historical thriller!

A 20th century classic, 23 Aug 2007
The first time I tried to read this book as a 19 year old student desperately trying to impress my peers I abandoned it after less than a hundred pages as I found just too hard going. Several years later and at the insistence of several friends I tried again, this time determined to see it through to the end. It was, and remains, a revelation.

First of all, dispel any thoughts of the rather tame and dreary film that cam out in the 80s as it just did not do justice to this remarkable novel. Yes, it is frighteningly dark and sinister but there's a real warmth and kindly wisdom about Willaim of Baskerville and an endearing naivety from his young charge, Adso, to help the reader through the very grimmest of the plot developments.

While the setting provides a suitably unsettling backdrop to the grisly goings on, the heart of this book is in it's characters from the pious abbott, the disturbing Salvatore, the sinister Jorge and the downright terrifying Bernardo Gui of the dreaded Inquisition, all of whom are fleshed out with their own stories. Adso asks he questions the reader wants answered in a Dr Watson type way, while sleuthy William of Baskerville ( a none too subtle tip of the deerstalker hat to Arthur Conan Doyle by the author) provides the answers... and answers them with riddles.

The Name Of The Rose sheds a glimemr of light on a disturbing period of European history when plague and famine were a constant concern and religious fanatacism was the real power governing people's lives. While set several centuries ago, the theme of dogmatic zealots throwing their weight around to the peril of ordinary people is all too familiar in today's troubled times and modern day parallels are, sadly, all too easy to draw. That said, Umberto Eco does not launch an unbridled attack upon religion as he is very sympathetic to the genuine faith of many of the characters. Instead he targets those with blind faith who do not question themselves and use "the will of God" to subjugate and punish others, whether it is the men of the Inquisition or the heretical Cathars. That's not say it's a book about religion as that would miss out the murder mystery element, the sex, the architecture, the red herrings, etc.

Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose is a magnificent book of masterly storytelling and enlightening prose. Yes, it's hard work to get into, but then many great books are and the rewards are worth the effort so don't be put off. Ideal reading material for dark winter nights.

Read this, and don't bother with the film., 19 Jun 2007
Films often fail to capture the essence of the books they are based on. Case in point, here. Admittedly verbose in places, with passages in Latin etc, this book is still a marvel. You just have to exercise your judgement: skip the bits you find boring and wonder at the rest.

The Name of the Rose is a fascinating look at a forgotten world - a turn of the (first) millennium Benedictine monastery. This book is part historical novel, part forensic whodunit, part apocalyptic prophecy, with an insight into the conflicts rocking the then Christian church - between Holy Roman Emperor and Pope, Franciscans and Dominicans, heretics and scheming clerics, librarians and infidel philosophers, destitute villagers and powerful church figures. This book reeks the rich tapestry of all that life.

If you've read any of the other reviews, you'll probably know the background. Brother William of Baskerville is a former Inquisitor, entrusted with a secret mission on behalf of the Emperor. He's also an amateur detective of prodigious skill (something that is brilliantly revealed when he arrives at the Monastery and meets the abbey's cellarer). With his pupil Adso (the book's narrator) in tow, Br William has been dispatched to prepare for a meeting between representatives of the Franciscan order and the Pope, at a Benedictine Monastery in Northern Italy - with the Benedictines acting as hosts. Only they've had a bit of bother with one of the younger monks, and the abbot wondered if Br William could take a quick look ...

And the ending. Truly apocalyptic.


Hate or like Big Brother, you'll appreciate this!, 19 Dec 2008
My mum actually recommended this book for me, she thought it was brilliant, as do I. For the first half of the book or so, you don't even know who's murdered, leaving you guessing not only the murderer but the victim too. This is the result of reality TV meeting comedy meeting Sherlock Holmes in a fascinating "who-dunit". There are countless motives, all of which could be a cause for murder. Elton incorporates charm, parody and stereotypes into dead famous effortlessly, giving off a real aura of realism.

For all Big Brother haters, this is a real treat. I quite literally laughed out loud to myself at some of his brilliant mimics of the show, mocking the whole "reality TV culture" in contrast to an old fashioned detective. One of the best books containing a hybrid of genres I have ever read! This one will keep you reading until the tea gets cold and the clock turns from PM into AM.

Insufferably smug sneer at popular culture, 29 May 2008
The only other Ben Elton book I'd read before I attempted this was his Great War whodunnit The First Casualty and I thought that was so-so. It was predictable and clichéd. So I thought I'd try this one for only 99p. It has to be worth 99p, right? Er, no. If the reality television show Big Brother is vacuous and boring in its spontaneity then this book is even more vacuous and boring for trying too hard to belittle Big Brother and its viewers. After all, this generation's popular culture is next generation's high culture! And this generation's high culture (with which I'm sure Elton would like to be associated) is next generation's quaint misapprehensions.

I think if you're a secret Big Brother viewer and a critic of it in public then you'll really enjoy this book as it will satisfy both needs. If you love Big Brother and you're proud of it then you'll probably think Elton is an insufferable snob. If you're like me and you think Big Brother is boring but you respect the right of others to like it then you'll find Elton both boring and objectionable. However, the boring bit far outweighs the objectionable bit. Simply put, and like with First Casualty, the characters have about the depth and transparency of a gold-fish bowl (i.e. not very deep, very transparent) which meant that after the first chapter I couldn't care less (1) who had died, (2) who the killer is, (3) what the motive was, (4) if the killer was caught, etc. My main concerns are (1) have I creased the spine after only one chapter and (2) can I sell it on as new?

Verdict: vote Elton off. Don't bother reading this. The theory's good but the execution is poor.


This will happen one day, 02 Jan 2008
This is yet another great book by Ben Elton.But there have been so many reviews that everything has been said.so, i'm just gonna agree with the good ones.Highly recommended.

Bigged Up. We Like That. But Not Perfect., 24 Jun 2007
I actually read this book after having read "Past Mortem" and I have to say that while it is a great page-turner, it is not quite as "maturely" written as I would have liked.

