Customer Reviews

Blind Faith

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

London, One Hundred Years Hence: Trafford Sewell ekes out an existence with wife Chantorria and newborn, Caitlin Happymeal, in a repellant, crowded, postdiluvian London which has been consumed by religious fundamentalism, tabloid culture and a rampantly prurient culture of egocentric self-involvement. Privacy is viewed as an aberration, fiction has been outlawed and the majority of the populace are largely unable to communicate in (or relate to) anything beyond the clichéd wooden spoon platitudes of tabloid newspapers and inane reality television shows. But Trafford nurses a secret and in a world in which the keeping of secrets is viewed as an affront to God-the-love himself, this will set him on a collision course with the corrupt orthodoxies that police this feculent dystopia...

Its been about twenty years since I last read a Ben Elton novel and reading "Blind Faith" was something of a reintroduction to what I used to enjoy about his writing. It must be said, whilst I was never much of a fan of him as a left-wing stand-up comedian and a vanguard of the politically correct alternative comedy establishment during the Thatcherite eighties, "Blind Faith" seemed to me in many ways to be an act of atonement for past sins: age, living through ten years of disastrous new labour government and bearing witness to the encroaching "dumbing-down" of popular culture has clearly removed the scales from his eyes and invested his writing with a righteous indignation and affront at the increasingly bovine nature of modern life.

Whilst the plot of "Blind Faith" is essentially a reinvention and a grand satire of Orwell's 1984 (Signet Classics) and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, what raises it above the level of a facile pastiche are Elton's vitriolic broadsides at the moronic nature of much of the internet; government surveillance; peer pressure; philanthropic celebrities; the death of literacy and reason; 'touchy-feely' office culture and religious fundamentalism and its incipient hypocrisy.

In the best tradition of Wellsian science fiction, he is not really purporting a realistic speculative future, so much as asking us to look at the lunacy of our present through a glass darkly.

Upon first cracking the spine of this book, I considered it to be a three star effort as best, but upon reflection, I can't find it in my heart to give it anything less than five; the plot may be predictable and the characters may be trite, but it's message is just far too important.

My final rating for the book leaves me to give a "I like it" rating but I took off a star because while I enjoyed it, it came down to a predictable ending which wasn't really all that satisfying. There were also certain things that I felt made no sense in the world the author created.

One thing that sticks out to me is the part where they have to go to a concert and how women must sit on their mans shoulders for at least one song. Otherwise, it's disrespectful etc. I just felt that didn't make any sense. There are probably 2-3 of these types of situations through out the book that just didn't belong in the world in my opinion. Other than that, it was good. I bought this book on a whim. There was no excerpt to read so I bought this on "blind faith". The faith, God, and Lord talk made me nervous. I thought I made a wrong choice at first but I liked how that aspect turned out. So if someone is worried about this being about faith in God, it's not... really about that. It is more about science vs. faith.

I'm amazed at the poor reviews on this book. It's like Farenheit 451 - only modernized. I mean, really- that's almost exactly what this book is. I noticed several comparisons while reading. It's set in the future, where privacy is against the law. Literally every moment of your life is televised- kind of like now, how facebook is updated every 3 minutes so you don't miss out on your best friends mothers boyfriends second cousin going to the washroom. Yes, the idea is far fetched- but really, how far off are we? Think about that as you read.

I have never read a Ben Elton novel before, and I was very surprised. I go through about 5 novels a week, which is quite a bit. I couldn't put this book down! I was anxious to get back to it when I needed a break. It was quite different from anything else I've read this year, and i'm going to make sure I read some more of his books. Good find!

An dystopian satire that grossly exaggerates some features of 21st century life. I am optimistic it is not, in most respects, a realistic prediction, but it is alternately funny, depressing, and thought-provoking. The problem with satire is that if you don't get it, or take it too seriously, it isn't funny. Many people will not enjoy this book because it grossly exaggerates aspects of things they do believe in or enjoy: religion, the internet, reality TV, fashion, sex, alternative medicine, the self-help movement, .... It is not a "great" book like Nineteen Eighty-Four, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451, but if you enjoyed those books and have a sense of humour, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Ben Elton

Blind Faith

`The Lord made Heaven and Earth. The Lord made us. The Lord does this, the Lord wants that. We don't know how or why, we don't need to know, it just happens. There's never any explanation, it's all a miracle. Children are born, some die, it's God's will, we can't change it. Don't you think that, in a way, that's sort of ... sort of ...?' Thus Trafford, the hero of Elton's Blind Faith, puts the question to his wife Chantorria, a fearful conformist in the insane world of London several centuries after a global warming disaster has driven humanity back into an age of faith. Yes, this is a cautionary tale, a savage exposure of man's need to believe and conform.

The novel harks back to Orwell's 1984, but with a lighter touch and emphasis on religion rather than politics. In place of Big Brother and The Party we have The Temple, the authority that never fails, one that through the power of The Love controls cyberspace and individual thinking. Reason is subordinated to faith, science merely a manifestation of the Lord's power; democracy is the will of the people, but a people brainwashed, threatened and in terror of non-conformity. Huge wallscreens in every apartment and public space monitor behaviour, with leaders demanding displays of faith in The Love, in which personal revelations of one's indulgence in, say, feasting or oral sex, are mandatory. Pleasures must be shared, as must pain and grief caused by the perpetual child mortality rate - the water is polluted, London a reeking sewer, commuting replaced by Fizzy Coff - a physical appearance at the office, a necessarily rare occurrence in the overheated congested city.

