Customer Reviews

Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

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4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
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I checked out Nostradamus Ate my Hamster from the library based just on its bizarre title and was not at all disappointed. This very unusual story was hilarious, at times disturbing, and occasionally offensive, but almost entirely enjoyable. A warning to the reader: be prepared to abandon all rationality and to suspend disbelief, because this is a book that breaks all the rules. If you enjoy the work of Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Monty Python's Flying Circus, this sci-fi comedy/fantasy is highly recommended.

Robert Rankin has become one of my favorite authors, and I rank this as one of his best. Even better than reading Rankin, in my opinion, is hearing Rankin himself. His characterizations really bring the story to life. I still think Fandom The Fandom of the Operator is his best work ever, but I haven't read all his works. Anyway, if you're a fan of audio books and strange science fiction, you should really enjoy Rankin's audio works.

As other readers have noted, some may have trouble keeping the plot straight. In many ways, the plot is a mess. But loaded with laughs, it is a good mess. As one of the more underrated works of Robert Rankin, it is often overlooked. I would suggest many readers look at it favorably.

Our hero, Russell, starts at the local pub, only to discover that Hitler was not quite defeated and is quite alive in the present day 1990's. Hitler's current elaborate plot for world domination is nothing like the first. Time travel, a flying saucer, and the motion picture industry all play key parts in the plan. Loaded with absurd surprises, it is hard to justify giving away much of the plot in a review. Just when the reader imagines Russell defeated, another door seems to open. There are portions of this book that I must admit gave me weird and disturbing dreams. This is did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. When I regained my equilibrium and sorted the plot, I discovered that I must have enjoyed the book.

I would recommend that readers not spread the reading of this book over a long period. It tends to allow the plot to become a mess in your mind. Since there is no Cliff Notes version, any help in disciphering this book is helpful.

This work enforces the idea that the most important life lessons -- such as doing what is right, good and sacrificial -- is better communicated through the literary genre of fantasy than realism. With a knowledge of human nature and history, Rankin has created a wonderful piece of imaginative literature.

Rankin's characters are realistic, and his hero, Russell, is an enlightened Everyman whose integrity is so down to earth, it is unearthly. The plot events are exciting, humourous, and existentially satisfying.

I have read most of this author's books but I think this is my favorite. The set scenes and the running gags just have me in stitches. I love the skewed reality and the play on known characters from our own world. He has a way of drawing you in to his world and then it becomes more and more absurd but you have to follow to see where it leads. Robert Rankin is one of my favorite comedy writers, along with Terry Pratchet, David Luddington, Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry.

If you want a good harmless laugh then you won't find better!

This book made for a, well, interesting read. If you get it, just keep reading. It will all make sense in the end, sort of. Had some very funny lines it.

I found it absolutely hilarious, all the way through. If you like Robert Rankin, you'll like this. Even though it is extremely cunning and funny it still doesn't beat the armageddon trilogy!

Rankin is not well known (and not generally available) in the US, but I think he is a very funny and creative writer. The perfect antidote to the generally depressing economic news.

Robert Rankin is not as funny as he makes himself out to be, or so IMHO. This story(?) is so disjointed that it's hard to believe that anyone actually edited this book. (I listened to Rankin read this on tape and it's got so much nudge-nudge wink-wink to be unbearable at times.) So much of the book digresses to show how smart? cute? verbally impressive? etc. that Rankin thinks he is.

At one point of the book he is doing an American accent which is so patently NOT and American accent but what an Englishman thinks an American sounds like. What am I trying to say? Pretentious is what comes to mind. This is not Jasper Fforde or someone of that ilk, but a man who knows he's funny and you will too, whether you like it or not.

And I think that's the defining point. Rankin writes for himself and if you read it it's because your smart enough to track down something he's written. But I didn't find this to be funny (ha ha) as much as I found it funny (weird) which is hard to sustain (and he doesn't). Well that's my opinion.

Zeb Kantrowitz