A classic whodunnit style with a few twists and plenty of Eltonesque comedy. Not very taxing on the brain (and fairly predictable) which is fine, but it only just hits the mark as far as the intended "social commentary" is concerned.

Either way, I'm glad I read it, and I would recommend it as an entertaining read.

Not that good really, 17 Apr 2007
I read this book and never quite got to the end - it just wasn't worth the effort. The work-reward ratio didn't make it worth finishing.
It is predictable, and nowhere near as clever as Ben thinks it is.
Characters were very two dimensional and the whole plot just plods along, and I think it was generally a poor effort.
I think there was too much emphasis put on Ben's 'clever message' to the world and not the story and characters.
By the way - I'm a big ben elton fan - but just not of this book.

It's 2.15 a.m. and the phone wakes you. Only someone bad would ring you at such an hour, or someone with bad news, which would probably be worse. You hear the answer-machine kick in and feel your heart beat. You listen. And then you hear the voice you least expect - a blast from the past."

Blast From The Past is the fifth novel from Ben Elton, the celebrated and controversial comedian/playwright/author whose TV credits include The Young Ones and Blackadder as well as the previous novels Stark and Popcorn. Jack Kent, US Captain stationed at Greenham Common during the early eighties, has a secret and unlikely affair with the Polly Sacred Cycle of the Womb and Moon, a 17-year-old ideological peace protester:

the star-crossed lovers made Romeo and Juliet look like an arranged marriage! Pamela Anderson and the Ayatollah Khomeni would have made a more natural-looking couple.

Sixteen years later and a four star General, Kent returns to Britain to seek out his only true love. Polly, now a lonely thirtysomething Equal Opportunities employee, is being stalked by the Bug when the phone rings.

Set in the staid, politically-correct nineties of New Labour Britain, the story flashes back with comic effect to the early eighties, a time of protest, strikes and Cold War. While hardcore Elton fans might be disappointed with the weak plot and smaller helpings of piercing wit and wacky socio-political observations, Blast from the Past still offers up some laugh-out-loud lines and entertaining reading. --Andrew Crawford

Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Not his best, 17 Nov 2006
As an academic exercise this is fine: Elton makes his point persuasively -the war on drugs has been lost and the answer is legalisation and control - and his interweaving of characters and storylines is clever. But as a novel it's not his best by a long way: the 'uplifting' stories are completely unbelievable and the realistic ones just depressing; and the characters are so unsympathetic it's hard to care anyway.

Just read it..., 12 Jun 2006
The author covers some of the most taboo issues in today's society by splitting the book into a range of different stories and portraying a massive amount of characters. Elton takes us into the criminal world of drugs abuse. He shows how drugs affect every class and every branch of society - from prostitutes and the homeless up to the upper classes and royalty- and he does it well. Elton shows both sides of the argument between drug legalization and drug addiction.
Even though this book is fiction it makes you wonder about the truth behind it and it helps you get into the minds of hundreds of drug abusers and addicts around the world. This book is aimed at older readers due to its explicit nature and it is not written for the easily offended. This book is gruesome but impossible to put down.


Worth a read..., 17 May 2006
I was a bit uncomfortable when I started reading this book and thought that I was going to hate it after 20 pages, however the book and subject matter does grow on you.

Having read a number of BE's other novels, the skill with which he weaves a number of characters towards an inevitable conclusion is to be admired, if the result is a little predictable.

In the end I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what happened to one of the characters in particular.

The book is BE's take on how the British media has the power to make and then break people. These are subjects which have been close to BE throughout his comedy career, and his distaste for the media and modern politics in general, shines through.

High Society - Ben Elton, 03 Mar 2006
A ‘Must’ read! Usually I am into thrillers, but this had me gripped from the first page. It might be difficult for a non-native English speaker as Ben introduces many colloquial accents (Scottish & Brummie etc) fairly early on. The story was tragic, gripping and too true to life not to take seriously. In places it’s utterly shocking, eye opening and horrific, but it depicts the underworld that many of us choose to ignore. Which ever way you look at it drugs are evil and the barons behind them just get richer and richer.

A poignant chapter for me was when Tommy was left to fend for himself on the street after being beaten up and without his numerous ‘minder’s and ‘fixers’ to sort everything for him – how easy it would be to fall into the abyss of the homeless and the sordid drug related word.

I loved the ending, I know it’s only a story but I was left in deep thought about the thousands of addicted victims of this world.

Well done Ben!

He makes me sick, 21 Feb 2006
Ben Elton makes me sick. Comedy writer, comedian, playrite, producer and now novelist. As much as I wanted to criticise his writing skills or the plot or the characters, I can't. The book takes a candid look into the murky world of drugs and asks some searching questions of government policies and peoples attitude to one of society's major problem. Well written, well researched, simply fantastic.

The Reader - The Detective, 06 Apr 2008
In the Name of the Rose, is in many ways a frustrating book to read, because the reader required as much perseverance as the monk-turned-detective protagonist, William. It is a very top heavy book, complete with Latin phraseology, which in spite of Umberto Eco's obvious gift for narrative, is testing to navigate; many will begin and not finish. However, if you are a curious sort, and love to unravel a good mystery, you will no doubt continue - seven deaths is no mean body count for a secluded monastery - and finally reap the rewards of crossing the halfway point. The unravelling of the plot is brilliant - it questions stereotypes, tests faith, interrogates purity and most of all entertains. The labyrinth at the centre of the monastery is in many ways a metaphor for how the plot unfolds, with one final room that one finds oneself outside, but cannot enter.

For the lazy readers, a tip; each chapter has a summary of its contents and so you can actually decide to skip some chapters if you want to get to the meat. In all honesty some chapters just serve to illustrate the intelligence of William of Baskerville or to discuss other works (underlining Eco's post-modernist outlook), so you can do that without missing much. This is exactly what I did my first time, but I enjoyed the end so much that I went back to do the hard work.

I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable but challenging literary read; if you want untaxing entertainment, forget it - or maybe watch the film.

Thwarted, 25 Jan 2008
Having heard so many people rave about this book, I had high hopes and desperately wanted to like it. I have now attempted to read it twice, and each time it has thwarted me. While the actual plot is interesting, it is buried under so much rambling that you lost the interest (and the will) to continue. I personally won't be recommending it to anyone else.

