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  • Blast From the Past

  • By: Ben Elton
  • Narrated by: Michael Maloney
  • Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (101 ratings)

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Blast From the Past

By: Ben Elton
Narrated by: Michael Maloney
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Summary

It’s 2:15 a.m., you��re in bed alone and you’re woken by the phone.

Your eyes are wide and your body tense before it has completed so much as a single ring. And as you wake, in the tiny moment between sleep and consciousness, you know already that something is wrong.

Only someone bad would call at such an hour. Or someone good, but with bad news, which would probably be worse.

You lie there in the darkness and wait for the answer machine to kick in. Your own voice sounds strange as it tells you that nobody is there but that a message can be left.

You feel your heart beat. You listen. And then you hear the one voice in the world you least expect . . . your very own Blast From the Past.

©2011 Ben Elton (P)2011 Random House Audio Go
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What listeners say about Blast From the Past

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another cracker from Mr Elton

loved it full of surprises right to the very end...ready for a sequel? Top story beautifully told by Michael Malony. Ben Elton is very readable and even better to listen to. 9/10.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Book, wonderfully read.

Quite aptly for the story; I first read this book as a teenager and absolutely adored it. I never came back to it in later life for fear that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered or the politics would seem outdated... but 20 years later this book is still phenomenal. I appreciate it all the more for being a little older and wiser and Eltons wit is still as cutting and relevant as ever.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Always entertaining

Daft but a throughly good yarn! Look forward to Ben Elton’s next effort been awhile …

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very unusual story brilliantly narrated

Having really enjoyed one of Ben Ton’s other books I thought I would give this ago. It’s very unusual with nearly all the story being just in one room between two people but is well conceived and the extreme language of the protagonists is very enjoyable, especially as their voices are so well narrated. I enjoyed the book and recommend it, especially to those who remember the politics and culture of 80s to which there is much reference.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

not the usual Ben Elton a little darker than usual

interest ing story in particular if you remember the cold war era and Greenham common

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Interesting topic, with a lot of twists- just as you think you’ve understood the point ……. Michael Maloney also excellent - will look for more books narrated by him , as I enjoyed this so much

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Last book of the year

It was a few years ago that my last listen of the year was written by Ben Elton and so I will probably close this book as my last of the year as planned.
This a great listen, a gripping and unsettling story, superbly narrated. It has you till the last seconds.
Messers Elton and Maloney, thank you for the great listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

First class

Michael Maloney handles a variety of accents seamlessly. A true professional . His first class narration gallops through this epic 7 hour (but fast-paced) story, keeping the momentum and the tension at all times. I truly wish that Michael Maloney could narrate all the books that I purchase. He's gone straight to the top of my list of narrators.
As for the story - well, what can I say? Ben Elton has never fired a dud. This book is less laugh-out-loud funny than some of his others, but equally gripping and expertly written. The whole story takes place in one bedsit over the course of just under three hours, which would make it an excellent option for a play. As always, Elton takes a subject and then analyses it from all angles with the intensity of a lioness anyalysing it's prey, while creating totally believable and fully-fleshed characters to carry the dialogue.
Hopefully I'll forget this book in a few years and I'll have the pleasure of reading it or listening to it for a third time. I will never tire of Ben Elton's books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Notable narration

As ever this is a tightly pulled together piece of work by Ben Elton; comedy, observation and politics in equal measures. Feels rather like a draught stageplay, which keeps the structure especially tight.
Anyway, the main reason i am prompted to submit a review (something not done before), was that the narration was outstanding. The very different voices were wonderful without veering into stagey. If you like clearly delineated voices this is one for you (If this is your thing can i recommend Mark Gattiss's brilliant OTT reading of his novel 'The Vesuvius Club', which is still my favourite in this respect.)

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Suspense

The atmosphere and plot time scale created a good deal of intrigue. Good twist and vehicle for storytelling. Dark film noir.

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