It Was Moyda (The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse - Robert Rankin)

Member Name: SlyClone2k

Product:	The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse - Robert Rankin
Date:	02/04/03 (317 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its a book. , Its funny, imaginative, clever, Its a stand alone novel

Disadvantages: None apart from not being suitable for younger children

So there we have it, a title, befitting a novel about Murder. But rather than opening with the statement "When John and Jennifer Hart got together it was moyda." We have, "when Eddie Bear and Jack got together it was moyda."

Moyda, or indeed murder, as I'm getting fed up with the red squiggles already, is taking place in Toy City, the setting in Robert Rankins' latest novel "The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse" released in hard back (ISBN: 057507313) in September '02. I'm going to get back to where I started a little later, that is about the book, firstly an small introduction to Robert Rankin and why I've been reading his fictions.

Having read nearly all of Terry Pratchetts novels over the last ten years there have been several folk along the way who have said, "Ah, but have you tried Rankin?" Obviously the first time I heard this I said, "no". But as time went on, and Pratchett reduced that discworld series for 2 to 1 a year I gained an open slot in my reading capacity and it became obvious that I should actually read some of Rankins books, that and I rejoined the library. Fortunately the library has copious copies of many of his books, and I opened my quest with a novel named "Nostradamus Ate My Hamster." A title which couldn't fail to escape my notice, and thus I was reading a new author. So having taken this book home and read it, Christmas came about and my loving wife bought me the latest and afore mentioned title.

Rankin has been published in some form for over two decades, but his first published work that I can find record of was in 1981 with "The Antipope". Since then he has written 24 novels of which there are two trilogies and a five-ologie with The Brentford Octology and there is a 25th on the way. As a relative newcomer to his work, and not having read the bulk I am aware that I'm missing the running jokes that litter
his stories, but never the less the humour and wit is funny, and for the most part extremely cunning. Word play and punning are all spectacular parts of Rankin's form.

By Rankins own admission he takes things that are going on in the world and comes up with a different explanation as to why those things are occurring. Something he seems to be good at as many of the ideas and stories smack of social and political rhetoric, but in a subtle and cleverly masked façade of story telling. It is this transposition of ideas that have lent the two books I've read (so far) wonderfully thematic, yet twisting plot lines.

The Bunnies then, what exactly is it about?

Well as I mentioned earlier it's a story about moyda.. er murder.. A murder in Toy City; formerly known as Toy Town, it's truly amazing how it has grown! Except it isn't just a murder, but a serial murder. The shock. The horror. Toy City not only has it's first murderer, but a serial killer at that.

It's time for the P.I. Bill Winkie to investigate, but alas he is missing and it is the job of his trusty sidekick Eddie bear (and it took me most of the novel to get that) to solve the mystery.
Eddie is a bear with an attitude, and something of a drinking problem, and his own private religion. Eddie knows the streets, and he knows detective-ing but what he is missing is opposable thumbs.

This is why Jack is so useful; he has hands. Jack is a simple country boy, who like many country boys before him has made his way to the Big City to seek his fortune. Something that gives Eddie endless mirth. Jack is really the lead character, it is he we are introduced to first, and whilst consistently described as a gormster it becomes clear he is no fool;

"Once upon a time," said the big fat farmer, "it was all fields around here."
The traveller glanced all around and about. "It's still all fields," said he. <
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The story l
ine is simple and brilliantly delivered, Eddie has been commissioned to solve a crime involving the brutal murder of Humpty Dumpty. Humpty has been boiled alive in his own swimming pool. Not, I'm sure you'll agree, a pleasant end for an egg. The murderer has left a calling card, in the fridge. A hollow chocolate bunnie.

From here we follow Eddie and Jack as they attempt to solve the cases as they crop up, as one by one the old rich of Toy City, patrons of their own nursery rhymes (hence Humpty Dumpty) become victims of cruel but oddly fitting crimes. They encounter all manner of nursery school characters, most likeable perhaps are the fat, round, jolly, rubber and slightly dim police with their sadistic tendencies;

Bellis scowled and shook his fists. "Well, now we're in, I suppose. Go and arrest the malfeasant."
"The what, Sir?" the officer chuckled
"The criminal, the intruder, the unlawful trespasser."
"Which on of those do you want arrested first sir"

As I said earlier Rankin uses simple punning to provide a constant stream of amusement;

Jack, who had by now reached the point where he was prepared to eat almost anything, are almost everything. With relish.
But without relish, as there wasn't any relish.

And even a little social commentary with;

apart from those that do, of course, celebrity marriages never last.

One of Rankin's trademarks is his use of the running gag, in The Bunnies we have Eddie bears inability to conjure up corroborative nouns, or as the are better known similarlies. Instead we get such lines as "I'm as drunk as" and "It's a strange as," at the beginning this seemed a little irritating, but toward the end of the book I found that I was also at a loss to produce an ending when stating a similarly.

But The Bunnies isn't just about the humour,
it's also about a particularly clever story that draws you in to a ripping yarn that'll have you turning page over page. Something akin to a Simpsons cartoon, the beginning paints a very different introduction to the end, somewhere in the middle it all changes completely and instead of being the story you expected it's something else instead. Not only is it a darkly humoured book but the noirish theme delivers intrigue and promise, touching upon religion, childhood and other wonderful comparisons that make both the plot and the characters both surreal and disturbingly real.

Some may find the humour obvious, but that's just what you are expected to find. There is a greater depth of intelligence running through the narration imploring you to find it with subtle clues that produce rye smiles, chuckles and the occasional guffaw. Personally I have found him inspirational, if he can get away with this madness then why shouldn't I?

Suitable for most ages above 13 there are some adult related scenarios and themes, including sex, drinking, murder and to some extent language though none are particularly gratuitous by todays values I choose 13 as I don't necessarily agree with 12 being the age where children turn to adults.

In closing, whilst the book is easy to read and light fiction there is more going on below the surface than a.

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