A very good historical whodunnit, 29 Oct 2007
Having read this first and then afterwards most of Eco's other books too, "The Name of the Rose" still remains my favourite. There's a very good balance here between the pure historical whodunnit and the knowledge & learning conveyed in the book (and necessary to understand the whodunnit, while to my mind in the later books the 'learning' is much too predominant).

The atmosphere of a medieval abbey is very well done and, as it is secluded from the outside world, an abbey where a killer's on the loose is the perfect site to build up the tension. Add to that plenty of colourful characters and, in the right measure, a wealth of information on religious strife in the Middle Ages and what you get is a top-notch historical thriller!

A 20th century classic, 23 Aug 2007
The first time I tried to read this book as a 19 year old student desperately trying to impress my peers I abandoned it after less than a hundred pages as I found just too hard going. Several years later and at the insistence of several friends I tried again, this time determined to see it through to the end. It was, and remains, a revelation.

First of all, dispel any thoughts of the rather tame and dreary film that cam out in the 80s as it just did not do justice to this remarkable novel. Yes, it is frighteningly dark and sinister but there's a real warmth and kindly wisdom about Willaim of Baskerville and an endearing naivety from his young charge, Adso, to help the reader through the very grimmest of the plot developments.

While the setting provides a suitably unsettling backdrop to the grisly goings on, the heart of this book is in it's characters from the pious abbott, the disturbing Salvatore, the sinister Jorge and the downright terrifying Bernardo Gui of the dreaded Inquisition, all of whom are fleshed out with their own stories. Adso asks he questions the reader wants answered in a Dr Watson type way, while sleuthy William of Baskerville ( a none too subtle tip of the deerstalker hat to Arthur Conan Doyle by the author) provides the answers... and answers them with riddles.

The Name Of The Rose sheds a glimemr of light on a disturbing period of European history when plague and famine were a constant concern and religious fanatacism was the real power governing people's lives. While set several centuries ago, the theme of dogmatic zealots throwing their weight around to the peril of ordinary people is all too familiar in today's troubled times and modern day parallels are, sadly, all too easy to draw. That said, Umberto Eco does not launch an unbridled attack upon religion as he is very sympathetic to the genuine faith of many of the characters. Instead he targets those with blind faith who do not question themselves and use "the will of God" to subjugate and punish others, whether it is the men of the Inquisition or the heretical Cathars. That's not say it's a book about religion as that would miss out the murder mystery element, the sex, the architecture, the red herrings, etc.

Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose is a magnificent book of masterly storytelling and enlightening prose. Yes, it's hard work to get into, but then many great books are and the rewards are worth the effort so don't be put off. Ideal reading material for dark winter nights.

Read this, and don't bother with the film., 19 Jun 2007
Films often fail to capture the essence of the books they are based on. Case in point, here. Admittedly verbose in places, with passages in Latin etc, this book is still a marvel. You just have to exercise your judgement: skip the bits you find boring and wonder at the rest.

The Name of the Rose is a fascinating look at a forgotten world - a turn of the (first) millennium Benedictine monastery. This book is part historical novel, part forensic whodunit, part apocalyptic prophecy, with an insight into the conflicts rocking the then Christian church - between Holy Roman Emperor and Pope, Franciscans and Dominicans, heretics and scheming clerics, librarians and infidel philosophers, destitute villagers and powerful church figures. This book reeks the rich tapestry of all that life.

If you've read any of the other reviews, you'll probably know the background. Brother William of Baskerville is a former Inquisitor, entrusted with a secret mission on behalf of the Emperor. He's also an amateur detective of prodigious skill (something that is brilliantly revealed when he arrives at the Monastery and meets the abbey's cellarer). With his pupil Adso (the book's narrator) in tow, Br William has been dispatched to prepare for a meeting between representatives of the Franciscan order and the Pope, at a Benedictine Monastery in Northern Italy - with the Benedictines acting as hosts. Only they've had a bit of bother with one of the younger monks, and the abbot wondered if Br William could take a quick look ...

And the ending. Truly apocalyptic.


Hate or like Big Brother, you'll appreciate this!, 19 Dec 2008
My mum actually recommended this book for me, she thought it was brilliant, as do I. For the first half of the book or so, you don't even know who's murdered, leaving you guessing not only the murderer but the victim too. This is the result of reality TV meeting comedy meeting Sherlock Holmes in a fascinating "who-dunit". There are countless motives, all of which could be a cause for murder. Elton incorporates charm, parody and stereotypes into dead famous effortlessly, giving off a real aura of realism.

For all Big Brother haters, this is a real treat. I quite literally laughed out loud to myself at some of his brilliant mimics of the show, mocking the whole "reality TV culture" in contrast to an old fashioned detective. One of the best books containing a hybrid of genres I have ever read! This one will keep you reading until the tea gets cold and the clock turns from PM into AM.

Insufferably smug sneer at popular culture, 29 May 2008
The only other Ben Elton book I'd read before I attempted this was his Great War whodunnit The First Casualty and I thought that was so-so. It was predictable and clichéd. So I thought I'd try this one for only 99p. It has to be worth 99p, right? Er, no. If the reality television show Big Brother is vacuous and boring in its spontaneity then this book is even more vacuous and boring for trying too hard to belittle Big Brother and its viewers. After all, this generation's popular culture is next generation's high culture! And this generation's high culture (with which I'm sure Elton would like to be associated) is next generation's quaint misapprehensions.

I think if you're a secret Big Brother viewer and a critic of it in public then you'll really enjoy this book as it will satisfy both needs. If you love Big Brother and you're proud of it then you'll probably think Elton is an insufferable snob. If you're like me and you think Big Brother is boring but you respect the right of others to like it then you'll find Elton both boring and objectionable. However, the boring bit far outweighs the objectionable bit. Simply put, and like with First Casualty, the characters have about the depth and transparency of a gold-fish bowl (i.e. not very deep, very transparent) which meant that after the first chapter I couldn't care less (1) who had died, (2) who the killer is, (3) what the motive was, (4) if the killer was caught, etc. My main concerns are (1) have I creased the spine after only one chapter and (2) can I sell it on as new?

