“Chart Throb” by Ben Elton
Posted by redkoireviews on December 17, 2006
I’ve read a few Ben Elton books before, including ‘Dead Famous‘ – a comic crime novel set on the set of a ‘Big Brother’ program. “Chart Throb” draws it’s inspiration from reality TV music shows such as ‘Australian Idol‘. The novel is great satire, poking a sharp barb into the glamour of today’s glorified talent quests. Clavin, The show’s machiavellian leader and master judge is revealed as a shallow, manipulative prick. The other judges fair little better, narcissism being their dominant personality trait.
If you love ‘Australian Idol’ and want to stay a fan, do not read this book. If you where always a bit (or a lot) suspicious of the shows credibility, reading this book will definitely confirm all your worst fears, then add in a few extras.
The plot of ‘Chart Throb’ is more distrubing than ‘Dead famous’ becuase it’s more believable – you can imagine everything that the judges and directors do as actually happening, whereas ‘Dead Famous’ was entertaining but not really . . . real.
Ben Elton has done it again – delivering great satire that draws on our current life and times. Excellent.
My Rating: 4 Stars
JJ said
It is based on the three judges in the U.K. ‘X Factor’ music talent show. Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Simon Cowell has been named ‘Mr Mean’ as Calvin is in the book, Sharon Osbourne has her own reality tv show involving her family and Louis Walsh is irish and Rodney is also irish. Obviously these are not the only links with the judges, their ‘trademark behaviour’ is incorporated into the book and then put to the extreme. Sometimes it is hard to know whether or not Ben Elton is actually describing what goes on in reality or if he is exaggerating on everything. It certainly makes you think about what is real in the show.