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Inconceivable
Lucy desperately wants a baby. Sam is determined to write a hit movie. The problem is that both their efforts seem to be unfruitful. And given that the average IVF cycle has about a one in five chance of going into full production, Lucy's chances of getting what she wants are considerably better than Sam's.
What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?
Inconcievable confirms Ben Elton as one of Britain's most significant, entertaining and provocative writers.
What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?
Inconcievable confirms Ben Elton as one of Britain's most significant, entertaining and provocative writers.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
67 people are currently reading
1115 people want to read
About the author
Ben Elton
58 books1,463 followersBen Elton was born on 3 May 1959, in Catford, South London. The youngest of four, he went to Godalming Grammar School, joined amateur dramatic societies and wrote his first play at 15. He wanted to be a stagehand at the local theatre, but instead did A-Level Theatre Studies and studied drama at Manchester University in 1977.
His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. His groundbreaking work as a TV stand-up comedian set the (high) standard of what was to follow. He has received accolades for his hit TV sitcoms, The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.
More recently he has had successes with three hit West End musicals, including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You. He has written three plays for the London stage, including the multi-award-winning Popcorn. Ben's international bestselling novels include Stark, Inconceivable, Dead Famous and High Society. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for the novel Popcorn.
Elton lives in Perth with his Aussie wife Sophie and three children.
His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. His groundbreaking work as a TV stand-up comedian set the (high) standard of what was to follow. He has received accolades for his hit TV sitcoms, The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.
More recently he has had successes with three hit West End musicals, including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You. He has written three plays for the London stage, including the multi-award-winning Popcorn. Ben's international bestselling novels include Stark, Inconceivable, Dead Famous and High Society. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for the novel Popcorn.
Elton lives in Perth with his Aussie wife Sophie and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
September 11, 2022
A really good read. I'm going to work my way through Ben Elton's backlist as the topics he writes about and the way he portrays them really works for me.
Five stars.
Five stars.
April 24, 2020
Actually a really good romantic comedy by Elton, veering away from his usually dark social commentary centred work. Quite cleverly constructed… as part of self prescribed relationship therapy a couple are writing diaries to record their thoughts and feelings whilst trying for a baby... and it is essentially these diaries that ultimately play leading roles, with the couples themselves in this book. As ever I feel a lot of Elton's younger characters are very one-dimensional and samey, but it's still quite a funny, entertaining and dare I say it, heartwarming book. Elton! A strong 7 out of 12 from me!
August 13, 2019
Al fin leí algo de Ben Elton, uno de los autores favoritos de mi prima, quien es de las pocas personas en carne y hueso que me recomienda libros. De hecho, me leí literalmente el libro suyo, aunque en verdad de sus papás, según dice la firma, jajaja, te pillé chanchito. Y me gustó mucho. Lo encontré liviano, pero profundo, actual pero universal, y todos esos clichés que uno dice cuando lee algo bueno.
Después leí por ahí que lo convirtieron en película, con actores importantes y conocidos, como el Doctor House (Hugh Laurie) y la señora linda del doc “bueno” de Nip/Tuck (Joely Richardson), pero que no tuvo mucho éxito.
Y la verdad es que no me extraña, porque lo mejor del libro no es la trama, sino que los pensamientos de los protagonistas, que andan ahí expresándose con total holgura porque parte del tratamiento de fertilidad (les cuesta tener hijos) es tener cada uno un diario de pensamientos.
En fin, que me gusto harto. Aprobado, Florci querida. Además el final no me lo esperaba.
Algunas citas (en inglés, eso sí).
1. Del diario de ella, sobre las "responsabilidades" de las mujeres y los anticonceptivos. Bastante visionaria, considerando que esto fue escrito hace casi veinte años. (Penny es el nombre de su diario de vida).
It's always this way, though, isn't it, Penny? The poor woman gets the short end of the stick. Our bodies are so complicated! It's like with contraception. The things women have to go through (all pointless in my case, it seems), and yet still men only worry about their own pleasure. I remember when Sam and I first started doing it regularely he wanted me to go on the pill or have a coil fitted because he didn't like condoms. He said they were a barrier between us (well of course they are, that surely is the point). He said they spoiled the sensual pleasure of our lovemaking. Basically what he was saying was that he didn't want to put his dick in a bag. So instead would I mind either filling my body with chemicals or having a small piece of barbed wire inserted into me?
2. Del diario de él, sobre los científicos, cuando les sugieren el in vitro.
Why do we have such faith in scientists? When I was in school they told us that in days gone by simple folk believed the world was balanced on the back of a tortoise. How we laughed! "What a bunch of prats", we said. Ho ho ho! Because we know better, don't we?
Apparently according to Stephen Hawking and his pals, there was this tiny lump of infinitely dense stuff the size of a cricketball, contained within which was the entire universe. Where this cricketball and where it had come from, are questions which apparently only stupid people ask. Anyway, one day the rock exploded and all the energy and stuff blasted out from the epicenter and fomed into stars and galaxies, which are still hurtling outwards to this very day.
Now why is that any more convincing that the tortoise?
They keep saying that if we spend another trillion or two on a new telescope, they'll be able to tell us exactly how the universe began. They keep telling us how close they are, saying things like "When the universe was three seconds old, protons begin to form...". Well, maybe, but I think a thousand years from now they'll discover that the universe got farted out of the arse of a giant space elephant, and schoolkids will all be laughing to think that anybody ever believed in the big bang theory.
Sometimes the self-righteousness of the scientific profession really gets on my nerves. They always seem to assume that science is sort of outside society, that what scientists do is pure and that it is the other people who corrupt it. I saw a documentary about Einstein and Oppenheimer on the Discovery Channel the other day, and it was going on about how simple, peaceful men they were and that during the war they sent a letter to the President Truman pleading with him not to drop the bomb. They said that it was too big, too terrible, and man had no right to unleash such a force.