Verdict: vote Elton off. Don't bother reading this. The theory's good but the execution is poor.


This will happen one day, 02 Jan 2008
This is yet another great book by Ben Elton.But there have been so many reviews that everything has been said.so, i'm just gonna agree with the good ones.Highly recommended.

Bigged Up. We Like That. But Not Perfect., 24 Jun 2007
I actually read this book after having read "Past Mortem" and I have to say that while it is a great page-turner, it is not quite as "maturely" written as I would have liked.

A classic whodunnit style with a few twists and plenty of Eltonesque comedy. Not very taxing on the brain (and fairly predictable) which is fine, but it only just hits the mark as far as the intended "social commentary" is concerned.

Either way, I'm glad I read it, and I would recommend it as an entertaining read.

Not that good really, 17 Apr 2007
I read this book and never quite got to the end - it just wasn't worth the effort. The work-reward ratio didn't make it worth finishing.
It is predictable, and nowhere near as clever as Ben thinks it is.
Characters were very two dimensional and the whole plot just plods along, and I think it was generally a poor effort.
I think there was too much emphasis put on Ben's 'clever message' to the world and not the story and characters.
By the way - I'm a big ben elton fan - but just not of this book.

A waste of time and money - let alone ink and paper!, 03 Aug 2007
Before reading this book, all my exposure to Ben Elton was in the form of 'Blackadder' and 'The Thin Blue Line' and as such i was expecting Elton's novels to be approaching the same quality. How wrong I was.

On screen Elton's words are hilarious, on paper he seems incapable of humour. He makes occasional attempts but they just aren't funny. The plot is meaningless and the characters are dull. The book is incredibly slow with pointless flashbacks giving fragmented images of uneventful lives.

The inevitable twist in the tail is obscenely unrealistic yet at the same time totally predictable, and although the pace quickens in the last 15 pages it does not justify the other 250 in which the storyline stagnates through a couple of mundane, uneventful hours.

Elton writes the political debates that the two main characters share as if they were well prepared speeches rather than heated and impassioned expressions of their principles. The dialogue is far too eloquent to pull off the spontaneity of argument and it seems almost as if Elton is merely showing off his literary ability. These debates are incredibly repetitive. The contradiction of the two characters political stance is a major theme and these conflicts of principal quickly become wearisome as they never develop the plot further.

In what appears to be a desperate effort to flesh out the book Elton creates a stalker character called Peter who plays a very small part in the plot and who's existence in the story seems somewhat pointless. With the characterisation of Peter, Elton once again seems to be parading his limited abilities.

'Blast from the Past' is supposed to be a 'maturation' of Elton as a novelist - a step beyond his agenda-based previous work into a more open minded genre. What is created is not interesting either as a story nor as an exploration of opposing political viewpoints.

Entertaining, 15 May 2007
Blast From the Past takes a break from the more politically-motivated novels written by Ben Elton. In High Society and Stark for instance, his characters tended to be soap-boxes from which Mr. Elton could pound out his views on drug legalisation, and the damage caused by humans upon the planet, respectively. As a result, they can spontaneously become impossibly erudite, witty and educated when their creator shifts gear into full flow, and this detracts from their credibility. People simply aren't as eloquent in everyday life as an intelligent writer with all the time in the world to hone an excerpt of dialogue to perfection.

I got the feeling when reading Blast that it was written by a far more wordly-wise author than the one that sat down to write Stark. Yes, there's a lot of politics (ladies and gentlemen) to be had in Blast, but here it's what driving the characters, rather than the novel itself. Jack is an American, massively successful, but hopelessly lovelorn, multi-star general. He pays an unexpected visit to old flame and the source of his torment Polly, during a work-inspired trip to Britain. Polly, his girlfriend of some sixteen years hence, is Jack's polar opposite in almost every way. It's when the two come together that Mr. Elton exposes his insights into the ludicrousness of extremely dogmatic, opinionated politics in his usual sharp and witty way. Perhaps, in a sense, this is his means of poking fun at his own tendancy towards single-mindedness earlier in his career. There are also some clever observations of Britishness as seen through American eyes and vice-versa.

I liked this book. Although it lacks the fire of Elton in full 'a-man-with-a-message' mode, it was a relief not to be bludgeoned with a political adgenda whilst trying to enjoy a novel.

Average: too long winded, not a lot happens, 10 Apr 2007
Following Stark, Gridlock, This Other Eden and Popcorn, Blast From The Past is Ben Elton's fifth novel. It's his worst.

It tells the story of a Polly - a principled 17 year old feminist leftwing peacenik who hates nuclear weapons and campaigns outside Greenham Common in the 1980s - and Jack, a high ranking rightwing US soldier in his 30s. They meet, bizarrely fall in love but then after a summer of love Jack leaves her. Suspense is provided by the 'Bug', a man obsessed by Polly who watches her and is determined to possess her no matter what. The novel charts his obsession as a sideline to Polly and Jack's relationship, his departure and his subsequent surprise arrival on her doorstep 16 years after he left her.

I'm reading Ben Elton's novels in the order they were published and this is his worst to date - why?

It is written adequately enough but the problem is that it is just not funny enough for a comic novel, nor is it gripping enough for a suspense novel. Yes it does have jokes but nowhere near as many as Stark or Gridlock - whole chapters fly by between them - and in a comic novel a joke every 10 to 15 pages is not enough. Moreover, the suspense formed by the Bug wanting Polly only takes off in the last 75 pages of the novel, and this is a BIG problem.

This story would work well as a short story because endless conversations between two people about the same subject ('Why have you returned, Jack?') cannot be sustained over 350 pages. There are only three main characters yet Ben Elton is still afflicted with his problem of excessive wording and poor editing, and whereas Stark is funny but overly long (with huge sections of samey samey leftwing sentiments), Blast From The Past is overly long with fewer jokes and far too much dialogue.

Most of these chapters are conversations going over the same ground, and it would have been far more effective (and less tedious for the reader) had this been accomplished in fewer chapters.

