Interesante, entretenido. Buena historia, buen final. El último párrafo me encantó, y la última oración me hizo terminar con una sonrisa en la cara.

Me gustó Jessie. Lo que sufrió y atravesó no tiene nombre. Y finalmente, se ganó su final feliz. No me interesa si lo que ella llevó a cabo no podría hacerlo alguien en su lugar en la vida real. Tal vez sí, tal vez no. No importa. Lo improbable del personaje es lo que la hace tan admirable.

I picked the book up at a local bookstore and was attracted to it because it tells the story, thorugh a series of vignettes about the durg cultuere in Birtain. I don't know why, but I've always been attracted to the lurid sotires of drugs in the dance music culture.

The book explores the effects of illegal drugs on pop stars, prostitutes, celebrities and politicians. Hardly a grand novel, certainly not as poignant as other books that explore the trajedy and smoetimes redemption of characters involved in drugs, but a quick read, fast paced.

A much deeper read than I was expecting given the art on the cover and the reviews which highlighted how funny this book it is. And it is very funny, but it's also a highly politically-motivated story which breaks your heart with its graphic depictions of the victims of drug culture . I'm always impressed to see comedy balanced against tragedy, it being a difficult thing to do right, and Elton absolutely smashes it here.

There's a pretty wide range of gags stemming from late 90s/early noughties culture, the rise of Britpop & loads of celebrity references which have aged surprisingly well. Tommy Hanson is an amazingly characterised Gallagher-esque rockstar, hilarious and hideous but impossible to hate. One of the other main characters, Peter Paget is an MP, so there's some wry political humour. There's some more general bawdy gags as well. Different flavours for everyone

Peter Paget, the MP's, characterisation was fantastic. I absolutely despised him which may or may not have been Elton's intention, hard to say, as his characters are written so well, so real to the groups of people they represent. High Society is a brutal takedown of British society and the characters who make and break it, but at its core it considers how we are all multi-faceted, complex beings, and the usage of drugs is just one of many factors that makes these complex beings even more complex.

The narrative style is snappy and unconventional. Time is an abstract concept here, we dip in and out of linearity, chapters are fragmented and fluid. It's all written so confidently, it just works. The ending was great, really satisfying and heartfelt.

I personally disagreed with the political message of the book, which is the legalisation of all drugs. This is what the MP, Peter Paget, campaigns for. It was a tad immersion-breaking seeing our fictional New Labour government adopt Paget's private members bill, or to expect the majority of the British public would ever agree with such a policy, but Elton certainly makes a case for what he believes in. I should clarify that it's not a misrepresentation to suggest the author shares the same views of his characters in this instance, as there's no real debate in the book about legalisation vs decriminalisation vs whatever else: the purpose of High Society is to effectively make a case for legalisation. But it does it well, it's an interesting thought experiment, and it is never so preachy to be off-putting for someone with a different view.

I'm looking forward to reading another Elton book and would say this is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic. I can think of many for whom this book would be enlightening

Ben Elton at his very best! A number of people and story lines all somehow connected to the drug scene makes up the story and the book is almost impossible to put down.

There's a lot to dislike about this book - as ever with Elton, it has the tang of the sermon about it, his certainty about having the "right" answer about everything is really irritating if you disagree with him (and I say that as someone who is broadly sympathetic to his views on drugs and politics - even I got incensed by a couple of throwaway comments e.g. about it being unfair that men accused of being sexual predators can be publicly named while their accusers remain anonymous. There is a whole massive debate to be had about that, and yet Elton just throws it in, in passing, as if it were indisputable by any right-minded person. If I strongly disagreed with him on any of the central issues of the novel, I'd have found it insufferable. I sense he is always going to be preaching to the converted).

He doesn't always successfully juggle his dramatis personae (Sonia is particularly underwritten, but Emily's story, Leman's story and some of the others' stories also seem to peter out half way though). He overrelies on (not always authentically realised) regional dialect as a way of differentiating characters. And he sometimes crosses the line from heartwarming to sickly sentimentality and from a consciously fairytale-style optimism to amateurish farfetchedness.

From a feminist viewpoint, he tries hard (e.g. Jess is no damsel in distress who has to be rescued and saved by a man), but the novel still seems a tad malecentric (however resourceful she is, Jess is ultimately important to the plot because she is pretty and a man falls in love with her).

