I've long meant to read the novels by Ben Elton, a writer whom I have admired for his movie and television work of comic genius such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Blackadder, and Love Actually. This is his fourth or fifth novel, and I figured that me must have been able to shift into a new medium with some success, not to mention that I had seen some recommendations for his novels in places that I usually trust. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I did finish it, but I think that was due in part to my not wanting to start another book so near to my recent vacation and that I was actually reading it quite quickly. The problem here stems from Elton's choice of comedic material: the juxtaposition of an ultra lefty in the person of Polly, who once protested the American presence on British soil by chaining herself along with a group of other female peaceniks to the gates of the military base, and Jack Kent, an ultra righty who was one of those American soldiers, now risen to the rank of General and on the precipice of becoming the next head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Neither Polly or Jack are believeable characters, which usually isn't a problem in a comedy novel, as believability often takes a back seat to exaggeration. But by making them opposite sides of the political coin, some of their aspects are not so much exaggerated as inconsistent, especially in the use Elton puts them into service of the thin plot. They are, instead, means by which Elton proceeds to skewer both political persuasions and this might work if they weren't each so full of straw that his darting arrows not only pierce but proceed to explode the propped up dummies, to extend and exaggerate the metaphor. He also is exceedingly graphic, especially in his portrayal of the physical attraction of these opposites in the backflashes to their initial meeting, which is more squirm-inducing than arousing. As the book works inevitably to the climax, and as Elton has his characters move around to the spots where everything will proceed as he wants, he has to have them repeat themselves to the point of annoyance. Halfway through the book, I debated if you could make a drinking game out of every time Polly demanded that Jack answer why he had returned after 30 years and then revealing that she was still attracted to him. It's the kind of thing that might have worked in a screenplay, because it could have been excised by the director or editor. Compared to books by other British TV alumni such as Stephen Fry or Hugh Laurie, this was a major disappointment. I'm hoping that this was just an off-book, and that Elton's others are much better. It may be some time for me to try one of those after this book, though.
I've read a few of Ben Elton books and, although I've enjoyed them all, some have definitely stood out from the others. My all time favourite is 'Gridlock', but I'm going to have to put 'Blast From The Past' on the side for the better.The book itself has an interesting premise - two people fall in love, but cannot pursue the relationship as they are entirely different people. 32 year-old Republican American soldier Jack Kent meets 17 year-old aggro-feminist war protester Polly in a café one summer and, against everything they believe in, spend the rest of it together. Polly's heart is broken at the end of summer, however, when Kent mysteriously disappears, choosing his profession over his heart. The book switches between flashbacks of the summer, and the present day, where Polly is being harassed by Peter, an avid stalker of hers. One night, the three of them clash in the most dramatic of ways.A lot of people seem to have claimed the pacing as slow, but I found it anything but. Yes, the book is really only being told over one night, but Elton does this cleverly his use of the past and present, and leaves you feeling gripped. We as the readers already know it will last just until the morning, and so I found myself hurrying through the text to get the what happens before Jack has to leave.The humour was interesting in this one as well. Not quite as present as 'Gridlock', yet still largely satirical. I often find it hard to read stories that follow political notions (in particular ones from different countries), yet I didn't find this such an issue. Elton draws between the parallels of the two main characters quite frequently, in a way that draws you in to their character clash. He produces humour, fear, uncertainty and confusion all into one story - I found it interesting how many times my character preference changed over just one conversation. Peter was an interesting element to the story and it was the parts about him and similar situations where you really needed Ben Elton to be the one writing it - the bluntness of the scenarios was hard to read at points, but Elton has a way of writing such things without you wanting to put the book down. It was certainly 'to the point', but it made it all the more exciting.I'm excited to read more of Ben Elton's work. If you like satirical, British-style humour with compelling storylines, then this is one to read.
What do You think about Blast From The Past (2000)?
I wanted to love this book; I truly did. I fell in love with Elton's humor and political satire when I read Stark years ago. This book doesn't measure up. The pacing was great, and I confess there were times I had trouble putting the book down. I did find parts quite amusing, and, as a political junkie, I enjoyed the debate. The problem I had was two-fold. First, I didn't think the story had enough depth. I found it frustrating that on one hand Elton seemed to be trying to tell a serious story about these two people who loved each other, but couldn't find a way to bridge the gap between their two vastly different worlds, and on the other hand, he was just doing a broad satire of left wing vs right wing politics, with a stereotypical stalker thrown in for good measure. He didn't give the characters enough depth to make me fully care about the love story, so why did he bother with all those flashbacks? Yet, in giving me the background, he seemed to almost want me to care about the characters - he just didn't give me enough to allow me to buy in. Also, I saw the ending coming a mile away. Elton is capable of better than that. In general, I don't think there was enough to the story to make a full length book - this would've worked alot better as a short story.I know it sounds like I'm being harsh, and I probably am. I did enjoy the book, it just wasn't memorable, and it wasn't up to the standards I've come to have for a novelist the calibre of Ben Elton. Elton can do better, so I would not start with this book. My favorite Elton novels are Stark, and Chart Throb.
—Tania
Blast From The Past is a really good read. The main story is a conversation between two ex-lovers and takes place essentially over a couple of pre-dawn hours in a London bedsit flat. It is interwoven with flashbacks of the two main characters and short snippets of other players, some just innocent bystanders.I like Ben Elton's books, they always guarantee a riveting story and no two are the same. It has his usual biting satirical look at some societal issue - this one being peace campaigners versus the military machine and their individual impacts on society (and impacts on them from society) - but adds an element of slow building suspense (what IS going to happen??).I'd recommend Blast From The Past to any lover of good storytelling.
—Wilton314
This is the second time I've read Blast From The Past after a gap of a few years.The story itself gripped me right from the start and the premise - as with all of Elton's books - is great.We start with Polly, a woman who is being stalked receiving a call in the middle of the night which leads us through a series of flashbacks to her teenage relationship with an American army captain, Jack, while also witnessing the events of the night of the phone call unfold leading to a shocking conclusion. I love the story but found it hard to like or engage with the characters and their views which are polar opposites of each others, and will admit to skimming through some of the political dialogue. However, for me, that didn't detract from being wrapped up in the unfolding events, and desperate to know what happens next.
—Angie