The narrator viewpoint switches at whim from Polly to Jack and back again, so we are never clear who we are supposed to be sympathetic for (if any). To compound matters, instead of showing us how the characters feel through dialogue and body language, we are constantly TOLD what they feel, which is both clumsy and annoying.

It's a shame because Ben Elton can write better suspense (Popcorn) and can also write funnier jokes (Stark). Stick with these and avoid Blast From The Past.

Disappointing , 05 Apr 2007
I loved Dead Famous and Chart Throb, so I picked up Blast From the Past at the library and expected a good read.

This book was so bad it has put me off attempting to read any of Elton's other novels. Sure, it was an easy read, but it had some big problems. Firstly the comedy. This book could not decide if it wanted to be serious or funny. As a result it was too flippant to be taken seriously, but too serious to make me laugh.

Then there were the characters. A full cast of boring stereotypes. Hey, Jack is SO RIGHT WING and Polly is SO LEFT and they're in love isn't that funny? Yeah, we get it. Most of the book is devoted to telling their uninteresting life stories. Both of them were painted as unpleasant, immoral hypocrites. Try as I might, I found myself completely unable to care about them. I kept expecting an exciting twist that would make me at least a little sympathetic to one of them, but it never came.

Also, Elton likes to write about the physical side of their relationship. I have no problem with that, but some parts of this book read like trashy porn, and it lends nothing to the plot. If the characters aren't having sex, they're planning on having sex or putting their clothes back on having just had it.

However, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading long, boring, pointless political diatribes. I skimmed most of these parts (and ended up skipping about 1/3 of the book my doing so), because it's nothing we haven't heard before, and served no purpose beyond reminding the reader that Jack is REALLY RIGHT WING and Polly is REALLY LEFT.

Superb, 17 Nov 2006
Popcorn saw Ben Elton move away from rambling, multi-stranded novels, instead placing a few characters in a single location and a tight timeframe - with flashbacks fleshing out the characters and providing comic relief.
Blast from the Past has a similar structure, and it's Elton's best novel to date. The premise is superb, and the characters well drawn (especially the persuasively creepy stalker); the comedy sequences are laugh-out-loud funny, and the thriller elements genuinely exciting.

Terrific as Audio Books , 21 Dec 2007
Having seen these shows umpteen times I was surprised that I enjoyed the Audio Books as much as I have - they simply work wonderfully on tape. All involved have fantastic clear comic voices perfect for listening to in the car - I could listen to Hugh Laurie's daft waffling in particular for hours ! Brilliantly absorbing and distracting for frustrating car journeys - I shall enjoy these again and again.

better than the tv shows!, 10 Dec 2000
Listening to these tapes is a joy, between the hilarious script and the unequalled comic timing (particularly from Rowan Atkinson). I have had these tapes for more than five years and never get tired of listening to them.

inspirational, 31 Aug 2000
It's brillaint, and moving and truly rib tickling What hasnt been said about Blackadder?

(well don't ask me)

The best TV script...ever, 25 Jan 2000
The best comedy program finaly out on script. Richard Curtis, Ben Elton & Rowan Atkinson bring the evil Edmund Blackdder to life in the 4 series with his servant Baldrick. The cast enlightened by Rowan Atkinson, Tony robinson, Tim McInerney, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson

Not his best, 17 Nov 2006
As an academic exercise this is fine: Elton makes his point persuasively -the war on drugs has been lost and the answer is legalisation and control - and his interweaving of characters and storylines is clever. But as a novel it's not his best by a long way: the 'uplifting' stories are completely unbelievable and the realistic ones just depressing; and the characters are so unsympathetic it's hard to care anyway.

Just read it..., 12 Jun 2006
The author covers some of the most taboo issues in today's society by splitting the book into a range of different stories and portraying a massive amount of characters. Elton takes us into the criminal world of drugs abuse. He shows how drugs affect every class and every branch of society - from prostitutes and the homeless up to the upper classes and royalty- and he does it well. Elton shows both sides of the argument between drug legalization and drug addiction.
Even though this book is fiction it makes you wonder about the truth behind it and it helps you get into the minds of hundreds of drug abusers and addicts around the world. This book is aimed at older readers due to its explicit nature and it is not written for the easily offended. This book is gruesome but impossible to put down.


Worth a read..., 17 May 2006
I was a bit uncomfortable when I started reading this book and thought that I was going to hate it after 20 pages, however the book and subject matter does grow on you.

Having read a number of BE's other novels, the skill with which he weaves a number of characters towards an inevitable conclusion is to be admired, if the result is a little predictable.

In the end I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what happened to one of the characters in particular.

The book is BE's take on how the British media has the power to make and then break people. These are subjects which have been close to BE throughout his comedy career, and his distaste for the media and modern politics in general, shines through.

High Society - Ben Elton, 03 Mar 2006
A ‘Must’ read! Usually I am into thrillers, but this had me gripped from the first page. It might be difficult for a non-native English speaker as Ben introduces many colloquial accents (Scottish & Brummie etc) fairly early on. The story was tragic, gripping and too true to life not to take seriously. In places it’s utterly shocking, eye opening and horrific, but it depicts the underworld that many of us choose to ignore. Which ever way you look at it drugs are evil and the barons behind them just get richer and richer.

A poignant chapter for me was when Tommy was left to fend for himself on the street after being beaten up and without his numerous ‘minder’s and ‘fixers’ to sort everything for him – how easy it would be to fall into the abyss of the homeless and the sordid drug related word.

I loved the ending, I know it’s only a story but I was left in deep thought about the thousands of addicted victims of this world.

Well done Ben!

He makes me sick, 21 Feb 2006
Ben Elton makes me sick. Comedy writer, comedian, playrite, producer and now novelist. As much as I wanted to criticise his writing skills or the plot or the characters, I can't. The book takes a candid look into the murky world of drugs and asks some searching questions of government policies and peoples attitude to one of society's major problem. Well written, well researched, simply fantastic.

