Customer Reviews

The Road to Mars

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I must admit serious amusement and minor shock over the venom being unloaded on this little confection of Eric's. I mean hey, it's just a book. Chill out, kids.

I own a copy of Hello Sailor and I can assure you all this is four million light-years better than that book. Eric has advanced mightily from that 1976 effort, moving on from the strange calculus of politics and sex (its main character's goal was to bed all the daughters of the British government's cabinet) to the richer, more rewarding issues posed by science, comedy, the future of humanity, and how the three relate to each other in turn.

That having been said, I tried to give this book 2 1/2 stars but can't do so under this system. And in the interest of full disclosure, I am compelled to state I'm exactly the sort of person who would watch a test pattern with Eric on it (hey, I videotaped Nearly Departed, for cryin' out loud). I ran out to buy this in hardback. I am also a great flaming fan of Pratchett (sp?) and Adams as well as the Red Dwarf series and Blackadder.

I feel the book is not as good as it should be, given Eric's prodigious talents, but not as bad as others would have you believe. In other words--wait for the paperback.

The schooled Python fan should have fun with this one, as RM's flaws are flaws one finds in Python productions--the female characters are poorly drawn (especially the romantic lead). The only female characters that threaten to be interesting are Brenda Wooley and the Sammy character, but both are cliches and the latter is killed before she can be rescued from one-dimensionalism. In fact I find it a bit disturbing that the android has more depth and complexity to him than any of the women in the book.

The Alex character is a blatant caricature of John Cleese, and this is a goldarn scream. (Come on--thinning hair, young daughter, distant ex-wife, hours on end with a shrinkbot, what am I supposed to think?) yet it fails to go far enough. This could have been a remarkable portrait of Cleese through the eyes of one who worked alongside him, and I feel Eric copped out--making obvious jokes, but retreating when it came time to draw blood or take it to the next level. A missed opportunity, but still better and more insightful than that odious Margolis bio of Cleese.

The reference he makes to himself in the text is muffed, in my opinion, since he singles out a detail (the death of his father--Eric lost him at the age of two. He was an RAF solider who died not in WWII but a Christmas-season car accident) that only serious fans could be expected to know.

Like Python, there are distracting subplots that go nowhere or fail to bear fruit, and it doesn't know how to properly end itself.

You can also see Eric's special mark--here working against himself. He earned a reputation within the group for firing off wickedly funny one-liners. You'll find them in RM, too--my favorite comes on page 49 ("She was not available for other people's feelings"). Unfortunately, funny one-liners do not a plot make. (Exhibit A: Splitting Heirs). At worst, these sparkling one-liners feel forced into or pasted on the story, thus throwing a monkey wrench into the engine of the plot, bogging down the forward momentum of the story.

The Road to Mars had been a filmscript for many, many years before it became a novel (I remember speaking to Idle about it in 1989--at that time, he said he was shopping it around Hollywood and envisioned Robin Williams, David Bowie, and Bobcat Goldthwaite in the film). Unfortunately it was the sort of script that made the execs fall about laughing and earned Eric reams of high compliments--but no green light. (For this sorry phenomena, see "The 50 Greatest Films Never Made", by Chris Gore. RM is not in the book).

I suspect that out of sheer frustration, he adapted it as a novel. However, as a reader I felt he hadn't spent enough time and thought finesseing the filmscript into a proper reading experience. Filmscripts and novels are two different animals, after all.

There are too many holes, things not explained enough or not explained at all, and things meant to work on screen that in text form just don't make it. Perhaps a graphic novel would have been a better option, I dunno.

Even still, I did like the book. It was great fun watching Eric's wickedly clever, supple, nimble brain calculating the plot points into place. I read it in one sitting and had a good giggle. I have quoted and cited jokes in the book. I spent $ and I do not regret it. I had fun.

If you can see it not as a sci-fi novel but a roller-coaster ride through Idle's magnificent mind, I think you'll all enjoy it much more.