Despite the parallels with Orwell - incipient paranoia when indulging in Own Life for example - Blind Faith's totalitarianism encourages, nay, demands, self exposure. There is no Puritanism here: nakedness and sexual activity at all times, especially in public, are de rigueur. In fact, abstinence or reticence in these matters suggests a dearth of respect for The Love and is a serious concern of the local Confessor or the apartment censor Barbieheart, `the principle eyes and ears of the building, an enormous, globular, housebound sentinel who, although too big to leave her apartment, occupied every room.' Like Winston Smith, Trafford falls secretly in love with a dissident, but ultimately with wider consequences when his viral email causes millions to receive their first Humanist mail shot.

Blind Faith is an exuberant and gripping novel that pillories evangelism and political correctness, delighting in exposing People Power and the cant and hypocrisy at the heart of belief. From obligatory local Hug-ins to massive pop-style congregations at the New Wembley Stadium, where The Love rules and you'd better not only believe it, but say it loud, shout it Big Time, and never betray a scruple of doubt. For heretics the torture chamber and the stake await! Books are out and wallscreens are in. Birthing videos must be posted, as must one's private sex life. After all, what's to be ashamed of? The Lord gave us genitals that we may celebrate Him, Big Time! Darwin is the Devil's agent and science is merely the Lord's way of reminding us of His power. Vaccination and those who support or practise it are defying the Lord's will and must be hunted out, tied to the stake and burned over a pile of seditious books, any that may yet be found floating in the upper stories of deserted houses.

Of course this is all over the top, but very funny and not so far-fetched that it doesn't chime with certain tendencies in our insidious world of what Elton calls `infotainment', where cheerful idiocy rules the airwaves and cyberspace, and privacy and modesty are heretical.

At the end of the book, when Trafford's daughter, Caitlin Happymeal, is the sole infant survivor in the latest smallpox epidemic (because of her covert vaccination) he is `ordered to stand on that stage at Wembley and credit divine intervention ... to give thanks to a stupid, vicious, capricious, illogical, immoral, maniacal deity who clearly exists only in the imaginations of idiots and bullies.' Will he conform or be a recusant and face the consequences? Elton's nail-biting plot has several more twists and turns before we know whether Trafford, like Orwell's Winston Smith, will become yet another victim of orthodoxy.

Elton has built a future society where sharing every part of your life, via blogs, is the norm. Privacy is regardes as a perversion. There are cameras everywhere and you're expected to broadcast every part of your life, including sex, for whoever wants to watch. This society is governed by religion, a sort of sex-obsessed version of Christianity. And the temple regards the science of the past, sinful society as herecy. Hence, most of the children die from various epidemics all the tiem.

The hero of the story, Trafford, wants privacy. A co-worker leads him to an underground group of humanists who study the science and literature of the days before "The Flood". He has his infant daughter vaccinated, which is a high crime against faith.

This is the first Ben Elton book that I've read and wasn't sure what to expect. The book has been described by some as an imitation of Orwell's 1984, and there certainly are similarities in the plot, but if I were to compare them I'd say "Blind Faith" is not an imitation as much as an update of 1984, a "1984 of the Facebook generation" if you will, but it's also a novel that stands on its own. It didn't really have any "laugh out loud" moments but was clever and amusing throughout. Having not red Elton before I can't say if his fans will like it or not, but I liked it and will probably be reading more of his books.

I was surprised to see a Ben Elton book getting one stars. I just finished the book...and it is really awesome. I easily rate it as the best book I have read this month...and I read a lot.

It is Elton's take on a post apocalyptic dystopian, panoptic society, with his typical, always entertaining humor.

I also know the reason for some people giving it poor reviews. It takes religion, faith and creationism head on. The book is about how in the society of the future God and blind faith has replaced science. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are still a lot of people who deny evolution. These are the people who won't like this book.

If you are a man of science, and like Elton's quirky humor.....don't miss this book.

Ben Elton accuractely and satirically captures many of the trends of the 'herd mentality' of our society today. This is a thought-provoking tome for those not afraid to take a look at themselves. So much of what he portrays can be seen in the developments of our techno age - particularly among the younger of us. The future Ben portrays in this gripping novel could all-too-easily become frighteningly real. So read on - for reading is a "subversive" and thoughtful activity. Having done so, you will never be the same. But take care! You may want to throw away your mobile phone, and head for the wilderness!!!

This is a very quirky take on a post apocalyptic world with some typical Ben Elton touches. The message is clear that on paper this is a living nightmare but in this new intrusive technological world we are already half way there.

I enjoyed reading this book and it was well written, personally I thought it resembled Huxley's "Brave New World" more than 1984 but it takes elements from both.

A great easy read to enjoy but I thought the book was used more as a vehicle for Ben Eltons' opinions than on telling a good story. The ending in particular was disappointing to me, but the path to the ending was enjoyable.