High Society by Ben Elton

Author: Ben Elton
ISBN # 059304939X
346 pages

I've never thought much of Mr Elton as a stand up comedian, but I love his work as a writer (both script-wise & novels). Unfortunately, this particular offering was rather a let down in comparison to his previous literary outings. The interconnected stories of too many people jumped around all over the place & I found I didn't really care about any of them in particular. It wasn't even as funny or clever as his other books - his usually sparkling wit completely buried under the politics, which is a shame, because a lot of what he was trying to say made plenty of sense.

It's not one I'd recommend - more on the heavy side than the others (I know it's a heavy subject matter, but then, so was global warming & environmental disaster & that was handled incredibly well in This Other Eden.

If you want his sarcasm at its very best, read either Past Mortem or Dead Famous - absolute gems, both of 'em - but give High Society a miss.

Rating: 1/10