Loved this book. Gently builds to a truly classic Elton twist finish

Who knew the end of the world could be such a romp?!

This is typical Elton stuff - loads of ideas, digressions, slapstick, cartoonish characters - if you like his standup (if you’re old enough to remember it!) or his other books, you’ll like this. It’s clever and silly in equal measure, and zooms from the micro to the macro so fast it gives you whiplash

Elton packs a lot in here, turning his biting wit to both the capitalist economy causing the environmental crisis, and the green movement to counter it. Written in 2000, it all reads today in a rather less theoretical way than it might have at the time and therefore has a poignancy that he perhaps wasn’t intending. Or maybe he was - it’s hard to tell if he thought he was exaggerating or not…

He’s also relentless in his parodying of Hollywood, celebrity and media and, again, mixes laser sharp insight with unashamed ridiculousness in his trademark style.

I did find the digressions and the way Elton delivers his ‘truisms’ (‘…this is invariably the way this happens…’) started to grate by the end, and the stereotypical characters seemed a little lazy at times. But this is a fun, thought provoking and prescient book that is a must for every environmentalist and Elton fan.

The best Ben Elton there is! He is so spot on, especially when you consider that the book was published in like 1993?! Some parts will make you roflyao and there are parts where you will feel sick with sadness and guilt. such an awesome book, can't recommend it enough!

"Such is progress. The Egyptians left tombs which thousands of years later yielded up treasures of indescribable beauty, testimony to the glory of their civilization. The British, who have produced so many things thay could serve as splendid witness to a great society, leave only deadly poison to be remembered by." -Ben Elton, This Other Eden

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I've previously loved Ben Elton's work. I got this as a daily deal on kindle and thought I'd give it a go but I found in a really long slog and didn't enjoy it at all. There are no likeable characters that you want to get behind, the story is told from too many perspectives and jumps about with no real direction until about half way through. The book uses a lot of out of date thinking and is perhaps a relic of its time. Maybe I'd feel the same now about other Ben Elton books as it's been a while since I've read any. A shame because I have fond memories of his old work and the storyline had potential.

Highly recommend this book if you enjoy other novels by Elton. Very cleverly written, very good at building tension - very well written. Interesting and scary ideas about where global warming is taking us.

Feels as relevant today as it did when it was published, the way Ben portrays so many characters and they are all so unique is truly an art. Also the scene in the bathroom stall is absolutely comedic gold.

The dying Earth is on the brink of environmental disaster; the richest man and his company are making lots of money and gaining lots of power from it; the world's greenest man leads the political fightback but who can save the world? Enter an Irish female green terrorist in her 20s and weedy FBI man called Judy!

As ever Ben creates a thought provoking alternate reality, satirises the modern world (greed, capitalism, marketing, the green activists etc.), has mostly banal characters that are virtually the same in every book and some lane stereotyping of nationalities, views, professions throughout, yet as ever produces a book that I enjoyed and cared how it ended. 6 out of 12.

A very enjoyable read. Great story, great plot, great satire, punchy wit, interesting characters, great twists, excellent commentary on society. Still as relevant today, possibly even more so with the all pervading Internet and social media.

Musta Kyy -televisiosarjaakin käsikirjoittaneen Ben Eltonin romaani Eedenistä vikaan, 2005 (This Other Eden, 1993) on sekä hulvattoman hauska satiiri että pelottavan todentuntuinen profetia lähitulevaisuuden yhä pahenevasta ympäristökriisistä. Eltonin dystopia muistuttaa hieman Orwellin kuvaamaa yhteiskuntaa klassikossa Vuonna 1984 (Nineteen-Eighty-Four , 1949) sillä erotuksella, että Orwellin dystopian kauhukuva oli aikakaudelle ilmeinen totalitarismi, kun Eltonilla se puolestaan liittyy ympäristön tuhotumiseen ja maapallon muuttumiseen elinkelvottomaksi. Siinä missä Orwellin kerronnan tehokeinoina oli painostava, tummanpuhuva realismi, Eltonin aseena on ylilyövä satiiri ja sarkasmi. Ja siltikään tuo Eltonin dystopia ei ole niin kaukana todellisuudesta ja maapallon nykytilasta kuin voisi toivoa.

Eltonin kerronta ja kirjallinen tyyli muistuttaa paikoitellen Douglas Adamsia, mutta kuitenkin sillä erotuksella, että huumorin ja satiirin taustalla ja kimmokkeena ovat ihan aidot havainnot maailmasta ja ympäristön tilasta. Pilkkakirves osuu myös amerikkalaisen ja brittiläisen kulttuurin eroihin, markkinointimaailman naurettavuuksiin, amerikkalaiseen oikeusjärjestelmään, metodinäyttelemiseen ja Eltonin lempiaiheeseen julkkismyyttiin.

Kirjan juonikin on ihan passeli, mutta alkaa loppua kohden mennä liikaa epäuskottavien juonenkäänteiden siivittämäksi toimintarymistelyksi. Liioitellut yksityiskohdat eivät puolestaan haittaa lainkaan; ne nimenomaan istuvat tähän kirjalliseen tyyliin kuin valettu. Tämä on neljäs lukemani Eltonin romaani, ja varsin harmillista, että niitä ei ole enempää ainakaan toistaiseksi suomennettu. Näiden parissa viihtyy mainiosti.

Arvioni 3,8 tähteä viidestä.

Excellent book written years ago, but especially relevant today with references to greenhouse gases and our environment. Enjoyed the humour as well as the serious underlying commentary on our society. Worth reading.

This one was a slow burn but once I got going it was the usual Ben Elton. Bang on the money about environmental concerns, greed, advertising and human frailty.

I generally like Ben Elton's books but this isn't one of his better ones. The subject matter is interesting and thought provoking but I found the narrative viewpoint inconsistent. At times it was humorous and tongue in cheek; at other points it was serious and descriptive. Will read other books by the same author but much preferred High Society.