Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly why this book is entertaining, it just is. It's funny, quirky, sarcastic and plain sick all at once and it can play tricks with your mind. The interaction between characters is comical, as everyone is so self absorbed that half the time they don't know who one another are. But that doesn't really matter: having the right suit, business card and restaurant reservations are important. It's the 80's and image is everything to yuppies living in New York city.

one of my favourite books, 22 Sep 2007
bret easton ellis writes beautifully crafted sentences - of that there is no doubt. even in the more unsavoury parts of this novel (e.g. when the character of patrick bateman is being sarcastic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, as he kills and tortures, during his innermost thought, and even in his detailed descriptions of situations and objects, the words used by bret easton ellis are chosen just right).

a highly entertaining gluttony of wholesale slaughter, unbridled paranoia, complete and utter self-loving and self-loathing and vacuousness. read it for yourself.

Very well written, 13 Aug 2007
This book is superbly written and had me laughing out load in places but also I found it very disturbing with the levels of violence. Also, a little dated by todays standards, but shows the yuppie obsession with money and designer clothing/goods. Overall a must read - recommended but not for the faint hearted

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly why this book is entertaining, it just is. It's funny, quirky, sarcastic and plain sick all at once and it can play tricks with your mind. The interaction between characters is comical, as everyone is so self absorbed that half the time they don't know who one another are. But that doesn't really matter: having the right suit, business card and restaurant reservations are important. It's the 80's and image is everything to yuppies living in New York city.

one of my favourite books, 22 Sep 2007
bret easton ellis writes beautifully crafted sentences - of that there is no doubt. even in the more unsavoury parts of this novel (e.g. when the character of patrick bateman is being sarcastic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, as he kills and tortures, during his innermost thought, and even in his detailed descriptions of situations and objects, the words used by bret easton ellis are chosen just right).

a highly entertaining gluttony of wholesale slaughter, unbridled paranoia, complete and utter self-loving and self-loathing and vacuousness. read it for yourself.

Very well written, 13 Aug 2007
This book is superbly written and had me laughing out load in places but also I found it very disturbing with the levels of violence. Also, a little dated by todays standards, but shows the yuppie obsession with money and designer clothing/goods. Overall a must read - recommended but not for the faint hearted

Not good., 03 Oct 2008
Ben Elton is not the writer George Orwell is. Unfortunately, he is not even a good writer. He's just a popular one. Ironically, his populist works will be read by all the people he hates in this novel.

This book is simplistic - there are no literary merits, and no hidden meanings. It won't get read for a second time by anyone hoping to find a new theme. They aren't there. As others have said, there is nothing subtle or discreet here.

For instance, Elton could make all kinds of comments on the nature of people who go around half naked all day long, but (apparently) the author is only disgusted by the fat ones. NOT the character, but the author. In fact, if he wants to make any individual utterly without redeeming features, he makes them fat. A bit like the way a schoolboy might point and giggle.

This kind of mealy-mouthed nastiness is exactly what Elton is having a (loud) pop at. Such a shame he doesn't recognise his own failings.

We all have our little sacred cows and our whipping boys. It's a shame that Mr Elton's are so obvious.

An absolutely terrible book, 23 Sep 2008
This is the worst book I've ever read. Stupid, ridiculous, anything but thoughtful. Save your money!

Very different , 19 Sep 2008
Having just read a very turgid novel, it was a relief to read Blind Faith as a flowing original view on a futuristic society. It is a great comment on modern paranoia transgressing into a fake plastic society based on the Internet generation hooked on reality TV and dismissive of inoculation as evil. Some great Ben Elton humour throughout and another original offering - Ben's only ever written 1 book that I have not enjoyed to date (Dead Famous)

Certainly Worth Reading!, 15 Sep 2008
[Plot spoiler warning : this review mentions some elements of the plot]

I saw an advert for this book on a bus shelter one day and decided to buy it based purely on the sub-title on the cover :

`If you thought you understood the world we live in, think again ...'

That intrigued me greatly and I made a mental note of it there and then.

I thought it was going to be a factual book and I was surprised on looking up Amazon that it was a novel, but I decided to purchase it anyway. I have never read any of Ben Elton's book, but I generally found this to be excellent and would highly recommend it. Though it's not to be taken too seriously, there is much in it that does reflect, albeit in hilarious terms, many aspects of our society today. For example the propensity to record everything digitally, plastic surgery, over-eating, Jerry Springer type TV confessional shows, group hugs at work, and emoting about one's feelings. And its all set in a future where sea levels have risen so much that cities like London have been reduced to an Archepelago. Elton writes brilliantly and I found his accounts of everyday situations in this nightmarish future world to be utterly hilarious and displaying a very vivid imagination. I am surprised that a number of people in these reviews didn't find it funny. Though perhaps this just says how funny his other books must be.

The last book I read before this one was `Young Stalin' by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and I wonder how many people who have read that book have also read this book (now there's an interesting DegSep problem for analysis!). But I found a strange connection between these two books in places - the small secretive resistance movement and its library of books and the desire to lend these books to others reminded me of the pre-revolution Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, including Stalin himself (a prolific book-lender), which also I read about in the `Young Stalin' book. Also the `Conspiratsia' described in that book was to be found also in Elton's book, in the highly duplicitous actions of Sandra Dee, the government spy. The aspects of `who can you trust' in these dangerous revolutionary situations is conveyed well in Elton's book, through the Sandra Dee character, and it is this very theme that has much to do with the nature and brutality of the Stalin regime which killed 25 million, largely innocent, Russian people. Elton shows a good understanding of revolutionary politics.

