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Avg. Rating: 4
Comical and intelligent
This was the only one by Elton I hadn't read. For those of you who don't know Ben, he is co-author of famous comedies as The Young Ones, Blackadder and the Thin Blue Line. He is also a famous Stand Up Comedian in the UK, with his own TV-show. He has written several brilliant novels and plays. Stark was his second. I had seen the TV-film based on the book already, therefore I hadn't read the book yet, but his eye for detail can never be incorporated in a film, you just have to read his books. Elton is cynical, his books speak for that. Being a comedian he obviously cannot avoid putting zillions of little jokes in the book, but the story itself is brilliant enough. A conspiracy (I love conspiracy theories. Elvis is alive, Monroe was murdered, the moon landing was fake etc.) of very, very rich magnates decides to let the world go down, but have found a solution for themselves. A group of losers has to try to stop them. Armageddon might seem far fetched, but reading this book, you can't avoid thinking that it could just happen like this. It might not even be fiction, But knowing that it is, it is a brilliant read. Now that I have read every single one of his books, I can't wait for a new one! The whole story plays in Australia and some of the characteristics are really well observed, there are several good reasons to read this book, can't seem to find any to not read it.
Great thing
Ben Elton's first ever novel and one of the best. It's about five rather strange creatures trying to save the world, but curiously after half of the book the reader knows they won't succeed. I was hoping and suffering with them until a point short before the end, when I suddenly wanted to stop them doing what they were going to do, because the character of Sly had developed to quite a nice guy....Great book, but only four stars, because I did read "Inconceavable", also by Ben Elton. That's even more wonderful. I recommend both books!!!
This is how the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper...
I don't think I've ever read a novel that improved so much as I read. From a slow beginning focusing on the less-than-compelling character of CD (obviously Elton's alter ego), more and more wonderful characters were introduced and the plot became surpisingly involving, till I was sorry to see my train pull in because it meant I would have to close the book. Waits for the bus became unnoticeable because I was so absorbed in what would happen next. Towards the end I literally couldn't put it down. I truly didn't expect the Stark Conspiracy to take the turn it did and it frightened me reading about the ecological destruction that seems inevitable if the facts Elton cited are true. I find myself in the position of many of the characters, just feeling helpless and hoping that "they" will find a way to fix it. I knew Elton was funny from watching Young Ones and Blackadder but I didn't expect such strong sense of storytelling and a bleak outlook from him. He creates many fine characterizations; most memorable are the burnt out Vietnam vet Zimmerman, his hippie buddy Walter (you'll recognize shades of Neil from the Young Ones in this guy), the uber-sarcastic Mrs. Culboon, rich car-phone fanatic Aristos Tyron, the exceedingly evil Professor Durf, and especially Stark Conspirator Sly Moorcock, who becomes the novel's most tragic figure. "Stark" also has a couple of strong heroines in Rachel and Chrissie. Now if Elton had just done something about that CD...
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