The Reader - The Detective, 06 Apr 2008
In the Name of the Rose, is in many ways a frustrating book to read, because the reader required as much perseverance as the monk-turned-detective protagonist, William. It is a very top heavy book, complete with Latin phraseology, which in spite of Umberto Eco's obvious gift for narrative, is testing to navigate; many will begin and not finish. However, if you are a curious sort, and love to unravel a good mystery, you will no doubt continue - seven deaths is no mean body count for a secluded monastery - and finally reap the rewards of crossing the halfway point. The unravelling of the plot is brilliant - it questions stereotypes, tests faith, interrogates purity and most of all entertains. The labyrinth at the centre of the monastery is in many ways a metaphor for how the plot unfolds, with one final room that one finds oneself outside, but cannot enter.

For the lazy readers, a tip; each chapter has a summary of its contents and so you can actually decide to skip some chapters if you want to get to the meat. In all honesty some chapters just serve to illustrate the intelligence of William of Baskerville or to discuss other works (underlining Eco's post-modernist outlook), so you can do that without missing much. This is exactly what I did my first time, but I enjoyed the end so much that I went back to do the hard work.

I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable but challenging literary read; if you want untaxing entertainment, forget it - or maybe watch the film.

Thwarted, 25 Jan 2008
Having heard so many people rave about this book, I had high hopes and desperately wanted to like it. I have now attempted to read it twice, and each time it has thwarted me. While the actual plot is interesting, it is buried under so much rambling that you lost the interest (and the will) to continue. I personally won't be recommending it to anyone else.

A very good historical whodunnit, 29 Oct 2007
Having read this first and then afterwards most of Eco's other books too, "The Name of the Rose" still remains my favourite. There's a very good balance here between the pure historical whodunnit and the knowledge & learning conveyed in the book (and necessary to understand the whodunnit, while to my mind in the later books the 'learning' is much too predominant).

The atmosphere of a medieval abbey is very well done and, as it is secluded from the outside world, an abbey where a killer's on the loose is the perfect site to build up the tension. Add to that plenty of colourful characters and, in the right measure, a wealth of information on religious strife in the Middle Ages and what you get is a top-notch historical thriller!

A 20th century classic, 23 Aug 2007
The first time I tried to read this book as a 19 year old student desperately trying to impress my peers I abandoned it after less than a hundred pages as I found just too hard going. Several years later and at the insistence of several friends I tried again, this time determined to see it through to the end. It was, and remains, a revelation.

First of all, dispel any thoughts of the rather tame and dreary film that cam out in the 80s as it just did not do justice to this remarkable novel. Yes, it is frighteningly dark and sinister but there's a real warmth and kindly wisdom about Willaim of Baskerville and an endearing naivety from his young charge, Adso, to help the reader through the very grimmest of the plot developments.

While the setting provides a suitably unsettling backdrop to the grisly goings on, the heart of this book is in it's characters from the pious abbott, the disturbing Salvatore, the sinister Jorge and the downright terrifying Bernardo Gui of the dreaded Inquisition, all of whom are fleshed out with their own stories. Adso asks he questions the reader wants answered in a Dr Watson type way, while sleuthy William of Baskerville ( a none too subtle tip of the deerstalker hat to Arthur Conan Doyle by the author) provides the answers... and answers them with riddles.

The Name Of The Rose sheds a glimemr of light on a disturbing period of European history when plague and famine were a constant concern and religious fanatacism was the real power governing people's lives. While set several centuries ago, the theme of dogmatic zealots throwing their weight around to the peril of ordinary people is all too familiar in today's troubled times and modern day parallels are, sadly, all too easy to draw. That said, Umberto Eco does not launch an unbridled attack upon religion as he is very sympathetic to the genuine faith of many of the characters. Instead he targets those with blind faith who do not question themselves and use "the will of God" to subjugate and punish others, whether it is the men of the Inquisition or the heretical Cathars. That's not say it's a book about religion as that would miss out the murder mystery element, the sex, the architecture, the red herrings, etc.

Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose is a magnificent book of masterly storytelling and enlightening prose. Yes, it's hard work to get into, but then many great books are and the rewards are worth the effort so don't be put off. Ideal reading material for dark winter nights.

Read this, and don't bother with the film., 19 Jun 2007
Films often fail to capture the essence of the books they are based on. Case in point, here. Admittedly verbose in places, with passages in Latin etc, this book is still a marvel. You just have to exercise your judgement: skip the bits you find boring and wonder at the rest.

The Name of the Rose is a fascinating look at a forgotten world - a turn of the (first) millennium Benedictine monastery. This book is part historical novel, part forensic whodunit, part apocalyptic prophecy, with an insight into the conflicts rocking the then Christian church - between Holy Roman Emperor and Pope, Franciscans and Dominicans, heretics and scheming clerics, librarians and infidel philosophers, destitute villagers and powerful church figures. This book reeks the rich tapestry of all that life.

If you've read any of the other reviews, you'll probably know the background. Brother William of Baskerville is a former Inquisitor, entrusted with a secret mission on behalf of the Emperor. He's also an amateur detective of prodigious skill (something that is brilliantly revealed when he arrives at the Monastery and meets the abbey's cellarer). With his pupil Adso (the book's narrator) in tow, Br William has been dispatched to prepare for a meeting between representatives of the Franciscan order and the Pope, at a Benedictine Monastery in Northern Italy - with the Benedictines acting as hosts. Only they've had a bit of bother with one of the younger monks, and the abbot wondered if Br William could take a quick look ...

And the ending. Truly apocalyptic.


Hate or like Big Brother, you'll appreciate this!, 19 Dec 2008
My mum actually recommended this book for me, she thought it was brilliant, as do I. For the first half of the book or so, you don't even know who's murdered, leaving you guessing not only the murderer but the victim too. This is the result of reality TV meeting comedy meeting Sherlock Holmes in a fascinating "who-dunit". There are countless motives, all of which could be a cause for murder. Elton incorporates charm, parody and stereotypes into dead famous effortlessly, giving off a real aura of realism.

For all Big Brother haters, this is a real treat. I quite literally laughed out loud to myself at some of his brilliant mimics of the show, mocking the whole "reality TV culture" in contrast to an old fashioned detective. One of the best books containing a hybrid of genres I have ever read! This one will keep you reading until the tea gets cold and the clock turns from PM into AM.

