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A review by z_reads4
The First Casualty by Ben Elton
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I was going to give it a 3 but I did finish it so that's gotta count for something. 3.5 stars
Historical Fiction is Maybe Not Elton's Strength:
This book really made me think about how we 'do' historical fiction but, overall, this fell flat.
The exposition was not my favorite, often it is clear that it is Elton (and historical hindsight) speaking rather than Kingsley. This book would have benefitted from a breaking-the-third or fourth-wall arrangement, or a witty omnipotent narrator. Or just really Monty Python it. Commit to the bit.
I haven't read Elton before but I suspect he would be really good at pulling that off. As it stands, the half-baked narration style only hindered my immersion in the book. Elton also really wanted to tell us all about the cool research he did, which is awesome but Kingsley would definitely not be talking about those facts in the same way. Again, maybe a change in narrative style could fix this. That being said, his research was obviously very cool and I'd love to read a book just about all the fun facts about daily WWI life he found out. He did focus a great deal on the sensory experience of war, and no other book has set my skin crawling in the same way-great!
Character
Kingsley is, obviously, insufferable, but that melts away once he's actually on the field. Not sure if that's meant to show character development but it happens. Kingsley's thoughts definitely do change, growing more and more contemplative by the end. Maybe less of that. Elton isn't subtle, unfortunately. The remaining characters resemble more the rotating cast of fools in a play, but it works. Everyone is a caricature but in an interesting way. They hold attention and make the point he needs them to make. What is he trying to say about Socialists besides that they exist? I'll let you know when I figure it out.ew they should not have slept together
Plot
Interesting enough, though the big reveal at the end didn't feel as exciting as it could have. Elton weaves in actual battlefield logistics and wow. The plot also lagged a little in the middle. There was too much before Kingsley started investigating and that made it feel too long. A lot of that did contribute to the comedic atmosphere though. The only really emotionally investing part was Abercrombie was writing to Golden Boy's mother.
Historical Fiction is Maybe Not Elton's Strength:
This book really made me think about how we 'do' historical fiction but, overall, this fell flat.
The exposition was not my favorite, often it is clear that it is Elton (and historical hindsight) speaking rather than Kingsley. This book would have benefitted from a breaking-the-third or fourth-wall arrangement, or a witty omnipotent narrator. Or just really Monty Python it. Commit to the bit.
I haven't read Elton before but I suspect he would be really good at pulling that off. As it stands, the half-baked narration style only hindered my immersion in the book. Elton also really wanted to tell us all about the cool research he did, which is awesome but Kingsley would definitely not be talking about those facts in the same way. Again, maybe a change in narrative style could fix this. That being said, his research was obviously very cool and I'd love to read a book just about all the fun facts about daily WWI life he found out. He did focus a great deal on the sensory experience of war, and no other book has set my skin crawling in the same way-great!
Character
Kingsley is, obviously, insufferable, but that melts away once he's actually on the field. Not sure if that's meant to show character development but it happens. Kingsley's thoughts definitely do change, growing more and more contemplative by the end. Maybe less of that. Elton isn't subtle, unfortunately. The remaining characters resemble more the rotating cast of fools in a play, but it works. Everyone is a caricature but in an interesting way. They hold attention and make the point he needs them to make. What is he trying to say about Socialists besides that they exist? I'll let you know when I figure it out.
Plot
Interesting enough, though the big reveal at the end didn't feel as exciting as it could have. Elton weaves in actual battlefield logistics and wow. The plot also lagged a little in the middle. There was too much before Kingsley started investigating and that made it feel too long. A lot of that did contribute to the comedic atmosphere though.