Good lord! Such venom over a pleasant little book. Come on people, it's not supposed to give you the meaning of life. If you hated the "theory of comedy" theme, hated the characters, hated the plot and hated the setting what the hell were you doing picking this up in the first place? My suggestion: read the liner notes next time so you can run away screaming when you disagree with the content. Idle has done a good job of writing a funny sc-fi book. Not a Python sci-fi book, but simply a funny one with all of his usual clever verbal humor. yes, he bungled the ending and didn't manage the competing plots very well, but my book reading satisfaction isn't derived wholly from the ending! It's an amusing read and I look forward to his next effort. But I'll read the liner notes first.

This book is not pythonesque, it is not this kind of book badly written by some star who can only get it published because he/she's a star. It's an elaborate, two-sided metaphysical thriller where lots of thought and personal experience can be found. One side is the story (the plot is quite prominent), which deals with very modern - sorry, modem - Gibson-like science-fiction, yet cleverly managing to keep the cartoon elements of your good old Star Wars space opera. The other side is the philosophy - a very acute backstage insight into the meaning of comedy as an explanation of the universe and a relief from humanity's burden. Like in the quantum theory, the narrator is part of the story and transforms it. There are also a satire of the charity business, rather pessimistic observations on the mechanics of political change, and a lot of strong and colourful (but not particularly likable) characters. I got quite hooked by the book and found it great in many ways. But I think it was wrongly advertised as a Douglas Adams-like piece of entertainment. It's complex and ambitious. Well done, Eric !

Dear oh dear...many years ago Eric Idle used to write these short one-off parodies,for his television show "Rutland Weekend Television"....and "The Road To Mars" would've been a five minute sketch parodying "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy". Unfortunately....he was given a much bigger budget this time. I am a big fan of Mr.Idle's works,and was disappointed by this book. To me,he has written the funniest Python solo book: "Hello Sailor",sadly out of print. So I was expecting something as equally original and hilarious,but this just reads like a poor man's Douglas Adams. Two Comedians of varying standards,Muscroft and Ashby ( or is that Dent & Prefect?) set off across the galaxy on a stand-up comedy tour.Going with them is Carlton the Android ( or is that Marvin the android? ),whom is trying to logically calculate why comedy is comical. Along the way they meet a very lovely and intelligent woman of intrigue,Katy Wallace ( or Tricia McMillian )and an over the top comedian,whom nobody seems to like but himself,Booper.( or Zaphod Beeblebrox ).There is also a series of robots with "human" personality problems,and all sorts of overly gracious robot doors. How could Mr.Idle,not think people would spot the comparrissons? Another annoyance to this book,is Carlton's constant attempt to analyze comedy,and whilst doing such,making the very thought of comedy, unfunny.Perhaps the original idea of "The Road To Mars" as a parody of Crosby and Hope films,would've worked better. I would sugest this book to Python completists,but if you want Eric Idle's best writings,find "Hello Sailor" or "The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book".Make It So!

I must admit that I adore Eric Idle, so I am biased, but truly this is a fantastic piece of fiction.

Idle weaves the story of two comedians, Alex and Lewis, who are trying to make it in a futuristic world of greed and sexuality. The human race is corrupt and Idle makes sure we realize it. Along their struggle for fame, Alex and Lewis meet up with a mega-diva Brenda Wolley (who represents the evils of fame) a mysterious, seductive young woman (isn't that always the case?) and various, notorious individuals. All of this is watched by Carlton, their curious android who has taken to studying comedy. Carlton provides many insights into why comedians do what they do, and the theories he creates are brilliant. One almost feels it's a pity Eric didn't just publish his theories so they'd be taken seriously.

Narrating all of this is the most dynamic character of the book- William Reynolds. Reynolds takes an active narrator roles in telling of his own problems with his girlfriend. Reynolds eventual spiral into corruption provides the most compelling story of the novel.

At the end, all of the story lines come together for a fantastic, albeit shattering, conclusion.

Idle inserts several hilarious in-jokes, plenty of one-liners, and enough comedy to keep it from over-drama. Still, the book is dramatic and, in several places, can be quite shocking. Inserting a heart-breaking passage about himself (a forgotten comic from the 21st century) Idle creates a self-aware, and touching, commentary on comedians.

