Like how a book published in 90s certainly would look like.

With his inimitable style and wit Ben Elton returns with his 5th novel Blast From The Past (BFTP).

Elton has never been one to step back from confronting the reader with moral dilemmas, competing arguments of contentious issues, and some uncomfortable situations. This continues as he turns his hand to multiple themes in BFTP including obsession, gender equality, left and right wing politics, true love, and sacrifice.

The main characters are Jack Kent, a four star General in the US army, Polly Slade, who works at the local Town Council, and Peter...Polly's stalker.

The story takes place over a real time period of a couple of hours punctuated by a series of flashbacks to add context and background of how and why Jack, Polly, and Peter have reached this point of their lives.

Overall Elton's rapid fire writing style is consistent with his other books, his observations are just as sharp and witty, and his subject matter is just as thought provoking, but BFTP just didn't grab me like his other books.

While the book is full of nervous tension I found that much of the interaction between Jack and Polly got repetitive. Too many times the conversation went on a cycle of longing and love to annoyance and anger to confusion and wonder then wash rinse and repeat. As this is the major part if the book the other elements thrown in involving Peter, letters to Jack's brother Harry, and a mysterious dinner conversation were at times welcome distractions.

Good without being great BFTP is a solid 3 stars

I read this book long after first picking up Elton's Popcorn - I didn't enjoy Blast from the Past as much as I thought I would. This story focuses on the relationship between an American career army officer and a British peace-loving/hippie/protester. The story takes place in the present, but Elton spends a lot of time reflecting on the relationship between the two characters twenty years earlier. A sub-plot follows a modern-day stalker who is obsessed with the main female character. Although Elton seems to have researched the well-defined stalker (I guess?), the American officer is WAY LESS believable...for example, most Americans don't say "shan't." This was a quick and entertaining (sort of) read, but I would recommend Elton's Popcorn before this.

I would have enjoyed this book more if not for the characters. Neither army career obsessed Jack nor protest obsessed Polly were very likeable, and their ideological arguments (both in the past when Jack was a US captain stationed in Britain and Polly was a 17 year old protesting the military, and in the present, when Jack was a high ranking general and Polly was an EXTREMELY messy council member still protesting) were tedious to me. But I plodded on, and was rewarded near the end by something unexpected from Jack, and a fatal comedy of errors.

I worked out what was going on and how the story would end just past the half way mark, which made it seem like the story was stretched out too far. If I’d not figured it out it would have been a great read.

I like his books because they always manage to turn my assumptions topsy-turvy... This book is a favourite, because it just grips you when you start reading and you HAVE to breathlessly reach the end before you can let the shock of it take over. I've passed it on to friends, with the same effect being replicated - only it's more fun then, because then I can go "which part have you reached?" and then say "Oh, wait, you haven't seen anything yet!"

Found this a quick and easy read, with the pace building well to a strong climax. The characters and events evolve well and the high concept just about holds. Slowed down by repetitive description of things like how messy Polly’s flat was though.

This book takes place in the 80’s and is a bit of a blast from the past. Elton is engaging and develops conflict on several levels through his characters. The surprise ending is worth the read. Won’t spoil it but enjoyed it for a beach read.

This is an interesting concept for a novel, a senior US army officer calls in on a former Greenham Common protester that he had an affair with 16 years earlier and then the story of the affair and their lives paths afterwards are told. However Ben Elton is not really a good enough novelist to make it work, his writing is clunky, his attempts at gender politics are simplistic. However he spins a good yarn that you find yourself wanting to keep on reading, and you can get through it in double quick time. It is the best of Elton's novels but he has written some real stinkers.

No. Just.. No.

Al snuisterend in de boekenkast van het huisje dat we deze vakantie in Polen huurden, vond ik dit boek van Ben Elton. Een mij onbekende titel, al deed deze wel ergens een belletje rinkelen (is er geen film met die titel?), maar met een veelbelovende achterflap. En dus diende het boek gelezen!

De achterflap verwijst naar een onverwacht telefoongesprek in het midden van de nacht, en dat is precies hoe het verhaal begint. Polly, een 34-jarige Britse feminist/pacifiste/activiste krijgt in het holst van de nacht eens niét een telefoon van haar stalker Peter, doch wel van Jack. Jack, een oude liefde, een inmiddels hoog opgeklommen militair in het Amerikaanse leger, die na 16 jaar stilte eindelijk weer van zich laat horen. Een pacfiste en een militair? Het doet op zijn minst de wenkbrouwen fronsen. Door stukjes die zich afwisselend in het heden en het verleden afspelen komen we de geschiedenis van Polly en Jack te weten: een toevallige ontmoeting 16 jaar eerder leidt tot vonken en een vurige doch kortstondige liefdesrelatie omdat Jack er op een dag van onder muist, zijn carrier voorrang gevend aan de liefde. Een militair met een activitste is immers not done. Zoveel jaar later doet het nog steeds pijn bij beide partijen maar de relatie blijft onmogelijk. En dan blijt Jack te zijn teruggekomen voor een heel specifieke reden…..

Een intrigerend, spannend en onverwacht verhaal dat mede dankzij schitterende personages, prachtige dialogen en de nodige dosis humor, op heel realistische wijze de sfeer weergeeft van de relaties ten tijde van de koude oorlog. Van de gemoederen tussen de activisten en de militairen, van de strijd geleverd door de feministen en de soms neerbuigende houding daarop van mannen. Een boek ook over keuzes maken en hoe ver je daarin soms durft te gaan…

I read Ben Elton's "Popcorn" years ago & because I remembered enjoying it I re-read it again recently.
That's why I picked this up in a Charity Shop. Not as laugh out loud funny as billed the story develops in the early hours of one morning following a 2am 'phone call.
The story features Polly, her stalker, Peter, & her American ex-lover from 16yrs ago, Jack.
Told in the moment & in flashbacks it relates the story of Pollys life from age 17 (when she met Jack) to present day.