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 liposuction for anybody who eats 20 doughnuts and of course Claustrospheres, self contained survival domes where families can safely live when the end of the world comes. There is big business,ineffectual Politicians and Green groups, nothing and nobody is spared. Hitler has even been cloned and brought back to life so he can stand trial for crimes against humanity, he gets community service. In many ways it is anti-US but then Britain and the EU also come out of it pretty poorly as well.The book is full of great characters, a media mogul called Plastic, a wannabe English scriptwriter called Nathan who is trying to make it big in Hollywood but is always depressed about the loss of his wife to another man continually reminding himself of the fact, an FBI agent called Judy who happens to be a male, Max Maximus a Hollywood A-lister who as well as being very vain and is pretty stupid failing to even recognise his own wife because she has had so much cosmetic surgery, and an unlikely environmental terrorist called Rosalie. It is when Max falls in love with Rosalie that things really begin to happen and spiral out of control.This is not the first of Elton's books that I have read but definately my favourite. His writing style is easy to pick but hard to put down and had me in tears of laughter on more than one occasion. This is one of the funniest books that I have read for a good while.
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 where you can grow your own food; and which even has a day and night-cycle. The advertising campaigns begin, and people are urged to buy these safe-houses, which could be used when the end finally comes. Everyone who is anyone, owns a Claustrophere. It is big business, but a business that had its ups and downs and needs continued advertising to stay afloat. Mother Earth, a terrorist group, and Natura, an environmental campaign group, are against Claustropheres, claiming that by buying these domes people have given up on trying to save the environment, and are just accepting that there is nothing that can be done to stop the rot. Plastic Tolstoy has a plan to ensure the success of his product... an evil planWe meet many hilarious characters along the way, including: Max, a famous Hollywood actor who doesn’t even recognise his own wife because she has had so much plastic surgery; Nathan, a struggling writer who is depressed because he is still in love with his wife who has left him, and mentions her whenever he has an opportunity; Rosalie, an unlikely Mother Earth terrorist; Jurgen Thor, the most famous environmental campaigner, who has a dark secret; and Judy Schwartz, an FBI agent who is a man with a woman’s name. A great book with well-developed characters and an interesting story line that makes you think, and laugh, at the same time.
What do You think about This Other Eden (2003)?
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 book so you will probably have to buy it online, however it's worth the trouble.
—Nay
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 that sort of TV show goes over my head.
—Toby Reiner
Ben Elton is a very clever and witty writer. This is typical of his work with a view of life in the future, probably not too far away. The world is about to destroy itself from all the harm caused by man. One of his earlier novels, this was written in 1993 when global warming was a two week holiday in Spain. It may have been fictional then, but it may well prove to be prohetic if we don't soon come to our senses. His satirical & cynical take of politicians, power hungry executives and media manipulation is behind the story of how the very rich few can influence the minds of the masses by creating a sales & marketing opportunity by destroying the world. Extremely funny at times, but the sort of book where you don't need any external distractions when trying to digest all the information. Because of this, I found parts of it a bit too intense, high-brow and boring. Luckily most of it is a fun read.
—Richard
