Ben Elton, The First Casualty

The First Casualty by Ben Elton is an excellent book, had me gripped from the start. This book is different from other Ben Elton books as it is not so comical and in effect is not really what you would expect from Elton. However it is very well written and gives a good insight in to the life in the trenches. surprisingly well researched! I liked his good choice of characters which gave you a view of life there from all aspects. I also liked the build up to the ending which was executed very well. There was not much that I did not like about this book.

The First Casualty by Ben Elton is a great book. Never read anything else by Ben Elton so I can't really compare, but I've read a lot of World War One Literature, and it was good to have the fictional aspect of a conscientious objector.

This is a cracking good whodunit set in WW1. Elton is a fiction writer, entertaining, comic, but with a serious purpose. I thought it has a contrived ending, but I have read worse. There are greater literary novels about WWI but 'The First Casualty' has it's place - like 'the Modest Proposal' does in social comment.

Ben Elton's worst book, the PC agenda was to forced when usually he can do a political slant from a very objective view. Though the idea of the book was good but it lost it's way in what. It could have been a fast paced thriller and of which he is more than capable.

I think its the most graphic book with good use of figurative language and a true picture of the reality of the Great War

If you deconstruct Ben Elton, The First Casualty book, it gives you a really good look into the effects of war on economical, military and social effects...its like a wave worth buying and reading

Ben Elton, The First Casualty is worth the read more of a before going to bed book. Upon reconstructing the story at all bases, it is obviously well researched it gives you a look into the true psychological effects an physical effects during world war 1. Using the factor of a victim to become more of a hero was a very cunning thing rather than start of with him like a lot of other books as the ordinary man becoming a hero he becomes a victim pretty much sentence to death then thrusts him immediately into a gritty hard world of being what a true hero would be.

Worth a read but do not expect too much.

Don't expect anything like the taut and finely-tuned writing style of Sebastian Faulkes or the depth and horror of Pat Barker. Expect, instead, an average read of an average story averagely told. I approached The First Casualty with an open mind never having read any Ben Elton, was impressed by the dedication to his grandfathers, but ultimately disappointed in the read. Although I felt he'd researched his subject quite well, there was very little new here and I found him self-conscious in his integration of historical fact.

The characters in The First Casualty by Ben Elton are, while stereotypical, and so not entirely believable, are suitable vehicles to carry the story forward.

The management of the separate stories of the two main characters (detective and victim) until they join (about a quarter of the way through the book) is well done.

The solution to the mystery is well presented and, unlike many mysteries, the rest of the story is not simply a tidying up of loose ends, perhaps because the mystery is not the main reason for the story.