On the subject of religion, do religions really encourage this sort of self-promotion and self-indulgence ? I would have thought they would be teaching their flock to evangelise about the religion rather than draw attention to themselves.

Also isn't the reason for all the digital recording simply the affordability and availability of these technologies ? To my mind it is amazing that such technology can be so widely available. It is truly shameful that such sophisticated technology can be used for such innane purposes - underlining man's mischievious `primate' origins. The sad fact is that material wealth and comfort really doesn't forge `good characters' - more challenging experiences do so.

Also isn't the western world very `stuck up' on the notion of privacy ? Isn't our capitalist system founded on the notion of private property ? Privacy is our national obsession, surely ? What about that good old British `privat hedge' to keep those neighbours at arm's length ?

Sandra Dee's cynical view of humanity is one of the most depressing world views I have ever read anywhere in my life. By any spiritual standard at all this would be classed as total blasphemy - namely the wholesale denigration of the value of virtually the entirety of humanity. To assert that it is not worth doing anything `good' for humanity at all because of its extreme moral decrepitude is the blackest pessimism imaginable. Likewise is the assertion that humanity would make all the same mistakes all over again, if given the chance to try.

I was disappointed with the ending to some extent. I think Elton may have succombed to very temptation he so sardonically described in his book, namely by giving his audience a very bloody, dark and violent conclusion. There is so much more that could have been done with the conclusion to this book and I'm sure Elton could have done it brilliantly. Its just like he ended it in something of a hurry. But perhaps though he felt despite the humour that it was a dark novel and didn't want it to be any longer.

All in all though its well worth a read.




vision of the future?, 30 Aug 2008
Not as funny as some of Ben Elton's other offerings, but still worth a read. An eerie glimpse of what could be if we don't stop watching reality tv shows!!

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly why this book is entertaining, it just is. It's funny, quirky, sarcastic and plain sick all at once and it can play tricks with your mind. The interaction between characters is comical, as everyone is so self absorbed that half the time they don't know who one another are. But that doesn't really matter: having the right suit, business card and restaurant reservations are important. It's the 80's and image is everything to yuppies living in New York city.

one of my favourite books, 22 Sep 2007
bret easton ellis writes beautifully crafted sentences - of that there is no doubt. even in the more unsavoury parts of this novel (e.g. when the character of patrick bateman is being sarcastic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, as he kills and tortures, during his innermost thought, and even in his detailed descriptions of situations and objects, the words used by bret easton ellis are chosen just right).

a highly entertaining gluttony of wholesale slaughter, unbridled paranoia, complete and utter self-loving and self-loathing and vacuousness. read it for yourself.

Very well written, 13 Aug 2007
This book is superbly written and had me laughing out load in places but also I found it very disturbing with the levels of violence. Also, a little dated by todays standards, but shows the yuppie obsession with money and designer clothing/goods. Overall a must read - recommended but not for the faint hearted

Not good., 03 Oct 2008
Ben Elton is not the writer George Orwell is. Unfortunately, he is not even a good writer. He's just a popular one. Ironically, his populist works will be read by all the people he hates in this novel.

This book is simplistic - there are no literary merits, and no hidden meanings. It won't get read for a second time by anyone hoping to find a new theme. They aren't there. As others have said, there is nothing subtle or discreet here.

For instance, Elton could make all kinds of comments on the nature of people who go around half naked all day long, but (apparently) the author is only disgusted by the fat ones. NOT the character, but the author. In fact, if he wants to make any individual utterly without redeeming features, he makes them fat. A bit like the way a schoolboy might point and giggle.

This kind of mealy-mouthed nastiness is exactly what Elton is having a (loud) pop at. Such a shame he doesn't recognise his own failings.

We all have our little sacred cows and our whipping boys. It's a shame that Mr Elton's are so obvious.

An absolutely terrible book, 23 Sep 2008
This is the worst book I've ever read. Stupid, ridiculous, anything but thoughtful. Save your money!

Very different , 19 Sep 2008
Having just read a very turgid novel, it was a relief to read Blind Faith as a flowing original view on a futuristic society. It is a great comment on modern paranoia transgressing into a fake plastic society based on the Internet generation hooked on reality TV and dismissive of inoculation as evil. Some great Ben Elton humour throughout and another original offering - Ben's only ever written 1 book that I have not enjoyed to date (Dead Famous)

Certainly Worth Reading!, 15 Sep 2008
[Plot spoiler warning : this review mentions some elements of the plot]

I saw an advert for this book on a bus shelter one day and decided to buy it based purely on the sub-title on the cover :

`If you thought you understood the world we live in, think again ...'

That intrigued me greatly and I made a mental note of it there and then.

I thought it was going to be a factual book and I was surprised on looking up Amazon that it was a novel, but I decided to purchase it anyway. I have never read any of Ben Elton's book, but I generally found this to be excellent and would highly recommend it. Though it's not to be taken too seriously, there is much in it that does reflect, albeit in hilarious terms, many aspects of our society today. For example the propensity to record everything digitally, plastic surgery, over-eating, Jerry Springer type TV confessional shows, group hugs at work, and emoting about one's feelings. And its all set in a future where sea levels have risen so much that cities like London have been reduced to an Archepelago. Elton writes brilliantly and I found his accounts of everyday situations in this nightmarish future world to be utterly hilarious and displaying a very vivid imagination. I am surprised that a number of people in these reviews didn't find it funny. Though perhaps this just says how funny his other books must be.

