The Book of Ultimate Truths [Paperback]

Robert Rankin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994

The late Hugh Artemis Solon Saturnicus Reginald Arthur Rune, hailed as the guru's guru, penned more than eight million words of genius. However, vital chapters which could have changed the course of history were suppressed—and two youths set out to recover them.

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055213922X
• ISBN-13: 978-0552139229
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #733,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The secret life of the small screw, November 5, 2000

By 

Alex De Visscher (Calgary, AB, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Ultimate Truths (Paperback)

This is Robert Rankin's eighth novel, the first of a new series. It introduces some endearing characters: the wild-haired seventeen-year-old Cornelius Murphy, and his dwarf-like companion Tuppe.

A typical Rankin plot: Cornelius and Tuppe are on an epic quest to retrieve the suppressed chapters of The Book of Ultimate Truths, and to keep them out of evil hands. Hugo Rune, the author of the book in the book, appeared in earlier Rankin novels, but now his outlandish ideas get the full attention they deserve: about the secret life of Gandhi and H.G. Wells, about the strange behavior of biros and small scews, stories that make you laugh aloud.

This was the first book I read from Robert Rankin, and at times I wondered if this guy needed to see a doctor. I read it again recently, after having read all his other books, and I found out that I had missed a lot of jokes during the first reading. The more you read these books, the better they get.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book defines madness..., May 1, 2003

By 

Karthik Kumar (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Ultimate Truths (Paperback)

First of all, I don't understand why this guy isn't that popular (at least in the USA)! His sense of humour is unlike anything you would have ever read in your life. Laced with witty humour, brilliant use of words and insane ideas, his plots keep getting better and better with successive novels. However, this one remains a classic to the very end. Its about Hugo Rune and all his crazy theories about life (well, at least the life of a screw!). I sometimes wonder how this guy's mind works...I mean, first of all, his plot is incredibly complicated, on top of that, its situational comedy to the very best (forget those stupid sitcoms after reading this...at least I have)
Read this one and expand your mind! And the ending of this book is...well, MINDBLOWING!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilariously wierd, December 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Ultimate Truths (Paperback)

References to Douglas Adams aside (no, it's nothing like the Hitchhiker's Guide), this book is absolutely hilarious. It's one of the few books I've ever read that's been able to make me laugh out loud so often. Rankin's bizarre and somewhat halucinatory style is guaranteed to catch you off guard. The endorsements on the back include Terry Pratchett saying that Rankin is one of the few authors that can consistently make him laugh. What better reason do you need?