So, onto E. August 2008 to October 2008.
It says in the notebook, 'This time I have mostly been reading books by Ben Elton.'
And that was the problem.
The books by Ben wot I read:
Inconceivable
High Society
Past Mortem
Chart Throb
Blind Faith
Dead Famous
Before we get into my dissection of the work of Mr. Elton please allow me to state that I likeBen Elton. I like the fact that he is prolific, I like his humour (although I never got on with 'The Thin Blue Line', but I understand his intentions). I believe he is to be admired for co-writing one of the most emotionally affecting episodes of comedy ever ('Blackadder Goes Forth', the final episode).
I also like the fact that really, all he ever wanted to be was a popular (in the sense of read/viewed by the population) writer. I think he has a diverse and rich body of work.
But is he any good? Well, yes and no.
He is very, very clever at harnessing a moment in time and writing about it. Imagine, if you will, Ben sitting at his table, thinking, "What's popular at the moment, oh yes, Big Brother... I wonder..."
He then of course dashes off several thousand words and it's a bestseller. He dissects and satirises these moments in time, Big Brother, X-factor, Friends Reunited and so on and son.. They are fun to read and at times raise a smile. A few of them are thought provoking. I enjoyed them all to one degree or another.
BUT
They weren't elegant and beautifully written. the words served the story, drove the plot forward, but there was no beauty to them (such as I have found in Sebastian Faulks and others later on). And at times, when Ben has an opinion (which is often) you get hit over the head with it. In many ways Ben has written his book, wrapped in around a breeze block and then proceeded to bash you about the head with it until you whimper and submit at his feet!
I found the best book, the most touching and honest, if that's the right phrase and I believe it is, to be 'Inconceivable'. This is probably because it was based on his own experiences and he was able to draw from a well of genuine emotion.
Apart from two others, 'The Food Taster' by Peter Ebling and an all out action novel set in the crusades, called 'The Crusader' by some bloke I've forgotten all I read was Elton, and to be frank it was too much. This led to an addition to the rules, or more accurately some guidance - no more than two books by any author during a letter. This new guidance has allowed a bit more experimentation and a wider variety has been read...