The last book I read before this one was `Young Stalin' by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and I wonder how many people who have read that book have also read this book (now there's an interesting DegSep problem for analysis!). But I found a strange connection between these two books in places - the small secretive resistance movement and its library of books and the desire to lend these books to others reminded me of the pre-revolution Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, including Stalin himself (a prolific book-lender), which also I read about in the `Young Stalin' book. Also the `Conspiratsia' described in that book was to be found also in Elton's book, in the highly duplicitous actions of Sandra Dee, the government spy. The aspects of `who can you trust' in these dangerous revolutionary situations is conveyed well in Elton's book, through the Sandra Dee character, and it is this very theme that has much to do with the nature and brutality of the Stalin regime which killed 25 million, largely innocent, Russian people. Elton shows a good understanding of revolutionary politics.

On the subject of religion, do religions really encourage this sort of self-promotion and self-indulgence ? I would have thought they would be teaching their flock to evangelise about the religion rather than draw attention to themselves.

Also isn't the reason for all the digital recording simply the affordability and availability of these technologies ? To my mind it is amazing that such technology can be so widely available. It is truly shameful that such sophisticated technology can be used for such innane purposes - underlining man's mischievious `primate' origins. The sad fact is that material wealth and comfort really doesn't forge `good characters' - more challenging experiences do so.

Also isn't the western world very `stuck up' on the notion of privacy ? Isn't our capitalist system founded on the notion of private property ? Privacy is our national obsession, surely ? What about that good old British `privat hedge' to keep those neighbours at arm's length ?

Sandra Dee's cynical view of humanity is one of the most depressing world views I have ever read anywhere in my life. By any spiritual standard at all this would be classed as total blasphemy - namely the wholesale denigration of the value of virtually the entirety of humanity. To assert that it is not worth doing anything `good' for humanity at all because of its extreme moral decrepitude is the blackest pessimism imaginable. Likewise is the assertion that humanity would make all the same mistakes all over again, if given the chance to try.

I was disappointed with the ending to some extent. I think Elton may have succombed to very temptation he so sardonically described in his book, namely by giving his audience a very bloody, dark and violent conclusion. There is so much more that could have been done with the conclusion to this book and I'm sure Elton could have done it brilliantly. Its just like he ended it in something of a hurry. But perhaps though he felt despite the humour that it was a dark novel and didn't want it to be any longer.

All in all though its well worth a read.




vision of the future?, 30 Aug 2008
Not as funny as some of Ben Elton's other offerings, but still worth a read. An eerie glimpse of what could be if we don't stop watching reality tv shows!!

not a favourite., 20 Aug 2008
I found this book very long and dull. I enjoyed parts of the story but Often the storytelling is replaced by pages and pages of politics.
It has its devotees though and is not entirely without merit so I guess all must judge for themselves. I really wanted to enjoy it but it just didn't press the right buttons for me.

I couldn't reccomend it.

Brilliant book, expertly read, 07 Aug 2008
It really shows that Carole Boyd, who reads this audio version, has spent years working on The Archers. She easily holds your attention and all the characters are distinguishable from each other. The reading is complemented by short sections of music at appropriate points. I could listen to it repeatedly.

Simply the Best, 11 Jul 2008
Quite simply the greatest novel written in the English language. Beautifully written and full of insight into the human condition.

very good...but prefer Adam Bede, 02 Jul 2008
extremely good novel and would recommend...but i feel it was a bit over stretched in certain places..some characters i really loved and others just seemed to be there to pad certain plot development. Bit overlong too, however well worth reading (but i think Adam Bede far superior)

Outstanding, 25 Mar 2008
Virginia Woolf wrote that this was one of the few novels for grown-up people. It is indeed a mirror for maturity, George Eliot's greatest achievement.

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly why this book is entertaining, it just is. It's funny, quirky, sarcastic and plain sick all at once and it can play tricks with your mind. The interaction between characters is comical, as everyone is so self absorbed that half the time they don't know who one another are. But that doesn't really matter: having the right suit, business card and restaurant reservations are important. It's the 80's and image is everything to yuppies living in New York city.

one of my favourite books, 22 Sep 2007
bret easton ellis writes beautifully crafted sentences - of that there is no doubt. even in the more unsavoury parts of this novel (e.g. when the character of patrick bateman is being sarcastic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, as he kills and tortures, during his innermost thought, and even in his detailed descriptions of situations and objects, the words used by bret easton ellis are chosen just right).

a highly entertaining gluttony of wholesale slaughter, unbridled paranoia, complete and utter self-loving and self-loathing and vacuousness. read it for yourself.

Very well written, 13 Aug 2007
This book is superbly written and had me laughing out load in places but also I found it very disturbing with the levels of violence. Also, a little dated by todays standards, but shows the yuppie obsession with money and designer clothing/goods. Overall a must read - recommended but not for the faint hearted

Not good., 03 Oct 2008
Ben Elton is not the writer George Orwell is. Unfortunately, he is not even a good writer. He's just a popular one. Ironically, his populist works will be read by all the people he hates in this novel.

This book is simplistic - there are no literary merits, and no hidden meanings. It won't get read for a second time by anyone hoping to find a new theme. They aren't there. As others have said, there is nothing subtle or discreet here.

For instance, Elton could make all kinds of comments on the nature of people who go around half naked all day long, but (apparently) the author is only disgusted by the fat ones. NOT the character, but the author. In fact, if he wants to make any individual utterly without redeeming features, he makes them fat. A bit like the way a schoolboy might point and giggle.

This kind of mealy-mouthed nastiness is exactly what Elton is having a (loud) pop at. Such a shame he doesn't recognise his own failings.

We all have our little sacred cows and our whipping boys. It's a shame that Mr Elton's are so obvious.

