I'm finding it really difficult to read Ben Elton these days

[JellySlice]

I used to love his novels 20 years ago. They were bitingly funny takes on what could happen if fashions and prejudices were to continue to extremes. They were hilarious partly because common sense would of course stop the daft juggernaut. It was safe to mock the attitudes.

But now the nonsensical attitudes he mocks are becoming mainstream. It's almost like he had prophesied collective insanity. I read this, and don't want to read further, because I don't want to know the next bit of the prophecy:

This is from Blind Faith. When I read it the first time it seemed fantastical in its reach. I read it again about a year ago and it's chilling how real it feels.

A grotesque and warped society created by fear of challenging bullies. It's like Twitter come to life.

See, I really disliked BE novels because I thought that he would have got his point across more succinctly if he toned it down a bit and was more realistic rather than being so OTT.

But now... 🤔

He seems to be one of the only ones of the comics in his generation to be noticing what's going on. His comments on being surprised at the pushback on Germaine Greer.

I’ve never read him. Which books would people recommend?

I know what you mean OP, that book still kind of haunts me! Some really chilling stuff and I agree, it seems even more prescient now.

If you want to read something most relevant to what's going on at the moment I'd suggest Identity Crisis TheGreatSloth.

His books often have a slapstick/banter quality about them and are not to everyone's taste.

"There’s a have-cake-and-eat-it dynamic at play, in that he repeatedly asserts his support of new developments in culture (particularly relating to gender and sexuality), while exploiting the humour of his predicament as a sexagenarian at sea in the modern world. He takes “pale, male and stale” on the chin, admitting this is “a limp, wrinkly Caucasian scrotum of a show”. His material on sexuality as a spectrum and trans awareness (“I used to know I was a man”) is disarmingly open-ended. So, too, a section on Germaine Greer’s journey from feminist hero to feminist pariah, the final line of which gets a laugh despite clearly not being meant as a joke." www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/oct/01/ben-elton-review-nottingham-playhouse

I read blind faith about twenty years ago.

It's more true to real life now. I think in another twenty years it will again be closer to real life.

I really like that book.

I like high society too.

I thought identity crisis was very well done. Mocking and moral.

I'm also a fan of Upstart Crow, in which he has levered a fair few GC points and completely ripped apart the govt handling of coronavirus in the Christmas Special.

I haven't read upstart crow would you recommend it? What's it about

Upstart Crow is a sitcom with David Mitchell as Shakespeare in which Elton comments on the works of Shakespeare and on modern times. The previous poster is referring to the recent Christmas special which was a two hander with Gemma Whelan.

I think it's Ben Elton's best TV work.

So if I google upstart crow?

Stark was pretty good back in the day, but I haven't read much more of his....

iplayer @nancybotwinbloom

@nancybotwinbloom it'll be on iPlayer (at least the Christmas special)

Thank you I didn't realise it wastage Bon

Wasn't a book

I have the same problem with Brass Eye and the Day Today with Chris Morris. There aren't as shockingly funny now, because they are closer to truth than they are ludicrous.

Upstart Crow is full of tervy gags. I really like it,

@Thelnebriati the Brass Eye paedophile special was a classic. Would you believe it was 20 years ago!

The Upstart Crow stage show had this gem: "I am a doctor... because I identify as one!"

Ah, I always liked Ben Elton even when he was trying too hard and desperately with it and PC... I used to have a postcard of him on my wall - my leftie pinup.

I read his first three novels, found them compelling at the time but increasingly on the same note, and left it for a bit (eg several novels, he's quite prolific). I came back to him for Identity Crisis and there it is in plain sight, he SEES this whole carcrash and is as open about the insanity of it all as he can be and still get published. Of course he does have XY chromosomes which casts a certain protective spell...

I love Upstart Crow. Gentler than Blackadder in many ways but really incisive. And yes, heaps of GC stuff!

Although I really like Ben Elton, I can't read his books without hearing his voice saying the words in my head. It becomes annoying and I can't stop it. It doesn't happen with any other author. I'll give it another go because I'd like to read Identity Crisis