Insufferably smug sneer at popular culture, 29 May 2008
The only other Ben Elton book I'd read before I attempted this was his Great War whodunnit The First Casualty and I thought that was so-so. It was predictable and clichéd. So I thought I'd try this one for only 99p. It has to be worth 99p, right? Er, no. If the reality television show Big Brother is vacuous and boring in its spontaneity then this book is even more vacuous and boring for trying too hard to belittle Big Brother and its viewers. After all, this generation's popular culture is next generation's high culture! And this generation's high culture (with which I'm sure Elton would like to be associated) is next generation's quaint misapprehensions.

I think if you're a secret Big Brother viewer and a critic of it in public then you'll really enjoy this book as it will satisfy both needs. If you love Big Brother and you're proud of it then you'll probably think Elton is an insufferable snob. If you're like me and you think Big Brother is boring but you respect the right of others to like it then you'll find Elton both boring and objectionable. However, the boring bit far outweighs the objectionable bit. Simply put, and like with First Casualty, the characters have about the depth and transparency of a gold-fish bowl (i.e. not very deep, very transparent) which meant that after the first chapter I couldn't care less (1) who had died, (2) who the killer is, (3) what the motive was, (4) if the killer was caught, etc. My main concerns are (1) have I creased the spine after only one chapter and (2) can I sell it on as new?

Verdict: vote Elton off. Don't bother reading this. The theory's good but the execution is poor.


This will happen one day, 02 Jan 2008
This is yet another great book by Ben Elton.But there have been so many reviews that everything has been said.so, i'm just gonna agree with the good ones.Highly recommended.

Bigged Up. We Like That. But Not Perfect., 24 Jun 2007
I actually read this book after having read "Past Mortem" and I have to say that while it is a great page-turner, it is not quite as "maturely" written as I would have liked.

A classic whodunnit style with a few twists and plenty of Eltonesque comedy. Not very taxing on the brain (and fairly predictable) which is fine, but it only just hits the mark as far as the intended "social commentary" is concerned.

Either way, I'm glad I read it, and I would recommend it as an entertaining read.

Not that good really, 17 Apr 2007
I read this book and never quite got to the end - it just wasn't worth the effort. The work-reward ratio didn't make it worth finishing.
It is predictable, and nowhere near as clever as Ben thinks it is.
Characters were very two dimensional and the whole plot just plods along, and I think it was generally a poor effort.
I think there was too much emphasis put on Ben's 'clever message' to the world and not the story and characters.
By the way - I'm a big ben elton fan - but just not of this book.

A waste of time and money - let alone ink and paper!, 03 Aug 2007
Before reading this book, all my exposure to Ben Elton was in the form of 'Blackadder' and 'The Thin Blue Line' and as such i was expecting Elton's novels to be approaching the same quality. How wrong I was.

On screen Elton's words are hilarious, on paper he seems incapable of humour. He makes occasional attempts but they just aren't funny. The plot is meaningless and the characters are dull. The book is incredibly slow with pointless flashbacks giving fragmented images of uneventful lives.

The inevitable twist in the tail is obscenely unrealistic yet at the same time totally predictable, and although the pace quickens in the last 15 pages it does not justify the other 250 in which the storyline stagnates through a couple of mundane, uneventful hours.

Elton writes the political debates that the two main characters share as if they were well prepared speeches rather than heated and impassioned expressions of their principles. The dialogue is far too eloquent to pull off the spontaneity of argument and it seems almost as if Elton is merely showing off his literary ability. These debates are incredibly repetitive. The contradiction of the two characters political stance is a major theme and these conflicts of principal quickly become wearisome as they never develop the plot further.

In what appears to be a desperate effort to flesh out the book Elton creates a stalker character called Peter who plays a very small part in the plot and who's existence in the story seems somewhat pointless. With the characterisation of Peter, Elton once again seems to be parading his limited abilities.

'Blast from the Past' is supposed to be a 'maturation' of Elton as a novelist - a step beyond his agenda-based previous work into a more open minded genre. What is created is not interesting either as a story nor as an exploration of opposing political viewpoints.

Entertaining, 15 May 2007
Blast From the Past takes a break from the more politically-motivated novels written by Ben Elton. In High Society and Stark for instance, his characters tended to be soap-boxes from which Mr. Elton could pound out his views on drug legalisation, and the damage caused by humans upon the planet, respectively. As a result, they can spontaneously become impossibly erudite, witty and educated when their creator shifts gear into full flow, and this detracts from their credibility. People simply aren't as eloquent in everyday life as an intelligent writer with all the time in the world to hone an excerpt of dialogue to perfection.

I got the feeling when reading Blast that it was written by a far more wordly-wise author than the one that sat down to write Stark. Yes, there's a lot of politics (ladies and gentlemen) to be had in Blast, but here it's what driving the characters, rather than the novel itself. Jack is an American, massively successful, but hopelessly lovelorn, multi-star general. He pays an unexpected visit to old flame and the source of his torment Polly, during a work-inspired trip to Britain. Polly, his girlfriend of some sixteen years hence, is Jack's polar opposite in almost every way. It's when the two come together that Mr. Elton exposes his insights into the ludicrousness of extremely dogmatic, opinionated politics in his usual sharp and witty way. Perhaps, in a sense, this is his means of poking fun at his own tendancy towards single-mindedness earlier in his career. There are also some clever observations of Britishness as seen through American eyes and vice-versa.

I liked this book. Although it lacks the fire of Elton in full 'a-man-with-a-message' mode, it was a relief not to be bludgeoned with a political adgenda whilst trying to enjoy a novel.

Average: too long winded, not a lot happens, 10 Apr 2007
Following Stark, Gridlock, This Other Eden and Popcorn, Blast From The Past is Ben Elton's fifth novel. It's his worst.