An absolutely terrible book, 23 Sep 2008
This is the worst book I've ever read. Stupid, ridiculous, anything but thoughtful. Save your money!

Very different , 19 Sep 2008
Having just read a very turgid novel, it was a relief to read Blind Faith as a flowing original view on a futuristic society. It is a great comment on modern paranoia transgressing into a fake plastic society based on the Internet generation hooked on reality TV and dismissive of inoculation as evil. Some great Ben Elton humour throughout and another original offering - Ben's only ever written 1 book that I have not enjoyed to date (Dead Famous)

Certainly Worth Reading!, 15 Sep 2008
[Plot spoiler warning : this review mentions some elements of the plot]

I saw an advert for this book on a bus shelter one day and decided to buy it based purely on the sub-title on the cover :

`If you thought you understood the world we live in, think again ...'

That intrigued me greatly and I made a mental note of it there and then.

I thought it was going to be a factual book and I was surprised on looking up Amazon that it was a novel, but I decided to purchase it anyway. I have never read any of Ben Elton's book, but I generally found this to be excellent and would highly recommend it. Though it's not to be taken too seriously, there is much in it that does reflect, albeit in hilarious terms, many aspects of our society today. For example the propensity to record everything digitally, plastic surgery, over-eating, Jerry Springer type TV confessional shows, group hugs at work, and emoting about one's feelings. And its all set in a future where sea levels have risen so much that cities like London have been reduced to an Archepelago. Elton writes brilliantly and I found his accounts of everyday situations in this nightmarish future world to be utterly hilarious and displaying a very vivid imagination. I am surprised that a number of people in these reviews didn't find it funny. Though perhaps this just says how funny his other books must be.

The last book I read before this one was `Young Stalin' by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and I wonder how many people who have read that book have also read this book (now there's an interesting DegSep problem for analysis!). But I found a strange connection between these two books in places - the small secretive resistance movement and its library of books and the desire to lend these books to others reminded me of the pre-revolution Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, including Stalin himself (a prolific book-lender), which also I read about in the `Young Stalin' book. Also the `Conspiratsia' described in that book was to be found also in Elton's book, in the highly duplicitous actions of Sandra Dee, the government spy. The aspects of `who can you trust' in these dangerous revolutionary situations is conveyed well in Elton's book, through the Sandra Dee character, and it is this very theme that has much to do with the nature and brutality of the Stalin regime which killed 25 million, largely innocent, Russian people. Elton shows a good understanding of revolutionary politics.

On the subject of religion, do religions really encourage this sort of self-promotion and self-indulgence ? I would have thought they would be teaching their flock to evangelise about the religion rather than draw attention to themselves.

Also isn't the reason for all the digital recording simply the affordability and availability of these technologies ? To my mind it is amazing that such technology can be so widely available. It is truly shameful that such sophisticated technology can be used for such innane purposes - underlining man's mischievious `primate' origins. The sad fact is that material wealth and comfort really doesn't forge `good characters' - more challenging experiences do so.

Also isn't the western world very `stuck up' on the notion of privacy ? Isn't our capitalist system founded on the notion of private property ? Privacy is our national obsession, surely ? What about that good old British `privat hedge' to keep those neighbours at arm's length ?

Sandra Dee's cynical view of humanity is one of the most depressing world views I have ever read anywhere in my life. By any spiritual standard at all this would be classed as total blasphemy - namely the wholesale denigration of the value of virtually the entirety of humanity. To assert that it is not worth doing anything `good' for humanity at all because of its extreme moral decrepitude is the blackest pessimism imaginable. Likewise is the assertion that humanity would make all the same mistakes all over again, if given the chance to try.

I was disappointed with the ending to some extent. I think Elton may have succombed to very temptation he so sardonically described in his book, namely by giving his audience a very bloody, dark and violent conclusion. There is so much more that could have been done with the conclusion to this book and I'm sure Elton could have done it brilliantly. Its just like he ended it in something of a hurry. But perhaps though he felt despite the humour that it was a dark novel and didn't want it to be any longer.

All in all though its well worth a read.




vision of the future?, 30 Aug 2008
Not as funny as some of Ben Elton's other offerings, but still worth a read. An eerie glimpse of what could be if we don't stop watching reality tv shows!!

not a favourite., 20 Aug 2008
I found this book very long and dull. I enjoyed parts of the story but Often the storytelling is replaced by pages and pages of politics.
It has its devotees though and is not entirely without merit so I guess all must judge for themselves. I really wanted to enjoy it but it just didn't press the right buttons for me.

I couldn't reccomend it.

Brilliant book, expertly read, 07 Aug 2008
It really shows that Carole Boyd, who reads this audio version, has spent years working on The Archers. She easily holds your attention and all the characters are distinguishable from each other. The reading is complemented by short sections of music at appropriate points. I could listen to it repeatedly.

Simply the Best, 11 Jul 2008
Quite simply the greatest novel written in the English language. Beautifully written and full of insight into the human condition.

very good...but prefer Adam Bede, 02 Jul 2008
extremely good novel and would recommend...but i feel it was a bit over stretched in certain places..some characters i really loved and others just seemed to be there to pad certain plot development. Bit overlong too, however well worth reading (but i think Adam Bede far superior)

Outstanding, 25 Mar 2008
Virginia Woolf wrote that this was one of the few novels for grown-up people. It is indeed a mirror for maturity, George Eliot's greatest achievement.

Lost in Middlesex, 20 May 2008
This is a very special book, wonderfully composed with true skill using flowing prose and marvellous insight; both researched and I suspect experienced. I feel my life has been enriched for having read it, few books have left me with such a lingering, sleep disturbing feeling of fulfilment. High Praise maybe, and the subject matter is original to say the least, but either way I would recommend this as essential reading to anyone.