BUT I still loved it. I got totally sucked into the main characters' stories and really cared what happened to them. I admired the way in which Elton drew conflicting characters with equal sympathy and compassion. With a few obvious exceptions, there aren't many goodies or baddies in this novel - Elton convincingly charts how easily decent people can drift into doing unwise things and the consequences can snowball and lead to further unwise decisions. I was genuinely moved by what happened to most of the characters and, even when on occasions they were tearing each other apart, I could sympathise with both of them.

For all its lecturing, the novel does make an even-handed, broad-sweeping, intelligent exploration of the issue of drugs in modern Britain. It's a hell of an ambitious book and he more or less pulls it off.

In plot terms, it was also very compelling. And, unsurprisingly, with Elton pushing the pen, there were some fabulous one-liners.

MY FIRST BOOK FROM BEN ELTON AND I HAVE TO SAY NOT IMPRESSED AS IT WAS WRITTEN IN SORT OF DRUG SPEAK IN WORDS THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

Ben Elton's books are paceless, tasteless and f-ing graceless.

His books are often like low-grade fast food: tasty in an obvious sort of way, but without much nutrition. They can also leave you hungry, not because of a shortage of bulk, but because there's no substance behind the fizz and pop.

Even junk has its own integrity whereas Ben Elton has none whatsoever. He deliberately gets on people's nerves. He gets a kick out of it.

There was a poll taken not too long ago amongst the british and there is a general consensus that ben elton should've been put to death at birth which i think is a bit over the top because there is no way you can ascertain how someone will turn out at that age.

Ben Elton hasn't always been a figure of scorn. He once upon a time gave us Blackadder. What happened?!

A great politician with the right approach. You think it will be a great solution. But no. Well, that's reality when it comes to politics. Very different approach to drugs and stories that told different approaches and realities. I just thought it was confusing and too longwinded in some moments.

High Society presents western drug problems and societal behaviour in a sometimes funny parody form that I found a bit grating at times because the extremes were so absurd. Overall it's a humourous look at the pervasive drug culture which makes us all part of the whole: the sellers, buyers, and the people involved in funding through some things such as prostitution. Peter Paget, English MP acts as the sponsor of a new law to decriminilize drug use that aims to minimise the side issues of illegality
Stephanie is his assistant with whom he has an affair that ultimately undermines his political and social life.I found the characterisations were so extreme that the plot was clear from the start,.reducing its effectiveness in keeping my interest.
Other characters are parliamentary colleagues, journalists, as well as active drug users, demonstrating the strata of high and low society including one rock star and a young prostitute, and Paget's family.
It's an interesting look at the vexed issue of drugs and how we manage them, so a light hearted take by Ben Elton is actually a way to make us engage with the issue that might otherwise be too serious but I found it hard going

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did.
It is wel written- he is great at creating odious characters that you love to hate.
I found the storyline believable and thought provoking, and loved the way all the stories joined up. I will now be looking out for more of his work to see if it is a similar style.

This is a great read – I just love Ben Elton’s writing and humour. He makes valid moral points within a riveting and extremely funny novel. Elton in no way pushes the humour in his writing trying to get a cheap laugh, instead it is all played through his fantastic characters. Take arrogant pop star Tommy Hanson – he is simply hilarious. On saying that, there is no lack of emotional development in certain characters too.

The main point running through the book is the war on drugs, the way it affects everyone from successful business-people to people who have fallen out of society and whether the legalisation of drugs would solve a lot of problems. Peter Paget, MP and familyman, is the character trying to push this legislation through parliament while playing down a scandal of an affair he is having with his PA.

There are quite a few characters in this novel, all affected in one way or another by drugs – some of them are touched on briefly such as young Brummie Sonia who lands up in a Bangkok jail for smuggling while others form the main backbone of the novel – the endearing Jessie who has fallen foul of heroin by being lured into it by a pimp who uses her good looks and vulnerability by putting her on the game.

Then there is the fantastic character of Tommy Hanson who is attending rehab meetings to try and kick the habit. I can’t describe how brilliantly funny Elton has made Tommy as it just wouldn’t do him justice, you will just have to delve in.

I like the way it goes from snippet to snippet of these people’s lives and even changes tense without warning. I know this has annoyed people but I found it easy to follow and it enabled you to gradually get to know the characters and their lives better.

Ben Elton is certainly one of the sharpest social commentators writing novels these days; High Society is no exception. At times excruciating to read, it is nevertheless very hard to put down. I was up until the wee hours finishing this.