It tells the story of a Polly - a principled 17 year old feminist leftwing peacenik who hates nuclear weapons and campaigns outside Greenham Common in the 1980s - and Jack, a high ranking rightwing US soldier in his 30s. They meet, bizarrely fall in love but then after a summer of love Jack leaves her. Suspense is provided by the 'Bug', a man obsessed by Polly who watches her and is determined to possess her no matter what. The novel charts his obsession as a sideline to Polly and Jack's relationship, his departure and his subsequent surprise arrival on her doorstep 16 years after he left her.

I'm reading Ben Elton's novels in the order they were published and this is his worst to date - why?

It is written adequately enough but the problem is that it is just not funny enough for a comic novel, nor is it gripping enough for a suspense novel. Yes it does have jokes but nowhere near as many as Stark or Gridlock - whole chapters fly by between them - and in a comic novel a joke every 10 to 15 pages is not enough. Moreover, the suspense formed by the Bug wanting Polly only takes off in the last 75 pages of the novel, and this is a BIG problem.

This story would work well as a short story because endless conversations between two people about the same subject ('Why have you returned, Jack?') cannot be sustained over 350 pages. There are only three main characters yet Ben Elton is still afflicted with his problem of excessive wording and poor editing, and whereas Stark is funny but overly long (with huge sections of samey samey leftwing sentiments), Blast From The Past is overly long with fewer jokes and far too much dialogue.

Most of these chapters are conversations going over the same ground, and it would have been far more effective (and less tedious for the reader) had this been accomplished in fewer chapters.

The narrator viewpoint switches at whim from Polly to Jack and back again, so we are never clear who we are supposed to be sympathetic for (if any). To compound matters, instead of showing us how the characters feel through dialogue and body language, we are constantly TOLD what they feel, which is both clumsy and annoying.

It's a shame because Ben Elton can write better suspense (Popcorn) and can also write funnier jokes (Stark). Stick with these and avoid Blast From The Past.

Disappointing , 05 Apr 2007
I loved Dead Famous and Chart Throb, so I picked up Blast From the Past at the library and expected a good read.

This book was so bad it has put me off attempting to read any of Elton's other novels. Sure, it was an easy read, but it had some big problems. Firstly the comedy. This book could not decide if it wanted to be serious or funny. As a result it was too flippant to be taken seriously, but too serious to make me laugh.

Then there were the characters. A full cast of boring stereotypes. Hey, Jack is SO RIGHT WING and Polly is SO LEFT and they're in love isn't that funny? Yeah, we get it. Most of the book is devoted to telling their uninteresting life stories. Both of them were painted as unpleasant, immoral hypocrites. Try as I might, I found myself completely unable to care about them. I kept expecting an exciting twist that would make me at least a little sympathetic to one of them, but it never came.

Also, Elton likes to write about the physical side of their relationship. I have no problem with that, but some parts of this book read like trashy porn, and it lends nothing to the plot. If the characters aren't having sex, they're planning on having sex or putting their clothes back on having just had it.

However, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading long, boring, pointless political diatribes. I skimmed most of these parts (and ended up skipping about 1/3 of the book my doing so), because it's nothing we haven't heard before, and served no purpose beyond reminding the reader that Jack is REALLY RIGHT WING and Polly is REALLY LEFT.

Superb, 17 Nov 2006
Popcorn saw Ben Elton move away from rambling, multi-stranded novels, instead placing a few characters in a single location and a tight timeframe - with flashbacks fleshing out the characters and providing comic relief.
Blast from the Past has a similar structure, and it's Elton's best novel to date. The premise is superb, and the characters well drawn (especially the persuasively creepy stalker); the comedy sequences are laugh-out-loud funny, and the thriller elements genuinely exciting.


A great romp if you like watching Sharon, Simon and Louis at work..., 20 Nov 2008
Think X Factor pushed to the max in terms of absurdness, and you have 'Chart Throb' in a nutshell. Ben Elton does not remotely try to hide the similarities between his fictional judges and the real ones.

The funniest moments for me in this novel involved one unlikely and well-known contestant in the 'reality' contest. I'm sorry, but the notion of this particular dignitary having a 'pleasant light baritone' and singing the songs he is given by the Cowellesque judge evokes ribald images as good as anything Elton has ever conjured up.

It's a great book, unless you belong to the 0.00001% of the population that doesn't have a TV set.

Chart Throb, its fab!!, 25 Sep 2008
You will never look at reality tv in the same light after reading this. It is brilliant. It starts a bit slow, but is compelling, and funny! It makes you think.....just do the math!

Insightful, 06 Jul 2008
Chart Throb is a must read for any fan of X-Factor, Pop Idol, etc. Elton's story follows the next evolutionary step, where the talent search genre is full of exploitation, double-crossing and wierdos. Chart Throb is an unpredictable and entertaining journey through one season of the show, where all the bets are off (except for all the rigged entrants!) and chaos reigns. It's a great read, however don't be expecting plenty of belly laughs. The humour is wry and would be entirely missed by those who have never been caught up in the reality TV that spams the civilised world. Interesting characters and an intriguing plot will help the TV stay off until you turn the very last page.

Another Elton page turner, 09 Feb 2008
This book has got quite mixed reviews from people here at Amazon and I can understand why. I find Mr Eltons work very easy to read and I tend to work my way through one of his books in the space of a few days, this is usually because I want to know what happens next as the characters are compelling and the observations on humanity very amusing.
I am no fan of 'X Factor' style television, and I would imagine that anyone who is would not enjoy this book as it rips the whole idea to shreds.
Keep up the good work Ben.

Ok, but not great., 12 Jan 2008
No-one would disagree that Ben Elton is a masterful observer of contemporary society. Once again here, he taps into the frustration with the X factor/Pop idol culture that seems to have dominated our "empty lives" in the last few years.

His observations are shrewd, funny and probably altogether true. You'll certainly never take another episode of these dire programmes seriously!!

The problem is that, once the jokes have been told, there is very little else here and the book drags on and on. The plot is flimsy, unfulfilling and ultimately fairly silly (without being clever) and you warm to none of the characters leaving you caring nothing about what happens to any of them.

Sometimes I think that the Ben Elton book machine latches onto the subject du jour much as a stand up comic plan his latest routine. Unfortunately, the book has to be readable and gripping as well and here, with Chart Throb, Mr Elton fails.