A hard read; I love Ben’s books but this was a fail for me. I couldn’t finish it; decided to drop it.

More topical today than when it was written in 1993!!
Brilliant, absurd, lively satire, and Elton’s take on the destruction of the planet.

The novel is set in the reasonably near future. Earth is being devastated by Mankind's continued exploitation, and it seems obvious that the environment will collapse sometime in the near future. Rather than adopt a more eco-friendly approach to life, most people have instead invested in a "Claustrosphere", a dome-shaped habitat in which all water, food and air is endlessly recycled in a completely closed environment. A person can therefore survive indefinitely within a claustrosphere no matter what ecological horrors may happen outside.

Cheesy, but still fun.

I love Ben Elton books but this one didn’t really grab me. Too long and a fairly predictable storyline. Some funny observations but overall don’t recommend.

Sterk en na 25 jaar nog steeds relevant verhaal, dat toch beter tot zijn recht kon komen als Elton niet zo veel omwegen nam.

Wow! I'm not sure whether to recommend this book or not. At times it was hilarious. At times is was terribly scary and sad. Ben Elton is dead-on in so many ways. His understanding of human nature and people's choices is amazing. Throughout the whole book I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

This book is freaking rad. It was hilarious, scary, interesting, intelligent... I learned a lot from it and was fascinating the whole time... it's kind of futuristic and philosophical and freaking fun-nay!

This Other Eden is a very funny book. It takes things to the extreme about what could happen if rich businessmen wanted to make money out of the end of the world. Based some years in the future, Ben Elton creates the scene of a world in environmental chaos, where the human race has destroyed the earth, and the end is nigh. Plastic Tolstoy, a rich businessman has the answer: buy a Claustrophere. A dome-shaped, self-contained new home, which can provide air and water, and recycle human waste, and where you can grow your own food; and which even has a day and night-cycle. The advertising campaigns begin, and people are urged to buy these safe-houses, which could be used when the end finally comes. Everyone who is anyone, owns a Claustrophere. It is big business, but a business that had its ups and downs and needs continued advertising to stay afloat. Mother Earth, a terrorist group, and Natura, an environmental campaign group, are against Claustropheres, claiming that by buying these domes people have given up on trying to save the environment, and are just accepting that there is nothing that can be done to stop the rot. Plastic Tolstoy has a plan to ensure the success of his product... an evil plan
We meet many hilarious characters along the way, including: Max, a famous Hollywood actor who doesn’t even recognise his own wife because she has had so much plastic surgery; Nathan, a struggling writer who is depressed because he is still in love with his wife who has left him, and mentions her whenever he has an opportunity; Rosalie, an unlikely Mother Earth terrorist; Jurgen Thor, the most famous environmental campaigner, who has a dark secret; and Judy Schwartz, an FBI agent who is a man with a woman’s name.
A great book with well-developed characters and an interesting story line that makes you think, and laugh, at the same time.

My first Ben Elton and this won't be my last. This book is as relevant today as it was when it was published. This will stay with me.

Easy five stars.

I found this to be a quite bizarre, science fiction, sort of opposite to a utopia type of fantasy novel. Its set in a semi-nightmareish future version of Earth. There are some moral points made, or certainly hinted at, via the sub-plots but it didn't feel especially preachy.

This isn't a book for kids, as there is some sexual language and other strong language contained in it. You need to have a good imagination to be able to picture some of it and I did get a bit lost in the details about certain characters but overall I found it quite engrossing and entertaining.

This is my first dnf in years. I've never been so bored.

Very clever another book everyone should read.