Middlesex, 11 Mar 2008
This is quite a tricky book to review. I felt the first half of the book was worth 3 stars, yet the second was easily worth 5. The first half seemed overlong, with needlessly flowery prose and I kept thinking that it could have done with a really good edit. It also seemed to be a history lesson in places rather than a novel - as though the author had a list of dates and events and was fitting the plot around them, rather than the other way round. I also have to say that Desdemona seemed a bit cliched and became worse as the book progressed! I understand that this book was more than just Cal's story, but I felt the book really came to life and was completely engrossing once Cal was on centre stage. Overall, a really good read - highly recommended.

modern classic, 29 Jan 2008
I read this book after seeing it on so many'most loved'lists,i wasnt sure what to expect as i'd read The Virgin Suicides,and although i enjoyed it,didn't think it lived up to all the '5 star' reviews.This book'however was the real deal.The style of writing reminded me a little of Louis de Bernieres latter offerings,and even,dare i say,Salman Rushdie's later works.I would heartily reccomend it to anyone, it was one of those books which i found myself reading at any given opportunity,which for me lately is pretty rare.Although the chapters aren't exactly small,I still seemed to race through them in no time.I read on average 20 books a year,and only good fiction,and this would easily make the Top 5 of probably the last 2 or 3 years.I'm not a big lover of all things American, but she certainly produces some top writers.I've been reading reviews on Amazon for a lot of years and this is the 1st time I've felt compelled to write one.Give it a go,if you enjoy good fiction,you won't be dissappointed.

Bloated waste of time, 03 Jan 2008
I was going to write down exactly what I think of this 'masterpiece' but then I read rubyroo's review of 10 May 2007 and find it impossible to put it better myself.

So all I will add is: A hugely boring exercise in smug, conceited, supremely untalented self-satisfaction. Horrific writing style ('Look at ME! I'm such a GENIUS!') and - this is my favourite bit - almost entirely about Cal's family! And not about the central, most interesting character at all! Just rushed straight throught the actual process of changing sex. Superb.

An excellent example of how to waste a brilliant premise.

This book haunts me, 08 Nov 2007
Rarely has a book so haunted me. I don't seem to be able to stop thinking about it even though I've now finished, and that's only happened twice before; once with the novel "Sophie's Choice" and once with the classic "Bark of the Dogwood: A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens." In all three instances, I kept going back to the book, wanting to revisit it, learn more, and never let it go.

Such has been the case with Eugenides's masterpiece, "Middlesex." Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this book is about someone born with both sexes and the operation they undergo to tranform themselves. But don't stop there; the book deals heavily with the rest of the family and what they have to go through. I can't stress this enough---do NOT be put off by the subject matter as it is expertly dealt with and totally non-offensive.

Which brings me to the writing styel. Not overly purple, Eugenides nevertheless makes his mark. While this is a commercially successful book, it has more beauty and poetry in it than you will find in your average bestseller. Yes, I liked "Kite Runner," but it was no "Middlesex." If you're looking for a couple of other fun books, might I point you in the directon of two: J.T.McCrae's "Katzenjammer" which is a wild romp that looks at the world of publishing, and Sebold's "The Lovely Bones."

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly why this book is entertaining, it just is. It's funny, quirky, sarcastic and plain sick all at once and it can play tricks with your mind. The interaction between characters is comical, as everyone is so self absorbed that half the time they don't know who one another are. But that doesn't really matter: having the right suit, business card and restaurant reservations are important. It's the 80's and image is everything to yuppies living in New York city.

one of my favourite books, 22 Sep 2007
bret easton ellis writes beautifully crafted sentences - of that there is no doubt. even in the more unsavoury parts of this novel (e.g. when the character of patrick bateman is being sarcastic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, as he kills and tortures, during his innermost thought, and even in his detailed descriptions of situations and objects, the words used by bret easton ellis are chosen just right).

a highly entertaining gluttony of wholesale slaughter, unbridled paranoia, complete and utter self-loving and self-loathing and vacuousness. read it for yourself.

Very well written, 13 Aug 2007
This book is superbly written and had me laughing out load in places but also I found it very disturbing with the levels of violence. Also, a little dated by todays standards, but shows the yuppie obsession with money and designer clothing/goods. Overall a must read - recommended but not for the faint hearted

Not good., 03 Oct 2008
Ben Elton is not the writer George Orwell is. Unfortunately, he is not even a good writer. He's just a popular one. Ironically, his populist works will be read by all the people he hates in this novel.

This book is simplistic - there are no literary merits, and no hidden meanings. It won't get read for a second time by anyone hoping to find a new theme. They aren't there. As others have said, there is nothing subtle or discreet here.

For instance, Elton could make all kinds of comments on the nature of people who go around half naked all day long, but (apparently) the author is only disgusted by the fat ones. NOT the character, but the author. In fact, if he wants to make any individual utterly without redeeming features, he makes them fat. A bit like the way a schoolboy might point and giggle.

This kind of mealy-mouthed nastiness is exactly what Elton is having a (loud) pop at. Such a shame he doesn't recognise his own failings.

We all have our little sacred cows and our whipping boys. It's a shame that Mr Elton's are so obvious.

An absolutely terrible book, 23 Sep 2008
This is the worst book I've ever read. Stupid, ridiculous, anything but thoughtful. Save your money!