Read this book. Twice. I didn't fully understand everything the first time, but I truly appreciate it on a re-reading. Anyone who wants to be a comedian should read this. In fact, you should just read this book when you get a chance. It's not flawless, but it is nearly so.

But I thought it was a good book. Being a truly fanatical Monty Python fan, I picked it up expecting spectacular results. Admittedly, those were not what I got, but I thought it was a good book. It's quite funny, and the incredible number of Monty Python related stuff that slips in is great fun, like when Carlton can't understand with the Flying Circus is all about, and John Cleese's name appearing twice, and Eric Idle making fun of himself. Bits of quotes appear as well. The characters are not exceptionally developed, that's true, and the Bill Reynolds narrator person is a bit odd, but it's just a fun book. It's not like reading "Crime and Punishment", people, it's just a nice book to sit down and read when you're bored or slightly hyperactive - so calm down it if wasn't a literary masterpiece. It dosn't have to be to be good.

I love Douglas Adams. His work was remarkable, his death tragic, his place in history safe and secure. That said, I often wonder why readers and critics always pull out comparisons to Adams' Hitchhiker series whenever another author offers a work of sci-fi mixed with parody? Eric Idle's The Road to Mars is not a Hitchhiker book, nor is it intended to be. What it is, without a doubt, is its own fantastic inclusion to the long list of sci-fi comedy -- and it is, even more without a doubt, one of the best on that same long list.

Idle, from the very beginning to the last page, shines with his marvelous (and well thought out) thesis on comedy. The fact that it is in the guise of a funny (very funny) and intelligent sci-fi comedy makes the whole 309-page ride that much better. I laughed throughout, yes, but I was struck silly by the intricate (and suprisingly complicated) detail Mr. Idle included in his discussions about the origins of comedy, not to mention its purpose and its importance to humankind (heck, its importance to androids, for that matter). I can honestly say my appreciation of the comedic arts has increased by leaps and bounds (gravity-free leaps and bounds, that is) after finishing The Road to Mars.

Don't be swayed by these other reviewers; they are on a narrow-minded, Douglas Adams kick, refusing to see this book in its own special light. Like I said: I love Mr. Adams, and I love Hitchhiker. But, darnit all, I love Mr. Idle's great novel, too, and for so many different reasons. Read it folks!

I belong to the generation that grew up on Monty Python. Therefore I had to get this book. I do have mixed feelings about it. First, do not expect a Monty Python style book! All the members of the Monty Python group are now making their own careers, on their own merits - not their Monty Python merits. Second, some parts of it are really good, others, shall we say, not so good....
Basically, the story is about a not very succesful comic duo and their robot. Superimposed on their story is a rather bland crime story, involving interplanetary terrorists.
The book has its funny moments, that is true, but that is not the reason for reading it. Rather, Idle uses the book to explain the nature of comedy and the character of the comedian. That is a serious and interesting topic. It is the robot who is not happy with its station in life and wants to become a comedian itself. To achieve that it must first work out what comedy is and how it works.

It must be sad to have such a personality you can't enjoy this book.

It is not side splitting funny and was never meant to be. It is an amusing story about an andriod trying to understand the unique human trait of humour. Not just "comedy", but humour in all it complexities and variations. This part of the book is fascinating. Anybody who likes the plight of Data in STTNG will understand Carlton the androids journey of discovery.

The terrorist side story is not epic stuff but amusing all the same.

If most people just enjoyed a light read instead of analysing every paragraph then this books would score 5 stars more often!

Very amusing and thought provoking book.

When I first began to read the book, I was expected more silly humor along the lines of "Monty Python". Mr. Idle, and the rest of the world have matured a bit though. Nevertheless, as I settled into the novel, I truly enjoyed it. Carlton, the Bowie-class robot, is truly the hero of the novel in his attempt to define what comedy is, and save his human masters from terrorists. I can picture this as a movie, as Mr. Idle has referred to in his interview, but the book is a good, easy read. If you like Douglas Adams, then you will like "The Road to Mars".