Ben Elton Omnibus: "Stark", "Gridlock"

by Ben Elton

An omnibus edition of "Stark" and "Gridlock". Stark has more money than God and the social conscience of a dog on a croquet lawn. What's more, they know the Earth is dying and hatch the richest conspiracy in history. In "Gridlock", Deborah is on a mission to stop the world driving itself to death.

888 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1993

About the author

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 memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. His groundbreaking work as a TV stand-up comedian set the (high) standard of what was to follow. He has received accolades for his hit TV sitcoms, The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.

More recently he has had successes with three hit West End musicals, including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You. He has written three plays for the London stage, including the multi-award-winning Popcorn. Ben's international bestselling novels include Stark, Inconceivable, Dead Famous and High Society. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for the novel Popcorn.

Elton lives in Perth with his Aussie wife Sophie and three children.

Reviews

[Edward Payne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this one I’m afraid, though I started both. Stark was too unpleasant and featured two characters who I cared so little about that spending 400 pages in their company practically turned my stomach. It was also so ridiculous that it was practically unreadable. Gridlock was marginally better, but so rich in detail with the minutiae of cars and highways and byways, that it just became over inflated rant about something I have zero opinion on. I mean, Elton obviously has a critical scalpel at the ready to cut slices out of politicians and their rhetoric, but following the incompetence of a transport minister and those for whom he lines the palms, just isn’t very interesting. There is, however, a thought provoking (if questionable and a little outdated) commentary on disability buried in there, but you have to wade through waffle to get at it. I gave up both halfway through. Shame as Two Brothers is one of my favourite books ever.

[Alison]

He always has a strong message, delivered in a readable way