Truth or Die (The First Casualty - Ben Elton)

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	The First Casualty - Ben Elton
Date:	23/07/08 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent plot, convincing characterisations, thought-provoking

Disadvantages: Some people just don't like Elton or his politics

For my money, Ben Elton has a bit of a mixed record when it comes to books. Some are excellent, others readable and some really quite poor. The First Casualty definitely belongs in the first category.

It centres on Inspector Kingsley, a police officer and conscientious objector, who suddenly finds himself investigating a murder in the trenches of the Great War in 1917. Despite this fairly standard sounding plot summary, though, it's not a conventional murder-mystery book, offering far more than just a straight forward whodunit plotline. There's commentary on the First World War, an array of interesting and very human characters, humour, action, and, of course, this being a Ben Elton book "a little bit of politics".

It's Elton's story-telling ability which shines through with this one. Writing has always been one of this strengths - whether writing long stand-up routines, sitcoms or books. He translates that style into a very readable and highly enjoyable book. Chapters are deliberately kept short - often 10 pages or so, making it very easy to dip in and out of and to read in gradual stages or pleasant to read in larger chunks - whichever takes your fancy. The plot progresses at an excellent pace - never going so fast that you struggle to keep up with what is happening, but never proceeding too slowly, so that your attention starts to wander and you get bored. The story is so interesting and the plot so well-written and well-paced means that you'll find yourself wanting to get to the end of this intriguing book quickly to see how it all pans out. Elton definitely has a knack of piquing your attention early on and then keeping it throughout.

Of course, we all know from Elton's previous works that he has considerable skill with words, and it certainly doesn't desert him here. When recreating the horrors of trench warfare in World War One, he effortlessly conveys how hideous the conditions were, without ever making it feel as though he is ramming it down your throat. He makes his point about man's inhumanity to man eloquently, then moves on with the story.

He uses humour appropriately - demonstrating a wonderful turn of phrase, which creates many memorable and humorous moments, without you ever feeling as though he is poking fun at the horrors of war. He perfectly captures the black humour of the Tommy in the trenches and uses it to his full advantage. If you thought Blackadder Goes Forth was good - sensitive to its subject matter, but still funny - wait till you get a load of this. Elton's return to the trenches shows that he has matured immensely since he penned the scripts for Blackadder's last stand. It's a very intelligent book and surprisingly relevant to current circumstances. Questioning the "wisdom" of wars and the roles various people play in it; questioning the sense of justice in one man being investigated for murder amidst scenes of mass slaughter, it is thought-provoking as well as entertaining.

Another reason The First Casualty works well is because the array of characters they are all well-written, well-rounded and convincing. They cover a range of political beliefs and ideas and, whilst Elton makes it quite clear where his own sympathies lie, all are given the chance to air their views and it never feels as though you are having politics rammed down your throat. Characters all behave in exactly the way you would expect them to, bouncing off each other, forming alliances, stabbing each other in the back (literally and metaphorically) and generally behaving like real people.

Unlike some murder mysteries, the "mystery" aspect of the plot is very well handled. Occasionally, you can get such books with labyrinthine plots which have a highly unlikely resolution. Their only aim is to confuse, bamboozle and, too often, frustrate. Other times, they have overblown plotlines, packed with ridiculous red herrings of "obvious" suspects, before it turns out to be the man you were briefly introduced to for three lines on page 17, which is deeply unsatisfying. Elton, though, manages to maintain a pretty decent fine balance between the two. It's not the most complicated of mysteries and most people will probably work out fairly quickly the "who", if not necessarily the "why". Clues are laid out well and their significance explained at regular intervals, in case you didn't spot them, so you're never left scratching your head in confusion.

It's difficult to find much to criticise about The First Casualty. I can only think of two things that might put people off. First of all, although politics is not rammed down your throat, this is a book which has a very definite, if subtle political voice. Some people may find this distasteful - particularly if Elton's politics don't match your own. Others may also baulk at treating the First World War in a semi-comic fashion or to make a wider political point. But, as someone far wiser than I once remarked, if we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.

The only other problem might be that, rightly or wrongly, people have a view of Ben Elton that stems from his initial success in the 80s - as a raving, ultra-left wing, coarse, alternative comedian. For some, this image is so indelibly etched in their brains that they find it difficult to accept anything he does - assuming that his books will also be full of that same coarseness and political diatribe. But you know what? If these personal prejudices stop them from reading this book, then that's their loss, because they are missing out on a superbly well-written, funny and interesting book.

Basic Information
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The First Casualty
Ben Elton
Black Swan, new edition, 2006
ISBN: 978-0552771306

Available new from Amazon for £5.49 or second hand from 1p

© Copyright SWSt 2008

Summary: Not the first episode of a hospital drama