Very different , 19 Sep 2008
Having just read a very turgid novel, it was a relief to read Blind Faith as a flowing original view on a futuristic society. It is a great comment on modern paranoia transgressing into a fake plastic society based on the Internet generation hooked on reality TV and dismissive of inoculation as evil. Some great Ben Elton humour throughout and another original offering - Ben's only ever written 1 book that I have not enjoyed to date (Dead Famous)

Certainly Worth Reading!, 15 Sep 2008
[Plot spoiler warning : this review mentions some elements of the plot]

I saw an advert for this book on a bus shelter one day and decided to buy it based purely on the sub-title on the cover :

`If you thought you understood the world we live in, think again ...'

That intrigued me greatly and I made a mental note of it there and then.

I thought it was going to be a factual book and I was surprised on looking up Amazon that it was a novel, but I decided to purchase it anyway. I have never read any of Ben Elton's book, but I generally found this to be excellent and would highly recommend it. Though it's not to be taken too seriously, there is much in it that does reflect, albeit in hilarious terms, many aspects of our society today. For example the propensity to record everything digitally, plastic surgery, over-eating, Jerry Springer type TV confessional shows, group hugs at work, and emoting about one's feelings. And its all set in a future where sea levels have risen so much that cities like London have been reduced to an Archepelago. Elton writes brilliantly and I found his accounts of everyday situations in this nightmarish future world to be utterly hilarious and displaying a very vivid imagination. I am surprised that a number of people in these reviews didn't find it funny. Though perhaps this just says how funny his other books must be.

The last book I read before this one was `Young Stalin' by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and I wonder how many people who have read that book have also read this book (now there's an interesting DegSep problem for analysis!). But I found a strange connection between these two books in places - the small secretive resistance movement and its library of books and the desire to lend these books to others reminded me of the pre-revolution Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, including Stalin himself (a prolific book-lender), which also I read about in the `Young Stalin' book. Also the `Conspiratsia' described in that book was to be found also in Elton's book, in the highly duplicitous actions of Sandra Dee, the government spy. The aspects of `who can you trust' in these dangerous revolutionary situations is conveyed well in Elton's book, through the Sandra Dee character, and it is this very theme that has much to do with the nature and brutality of the Stalin regime which killed 25 million, largely innocent, Russian people. Elton shows a good understanding of revolutionary politics.

On the subject of religion, do religions really encourage this sort of self-promotion and self-indulgence ? I would have thought they would be teaching their flock to evangelise about the religion rather than draw attention to themselves.

Also isn't the reason for all the digital recording simply the affordability and availability of these technologies ? To my mind it is amazing that such technology can be so widely available. It is truly shameful that such sophisticated technology can be used for such innane purposes - underlining man's mischievious `primate' origins. The sad fact is that material wealth and comfort really doesn't forge `good characters' - more challenging experiences do so.

Also isn't the western world very `stuck up' on the notion of privacy ? Isn't our capitalist system founded on the notion of private property ? Privacy is our national obsession, surely ? What about that good old British `privat hedge' to keep those neighbours at arm's length ?

Sandra Dee's cynical view of humanity is one of the most depressing world views I have ever read anywhere in my life. By any spiritual standard at all this would be classed as total blasphemy - namely the wholesale denigration of the value of virtually the entirety of humanity. To assert that it is not worth doing anything `good' for humanity at all because of its extreme moral decrepitude is the blackest pessimism imaginable. Likewise is the assertion that humanity would make all the same mistakes all over again, if given the chance to try.

I was disappointed with the ending to some extent. I think Elton may have succombed to very temptation he so sardonically described in his book, namely by giving his audience a very bloody, dark and violent conclusion. There is so much more that could have been done with the conclusion to this book and I'm sure Elton could have done it brilliantly. Its just like he ended it in something of a hurry. But perhaps though he felt despite the humour that it was a dark novel and didn't want it to be any longer.

All in all though its well worth a read.




vision of the future?, 30 Aug 2008
Not as funny as some of Ben Elton's other offerings, but still worth a read. An eerie glimpse of what could be if we don't stop watching reality tv shows!!

not a favourite., 20 Aug 2008
I found this book very long and dull. I enjoyed parts of the story but Often the storytelling is replaced by pages and pages of politics.
It has its devotees though and is not entirely without merit so I guess all must judge for themselves. I really wanted to enjoy it but it just didn't press the right buttons for me.

I couldn't reccomend it.

Brilliant book, expertly read, 07 Aug 2008
It really shows that Carole Boyd, who reads this audio version, has spent years working on The Archers. She easily holds your attention and all the characters are distinguishable from each other. The reading is complemented by short sections of music at appropriate points. I could listen to it repeatedly.

Simply the Best, 11 Jul 2008
Quite simply the greatest novel written in the English language. Beautifully written and full of insight into the human condition.

very good...but prefer Adam Bede, 02 Jul 2008
extremely good novel and would recommend...but i feel it was a bit over stretched in certain places..some characters i really loved and others just seemed to be there to pad certain plot development. Bit overlong too, however well worth reading (but i think Adam Bede far superior)

Outstanding, 25 Mar 2008
Virginia Woolf wrote that this was one of the few novels for grown-up people. It is indeed a mirror for maturity, George Eliot's greatest achievement.

Lost in Middlesex, 20 May 2008
This is a very special book, wonderfully composed with true skill using flowing prose and marvellous insight; both researched and I suspect experienced. I feel my life has been enriched for having read it, few books have left me with such a lingering, sleep disturbing feeling of fulfilment. High Praise maybe, and the subject matter is original to say the least, but either way I would recommend this as essential reading to anyone.

