Elton, Ben – Chart Throb
****
What better way to celebrate the launch of the new series of the X Factor than reading Chart Throb, a thinly–disguised satire of reality TV pop “talent” shows.  With the contestants categorised behind the scenes as mingers, blingers and clingers rather than singers and clever editing used to heighten their vulnerabilities and influence the voting, the fiction is only a slight exaggeration of the fact.
As usual Ben Elton captures the zeitgeist excellently in this fast-moving page-turner with a plethora of little comments as we go showing his incredible perception.  Perhaps it's a little too fast-moving as my only criticisms are that the last 100 or so pages about the televised part of the contest seem a little rushed and the twist at the end of the story is unrealistic, unclimactic and ineffective. 
An uncharacteristically poor ending aside, Chart Throb is an excellent, contemporary read which only just exaggerates the modern entertainment phenomenon which is reality TV.
Read by me:  28.4.08-24.8.08

Elton, Ben - Dead Famous
A-
A murder mystery and clever, thought provoking satire of Big Brother which displays the good as well as bad and vulgar aspects of reality TV, leaving the reader to make up his or her mind. This is usually the way Elton approaches issues in his novels these days and, like the programme it satirises, Dead Famous slowly draws the reader in with its strong characters inside and outside the house who are stereotypical yet increasingly interesting as more is revealed about them. By the end it's a real page turner. A superb clever and thought provoking very modern murder mystery - one of Elton's best books.
First published: 2001
Read by me: 10.03-19.11.03

Elton, Ben- First Casualty, The
****1/2
A real departure for Ben Elton, The First Casualty is about Douglas Kingsley, a policeman who conscientiously objects to the First World War on intellectual rather than moral grounds.  Kingsley is allowed to escape the brutality of prison to investigate the murder of a young captain (and celebrated poet) on the front-line where he is ironically exposed to the true horrors of the war.  With typical stubborn-ness, he puts himself in considerable danger whilst trying to solve the crime as the boundaries between actual murder and sending young men forward to almost certain death become ever more blurred by the events around him.
The First Casualty us an excellent, well-researched novel.  Unlike most of Elton’s other books, it is not about a modern phenomenon and contains longer chapters with less jumping between different scenes and plots.  With virtually none of Ben’s usual comic touches, it is still an entertaining read in its way as well as being thought provoking and moving at times.  Highly recommended for anyone who likes Ben’s books or anyone with an interest in the so-called Great War and its terrible atrocities.
Published:  2005
Read by me:  20.7.06-11.8.06

Elton, Ben - High Society
B+
Very thought provoking novel by the incredibly intelligent and perceptive Elton which asks whether narcotic drugs should be legalised.  In High Society, Elton challenges our (and I suspect his) resistance to legalisation and puts forward some strong arguments.  As is usual with his books, there are a number of well developed sub-plots and characters all linked by drugs such as a millionaire pop star, "it girl" and abused teenager who becomes a heroin addict and prostitute at the hand of evil pimps.  Some of the passages are uncomfortably squalid and horrible as is Elton's uncomfortable assertion that drugs are everywhere.  This all sounds very grim but there is still some humour and a very readable multi-faceted story.  An excellent thought-provoking novel by an exceptionally clever, contemporary author.
Read: 24.1.04-22.4.04