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86th out of 218 books
—
45 voters
This Other Eden
by
Ben Elton
SMALL, WELL APPOINTED FUTURE. SEMI DETACHED.
If the end of the world is nigh, then surely it's only sensible to make alternative arrangements. Certainly the Earth has its points, but what most people need is something smaller and more manageable. Of course there are those who say that's planetary treason, but who cares what the weirdos and terrorists think? Not Nathan. All...more
If the end of the world is nigh, then surely it's only sensible to make alternative arrangements. Certainly the Earth has its points, but what most people need is something smaller and more manageable. Of course there are those who say that's planetary treason, but who cares what the weirdos and terrorists think? Not Nathan. All...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
July 1st 2003
by Black Swan
(first published 1993)
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What would happen if a rich media mogul and business man decided to try and market the end of the world? Well this is Ben Elton's take on it.
The book opens with a supertanker running aground spilling its contents on the sea and coastline killing everything in its path but it soon becomes clear that this is no accident or a simple environmental tale. Elton, in his own inimitable style, is having a pop at mass marketing and the popular media. There are inflatable boobs, spray on condoms, free lipo...more
The book opens with a supertanker running aground spilling its contents on the sea and coastline killing everything in its path but it soon becomes clear that this is no accident or a simple environmental tale. Elton, in his own inimitable style, is having a pop at mass marketing and the popular media. There are inflatable boobs, spray on condoms, free lipo...more
Блестящая книга, полная острой, умной, тонкой сатиры. Смеяться и глубоко задумываться можно почти над каждой фразой. К раздумьям располагает тема - гибель Земли от экологического Армагеддона, а к смеху - те тонкие и ироничные замечания о жизни общества и отдельно взятого человека, которыми пестрит книга. К тому же сюжет полон экшна и интриг, что делает чтение захватывающим. Элтон умница, и я обязательно буду читать его еще. И еще!
Has the same style as Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker series, same brand of humour if you like it that way. The theme of environmental destruction is a tad too serious to be used for comedic purposes and to be treated lightly, I feel. Elton does bring up very thought provoking ideas in this grand conspiracry theory that both pro and anti environment forces are completely in cahoots, one could say its the ultimate cynic's view of reality. Whether we will eventually invent practical self-contained...more
Absolutely my favorite Ben Elton. If you are a fan of his give this a try, it is everything that Elton does best, humor, politics, and people and their craziest and most human. Like many of his books, This Other Eden has the insiders peek at the ridiculous thing we call show biz, and an observant and funny take on people and relationships.
If you are not a fan of Elton, you might not enjoy this book. If you are however I would say to pick it up immediately. In the U.S. it's very hard to find his...more
If you are not a fan of Elton, you might not enjoy this book. If you are however I would say to pick it up immediately. In the U.S. it's very hard to find his...more
This Other Eden is a very funny book. It takes things to the extreme about what could happen if rich businessmen wanted to make money out of the end of the world. Based some years in the future, Ben Elton creates the scene of a world in environmental chaos, where the human race has destroyed the earth, and the end is nigh. Plastic Tolstoy, a rich businessman has the answer: buy a Claustrophere. A dome-shaped, self-contained new home, which can provide air and water, and recycle human waste, and...more
The novel is set in the reasonably near future. Earth is being devastated by Mankind's continued exploitation, and it seems obvious that the environment will collapse sometime in the near future. Rather than adopt a more eco-friendly approach to life, most people have instead invested in a "Claustrosphere", a dome-shaped habitat in which all water, food and air is endlessly recycled in a completely closed environment. A person can therefore survive indefinitely within a claustrosphere no matter...more
This was the book that really got me thinking seriously about green issues. The chapter with the false alarm where one of the characters faces multiple years alone in a geodesic dome is a proper chiller! Oh, and it's funny too. I finished it on a train commuting home one night, and there were a few stops to go so I turned right back to page one, and ended up reading it all through again.
Sep 10, 2011
Andy Bird
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
humour,
science-fiction
Didn't like this one. I found the story very silly and not very good, it seemed to stumble along rather than evolve and i thought it was very week. I quite liked some of the characters but found them to be caricatures and one dimensional. Some bits were funny but there were a lot of off the track explanations which got a bit tedious and reminded me of the authors satirical stand-up performances. The political message was also very unsubtle. I wouldn't recommend it.