Middlesex, 11 Mar 2008
This is quite a tricky book to review. I felt the first half of the book was worth 3 stars, yet the second was easily worth 5. The first half seemed overlong, with needlessly flowery prose and I kept thinking that it could have done with a really good edit. It also seemed to be a history lesson in places rather than a novel - as though the author had a list of dates and events and was fitting the plot around them, rather than the other way round. I also have to say that Desdemona seemed a bit cliched and became worse as the book progressed! I understand that this book was more than just Cal's story, but I felt the book really came to life and was completely engrossing once Cal was on centre stage. Overall, a really good read - highly recommended.

modern classic, 29 Jan 2008
I read this book after seeing it on so many'most loved'lists,i wasnt sure what to expect as i'd read The Virgin Suicides,and although i enjoyed it,didn't think it lived up to all the '5 star' reviews.This book'however was the real deal.The style of writing reminded me a little of Louis de Bernieres latter offerings,and even,dare i say,Salman Rushdie's later works.I would heartily reccomend it to anyone, it was one of those books which i found myself reading at any given opportunity,which for me lately is pretty rare.Although the chapters aren't exactly small,I still seemed to race through them in no time.I read on average 20 books a year,and only good fiction,and this would easily make the Top 5 of probably the last 2 or 3 years.I'm not a big lover of all things American, but she certainly produces some top writers.I've been reading reviews on Amazon for a lot of years and this is the 1st time I've felt compelled to write one.Give it a go,if you enjoy good fiction,you won't be dissappointed.

Bloated waste of time, 03 Jan 2008
I was going to write down exactly what I think of this 'masterpiece' but then I read rubyroo's review of 10 May 2007 and find it impossible to put it better myself.

So all I will add is: A hugely boring exercise in smug, conceited, supremely untalented self-satisfaction. Horrific writing style ('Look at ME! I'm such a GENIUS!') and - this is my favourite bit - almost entirely about Cal's family! And not about the central, most interesting character at all! Just rushed straight throught the actual process of changing sex. Superb.

An excellent example of how to waste a brilliant premise.

This book haunts me, 08 Nov 2007
Rarely has a book so haunted me. I don't seem to be able to stop thinking about it even though I've now finished, and that's only happened twice before; once with the novel "Sophie's Choice" and once with the classic "Bark of the Dogwood: A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens." In all three instances, I kept going back to the book, wanting to revisit it, learn more, and never let it go.

Such has been the case with Eugenides's masterpiece, "Middlesex." Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this book is about someone born with both sexes and the operation they undergo to tranform themselves. But don't stop there; the book deals heavily with the rest of the family and what they have to go through. I can't stress this enough---do NOT be put off by the subject matter as it is expertly dealt with and totally non-offensive.

Which brings me to the writing styel. Not overly purple, Eugenides nevertheless makes his mark. While this is a commercially successful book, it has more beauty and poetry in it than you will find in your average bestseller. Yes, I liked "Kite Runner," but it was no "Middlesex." If you're looking for a couple of other fun books, might I point you in the directon of two: J.T.McCrae's "Katzenjammer" which is a wild romp that looks at the world of publishing, and Sebold's "The Lovely Bones."

so much more than your average teen book!, 03 Oct 2008
The story of the virgin suicides is fascinating yet a little disturbing. It is written in an almost poetic way with a dash of dark humour. The story is both gripping and moving and raises certain themes which are full of deep hidden meaning and intense depth. Its a classic.

It is one of my favourite books and should not be compared to your average teen book because it is so much more than that!

Leaves a bad taste...., 15 Jul 2008
This is a very powerful story, following the suicides of five girls from the same family, as seen through the eyes of a group of boys.

It is grim, emotional, and depressing at times, yet at others will make you smile at the touching observations that makes it seem all too real.

Its certainly a book that will stay with you for a while after you've read it - whether this is a good or bad thing, I don't know! Just make sure your next book afterwards has a happier ending!

In A League of Its Own, 27 Mar 2008
This is a book that is so thrilling, wonderful, gripping and fascinating that it belongs, not just in a league of its own, but in a world of its own. I never held quite "faith" in the second-person narrator until I read this novel; it feels slow to begin with but this is necessary in that it casts you in the rich, summer-like spell, almost a dreamlike trance, that means you are literally carried away. Apart from the heartbreaking and stunningly realistic ending, it never takes any particular "dramatic" twists: this could be dull or boring in less skilled hands than Eugenides', but it only serves to sustain the illusion that this is not fiction, or a novel, but life. Things do not happen fast in life. They can be a steady build-up of emotion and small things, that leads to a conclusion. I would compare it to To Kill A Mockingbird and Lolita in the strangely dreamy feeling that overtakes you while reading it, and spins you into the web of this remarkable tragedy. It is not a book I would recommend to everyone, but I loved it.

The Virgin Suicides, 11 Jan 2008
This was a very easy book to read - I found it hard to put down, particularly towards the end. It is very sad - the waste of the girls' lives and their isolation and desperation, but with glimpses of humour, albeit of a very dark nature. The author writes very well, with good use of description without going over the top.

Perfection., 08 Jan 2008
"The Virgin Suicides" The story of 5 east side teens that lead troubled lives and one by one slowly "hurl" themselves from the world. Its is beautifully crafted and never gets old. The main theme of the novel being that one person can never truly understand/know another. This book is well worth the purchase if you seem to regularly find yourself at a loose end. This will fill up your time and with each consecutive read you will fall deeper within the novel and perceive/understand things you didn't the time(s) before that.
5*!

