Blind Faith
November 28th 2007 11:41
Not a theological post, but a few thoughts about Ben Elton's latest.
Ben Elton seems to write in such a way that he permeates your brain, changes your neural pathways and then expects you to go back to life as if nothing had happened. Blind faith immediately had me exactly in the kind of world that he wanted me in. To say that rationale is the new enemy and that feelings are the ultimate law is probably the most clear and concise way of putting it. To put it in a more graphic way, imagine that the world's society has become a hideous mixture of reality television, Myspace, yahoo chat and a pentecostal church (minus the good bits). Throw in the fact that people now eat fast food as their staple diet and visiting the gym simply means going somewhere to be seen in a towel, and the corpulent nature of humanity is not only thrust in your face, it's also rubbed up against parts that you don't want it rubbed up against.
Hopefully that tells you all that you need to know about the world he's created.
The main character, Trafford, is a quiet man stuck in the middle of a world that puts itself forward with only the highest setting on the volume. Everything that he wants, privacy and a little time to himself, are considered not only illegal, but evil as well. Thematically speaking, Elton has stolen something from Dostoevsky, but he stole it amazingly well so who cares? As a man working for the government putting together data on people so that anyone coul find out everything, it seems that he is a contradiction of sorts. Not that this is surprising. Most people in real life are some sort of contradiction. He digs up dirt on others so that it can be analysed most effectively, but in doing so, yearns to hide himself as best as possible. He cannot give to others what he so craves for himself. This is the dilemna he is trapped in throughout the book, and his struggle with it can only be likened to Sisyphus and his boulder (for all you know all types out there). He can push and push, boh himself down away and others out into the light, but he can never achieve that moment of fulfillment.
Plotwise it is very similar to 1984, except that the sex is necessary. It also deviates from the pattern by being alot more mystical. The funny thing is that when I was reading it, I felt like the characters should have been speaking in thees and thous. Which I believe was another thing that Elton was trying to hammer home.
Wrapping the book up I would say that if you're a fan of Elton, you should buy it and read it, because stealing is illegal. If you're not a fan I can only tell you that I don't think it is his best. Don't get me wrong, it's bloody amazing but I think that First Casuality and High Society were better.
JZ
p.s. Funnily enough, at the behest of my wife and a few other people I have finally joined Facebook. I've been able to find some people I knew in New Zealand and some good friends I hadn't heard from in ages.
Ben Elton seems to write in such a way that he permeates your brain, changes your neural pathways and then expects you to go back to life as if nothing had happened. Blind faith immediately had me exactly in the kind of world that he wanted me in. To say that rationale is the new enemy and that feelings are the ultimate law is probably the most clear and concise way of putting it. To put it in a more graphic way, imagine that the world's society has become a hideous mixture of reality television, Myspace, yahoo chat and a pentecostal church (minus the good bits). Throw in the fact that people now eat fast food as their staple diet and visiting the gym simply means going somewhere to be seen in a towel, and the corpulent nature of humanity is not only thrust in your face, it's also rubbed up against parts that you don't want it rubbed up against.
Hopefully that tells you all that you need to know about the world he's created.
The main character, Trafford, is a quiet man stuck in the middle of a world that puts itself forward with only the highest setting on the volume. Everything that he wants, privacy and a little time to himself, are considered not only illegal, but evil as well. Thematically speaking, Elton has stolen something from Dostoevsky, but he stole it amazingly well so who cares? As a man working for the government putting together data on people so that anyone coul find out everything, it seems that he is a contradiction of sorts. Not that this is surprising. Most people in real life are some sort of contradiction. He digs up dirt on others so that it can be analysed most effectively, but in doing so, yearns to hide himself as best as possible. He cannot give to others what he so craves for himself. This is the dilemna he is trapped in throughout the book, and his struggle with it can only be likened to Sisyphus and his boulder (for all you know all types out there). He can push and push, boh himself down away and others out into the light, but he can never achieve that moment of fulfillment.
Plotwise it is very similar to 1984, except that the sex is necessary. It also deviates from the pattern by being alot more mystical. The funny thing is that when I was reading it, I felt like the characters should have been speaking in thees and thous. Which I believe was another thing that Elton was trying to hammer home.
Wrapping the book up I would say that if you're a fan of Elton, you should buy it and read it, because stealing is illegal. If you're not a fan I can only tell you that I don't think it is his best. Don't get me wrong, it's bloody amazing but I think that First Casuality and High Society were better.
JZ
p.s. Funnily enough, at the behest of my wife and a few other people I have finally joined Facebook. I've been able to find some people I knew in New Zealand and some good friends I hadn't heard from in ages.
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