I've read most of Ben Eltons books and this one disappointed a bit, and it was only when I realised it was written in 1993 did I understand why - some of the boo has already been realised - media crossover and blatant manipulation (are you reading this Simon Cowell?). Overall though it doesn't hang together quite as well as his more recent works.
The best Ben Elton there is! He is so spot on, especially when you consider that the book was published in like 1993?! Some parts will make you roflyao and there are parts where you will feel sick with sadness and guilt. such an awesome book, can't recommend it enough!
"Such is progress. The Egyptians left tombs which thousands of years later yielded up treasures of indescribable beauty, testimony to the glory of their civilization. The British, who have produced so many things thay could serve a...more
"Such is progress. The Egyptians left tombs which thousands of years later yielded up treasures of indescribable beauty, testimony to the glory of their civilization. The British, who have produced so many things thay could serve a...more
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Written in that ineffable Ben Elton style with galaxy-loads of clever insight and witty sarcasms. The premise of our dying world was a little too real for comfort however so it did not rate as highly with me as some other Ben Elton gems. The conclusion, whilst thankfully sweet and benign ended like the world, not so much with a bang but a satisfying sigh of relief.
This is Ben Elton at his sarcastically funny best. The fact the subject matter, our dying planet, is so topical only makes the book a better read. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoys ironic humour. Elton is one of my favourite authors and this has to be one of my favourite of his books.
I was hoping to enjoy this book (often very much enjoying Ben Elton novels, and being passionate about Environmental issues), but it was disappointment to me. I often find that some Ben Elton's I REALLY enjoy, and others I do not like at all. Unfortunately, this was the latter. I didn't find the plot particularly entertaining and I found the characters hard to follow and a bit boring. It was also pretty predictable through-out.
In isolation, it's a fine yarn. It's just a pity he'd already written it four years earlier in Stark. Same impending environmental catastrophe, similar evil billionaire, similar hapless rebels, different dastardly solution.
Environmental soothsaying from Mr Elton. Quite well done, in a "don't frighten the horses kind of way". I very much doubt it will change a single person's mind about any of the issues it claims to address.
This was barely Ok, maybe it only deserved 1 star.
It seems that Ben Elton combined his stand up comic scripts into one script and thought they would make a good story. But then you needed a bit of narrative to join it all together. Take the comic ideas to the extreme and you have this book.
It just seemed to get side tracked and at times was a just a series of dissertation about different subjects half way through a story. It was distracting and annoying and made the reading more of a task than...more
It seems that Ben Elton combined his stand up comic scripts into one script and thought they would make a good story. But then you needed a bit of narrative to join it all together. Take the comic ideas to the extreme and you have this book.
It just seemed to get side tracked and at times was a just a series of dissertation about different subjects half way through a story. It was distracting and annoying and made the reading more of a task than...more
elton at his best, yet again... a look into what our world could become with global warming, depleted resources, overpopulation, etc, etc
the book certainly has alot of original concepts with regards to the future of earth and the human species. I cannot say I really enjoyed the book though.
An old Ben Elton I was catching up with this year. Stood the test of time as I was still laughing out loud.
a good read not a fan of ben elton as a stand up comedian but impressed by his writing
This sci-fi satire will appeal to Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams fans. It's very funny, terribly sad and always cuts close to the bone. The end of the world and the 'green issues' dealt with will unsettle a few readers.
Feb 15, 2011
Phillip Goodman
added it
from back when ben elton wrote really great book instead of silly stage musicals.
One of the funniest books I have ever read. Can also recommend Stark
Don't think Elton has ever topped this. I know he wrote Black Adder.
Eco-satire - more of the same from Ben Elton - was OK
Excellent satire with page turning suspense.
May 21, 2009
Tobyreiner
added it
I somehow made it through This Other Eden, but I was helped by being on a bus in Brazil at the time and having finished the other books I had with me. It really isn't Elton's best work, mostly because it's far too much of a rant and, consequently, isn't very funny. I'm not sure whether it's my least favourite Elton, but the only other contender would be Chart Throb. That's in any case not really a far comparison, because I have no interest whatsoever in Pop Idol or the like, so the satire of tha...more
My favourite Ben Elton - laugh out loud
Good, a bit straight forward, but good.
Loved this book.
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Ben Elton was born on 3 May 1959, in Catford, South London. The youngest of four, he went to Godalming Grammar school, joined amateur dramatic societies and wrote his first play at 15. He wanted to be a stagehand at the local theatre, but instead did A-Level Theatre Studies and studied drama at Manchester University in 1977.
His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memo...more
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His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memo...more
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