Barbara Erskine does it again - another gripping book., 22 Sep 2008
I have been a fan of Barbara Erskine for around 14 years now and always look forward to her new books. This one as not let me down. The dual stories of Eigon from the past and Jess from the current are both gripping and keep you reading from front to back cover. Cant wait for the next Barbara Erskine book! Thanks. AbigailThe Warrior's Princess

disappointing......, 14 Sep 2008
A long awaited book, turned out to be a disappointment. It dragged, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. A wonderful author has let herself down with this one. The historical background was well written and interesting, but the characters?.... weak and boring!

brilliant , 30 Aug 2008
this is my first barbara erskine novel , and as soon as I read the synopsis , i felt i just had to read it... I finished it in a day ... can't put it down, the story is so engaging , feel a bit long sometimes in the middle , but it soon pick up and just hooked you till the end... I'm now excitedly browsing for more of her book...

Celtic Connundrum, 27 Aug 2008
I have read all of Erskines previous books so eagerly await any new offering.
Only trouble is she is so formulaic, its the same novel plot over and over again.I wish for once she would come out of her comfort zone and surprise me.
Good points , learning about Celtic Britain and Roman Times with a mix of early Christianity thrown in.
Bad points, plot all over the place.Characters very annoying and having read so many of her works i sadly guessed most of what was going to happen.The ending after nearly 500 pages was weak.
Ive given it 4 stars because she is a good story teller but Barbara stretch yourself next time and come up with a different plot for once.


the Warrior's Princess, 17 Aug 2008
Fantastic book, especially as it was set in the village where my great grandmother used to live and is buried in the churchyard of St Eigons Church. Once again, Barbara Erskine has written a wonderfully, descriptive story, enabling the reader to imagine themselves in Rome and Wales. I love her present day characters and how thier lives entwine with those of the past. Please hurry up and write the next book.I have to say my favourite book is Lady of Hay.

The most pointless book I've ever read., 23 Jul 2008
Yep, without doubt.

It's shocking, no doubt, but mainly in its inanity...

The constant references to Labels, restaurants, bars and clubs, the obsession with physical fitness, the racism, the sterotypical 'Wall Street workers', the gratuitous, graphic violence and sex all become deeply tedious VERY quickly...

And... as soon as they do you realise there's no story in this book.

I thought I must have missed some deep meaning in this 'work', but I suspect the point the writer thought he was making is so 80s that it really doesn't have any meaning today anyway.

Other reviewers talk about how it's poking fun at the Yuppies - Duh... if you don't get that in the first 3 pages you're probably on a life support machine.

This book could be subtitled "Irony for Dummies", it's so heavy-handed.

This is one of only two books that I've given up on part way through (and don't bother to say it all comes clear in the last third as it's now recycled into something useful, like toilet roll... Actually I'll admit I skim read the last 100 pages after originally writing this and THEN recycled it - The last 100 pages were rubbish too...)

It read like it was written by a 14 year old trying to upset his parents.

Waste your life, if you wish, but I'll not waste another second on this...

I'll never let a stranger perform oral sex on me, ever!, 15 Jul 2008
I'm a bit confused as to why other readers have said this is a black comedy, I laughed once! Perhpas if i had read this in the early nineties it may have resonated with me more. But it didn't. The only thing that kept me going, was the wanting to know "where is the stuff of the reviews read?"
I'm not a page skipper, but I did indeed skip through a lot of the boring detail over designer labeling. There were no descriptives other than Bill Blass and the rest of the unheard of (to most of us) hoards of designers.
I feel fobbed off when a writer leaves the ending with no ending, I need closure, American Psycho doesn't leave that. I wanted him caught and beaten to a pulp as nasty as the pulps he had beaten his victims to. What does that say about me!! This book will, if it hasn't already stop many people in their tracks when thinking about having some wild or spontaneous sex with someone we really don't know. So it might do for the human race what condoms and AIDs warning couldn't. There may be less STD's around now if it was written a lot sooner. I for one will never ever have oral sex with a stranger or even half stranger again. I will seriously think twice about perhaps three times before I even go in for a cup of coffee. What sort of impression does this book leave with society's young people, the impressionable ones. There's already enough machete weilding tenagers out there now. I wouldn't be suprised if most of them had read this book. The gore and torture only gets worse the deeper into the chapters you go. BUT and thank god at least he stops yabbering on about designer labels and his bloody 100 assorted different face creams, we actually get some good writing in parts, I enjoyed maybe a page until the torture started again. Oh and the chapters on his favourite music, well if I'd wanted a music review I'd have gotten a copy of rolling stone.Its an inconsistent read, for example: as he leaves us at the end of one chapter about to go on a date with (lets say) Evelyn. At the start of the next chapter the girl has a new name a differnet girl! Oh and he gets called by all sorts of names throughout, to the point where i started thinking, has this guy got multiple personalities not just the two, Mr Boring and Mr Psycho. His head is in such a mess that I as a reader was just as confused..I'm sorry to damn it as he's had rave reviews for this peice of work. But its not funny, its sick and I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the reviewers so far that find it an amusing read. Yes it is a banal and superficial world he portrays, but its not done well. Or perhaps i'm just not sick enough.

I love this book, 23 Oct 2007
I only read this book after I seen the film, which is portrayed wonderfully by Christian Bale. The book itself is the blackest of comedies with a hint of sarcasm about it. The violence in American Psycho, which is described down to the closest of details, is only a small part of the book as a whole. The rest of it is about the day-to-day life of an American businessman who is rich, good-looking but rarely happy and those are the most entertaining parts for me.

You may find it heavy going having to read the over-described details on everything from fashion to electrical products, but trust me, it gets easier. As I write this I struggle to pinpoint exactly