All I could think was what a couple of hypocrites! For years they'd struggled. For years they'd devoted their colossal brains to developing a bomb which the rest of us would have to spend our lives living in the shadow of, and then they reckon they can get out of their responsibilities by saying "Please don't drop it", and go down in history as sad-eyed, white-haired old peacemakers.
3. También de él, sobre Cuthbert, la guagua de unos amigos muy cercanos.
Cuthbert also broke a model of a Lancaster bomber I made when I was ill last year and had painted with meticulous care. The model (which I admit was a kit, but a bloody difficult kit) was perfect in every detail. I even sent to Germany for the authentic eggshell blue paint for the underside (...)
Anyway, I'd thought that I'd put the model out of reach. "Everything precious three feet off ground", Lucy had warned me, but Cuthbert seems to have an extension section in the middle, like a dining room table. Out of the blue he can suddenly reach twice his physical length. You don't see it happen. You don't know anything about it until there's an unholy screaming. Then you see him surrounded by glass or china or in this case plastic, at which point you have to comfort HIM!
It's unbelievable. I mean, he didn't spend a week making it, did he?
Después leí por ahí que lo convirtieron en película, con actores importantes y conocidos, como el Doctor House (Hugh Laurie) y la señora linda del doc “bueno” de Nip/Tuck (Joely Richardson), pero que no tuvo mucho éxito.
Y la verdad es que no me extraña, porque lo mejor del libro no es la trama, sino que los pensamientos de los protagonistas, que andan ahí expresándose con total holgura porque parte del tratamiento de fertilidad (les cuesta tener hijos) es tener cada uno un diario de pensamientos.
En fin, que me gusto harto. Aprobado, Florci querida. Además el final no me lo esperaba.
Algunas citas (en inglés, eso sí).
1. Del diario de ella, sobre las "responsabilidades" de las mujeres y los anticonceptivos. Bastante visionaria, considerando que esto fue escrito hace casi veinte años. (Penny es el nombre de su diario de vida).
It's always this way, though, isn't it, Penny? The poor woman gets the short end of the stick. Our bodies are so complicated! It's like with contraception. The things women have to go through (all pointless in my case, it seems), and yet still men only worry about their own pleasure. I remember when Sam and I first started doing it regularely he wanted me to go on the pill or have a coil fitted because he didn't like condoms. He said they were a barrier between us (well of course they are, that surely is the point). He said they spoiled the sensual pleasure of our lovemaking. Basically what he was saying was that he didn't want to put his dick in a bag. So instead would I mind either filling my body with chemicals or having a small piece of barbed wire inserted into me?
2. Del diario de él, sobre los científicos, cuando les sugieren el in vitro.
Why do we have such faith in scientists? When I was in school they told us that in days gone by simple folk believed the world was balanced on the back of a tortoise. How we laughed! "What a bunch of prats", we said. Ho ho ho! Because we know better, don't we?
Apparently according to Stephen Hawking and his pals, there was this tiny lump of infinitely dense stuff the size of a cricketball, contained within which was the entire universe. Where this cricketball and where it had come from, are questions which apparently only stupid people ask. Anyway, one day the rock exploded and all the energy and stuff blasted out from the epicenter and fomed into stars and galaxies, which are still hurtling outwards to this very day.
Now why is that any more convincing that the tortoise?
They keep saying that if we spend another trillion or two on a new telescope, they'll be able to tell us exactly how the universe began. They keep telling us how close they are, saying things like "When the universe was three seconds old, protons begin to form...". Well, maybe, but I think a thousand years from now they'll discover that the universe got farted out of the arse of a giant space elephant, and schoolkids will all be laughing to think that anybody ever believed in the big bang theory.
Sometimes the self-righteousness of the scientific profession really gets on my nerves. They always seem to assume that science is sort of outside society, that what scientists do is pure and that it is the other people who corrupt it. I saw a documentary about Einstein and Oppenheimer on the Discovery Channel the other day, and it was going on about how simple, peaceful men they were and that during the war they sent a letter to the President Truman pleading with him not to drop the bomb. They said that it was too big, too terrible, and man had no right to unleash such a force.
All I could think was what a couple of hypocrites! For years they'd struggled. For years they'd devoted their colossal brains to developing a bomb which the rest of us would have to spend our lives living in the shadow of, and then they reckon they can get out of their responsibilities by saying "Please don't drop it", and go down in history as sad-eyed, white-haired old peacemakers.
3. También de él, sobre Cuthbert, la guagua de unos amigos muy cercanos.
Cuthbert also broke a model of a Lancaster bomber I made when I was ill last year and had painted with meticulous care. The model (which I admit was a kit, but a bloody difficult kit) was perfect in every detail. I even sent to Germany for the authentic eggshell blue paint for the underside (...)
Anyway, I'd thought that I'd put the model out of reach. "Everything precious three feet off ground", Lucy had warned me, but Cuthbert seems to have an extension section in the middle, like a dining room table. Out of the blue he can suddenly reach twice his physical length. You don't see it happen. You don't know anything about it until there's an unholy screaming. Then you see him surrounded by glass or china or in this case plastic, at which point you have to comfort HIM!
It's unbelievable. I mean, he didn't spend a week making it, did he?
June 11, 2016
Or "The self-centred, egomaniac, smug 'Bridget Jones diary' of infertile conception". Meh.
Hails barely one star just for the joy of incessantly reading "shag", "bonk", "wank" and "willy".
Hails barely one star just for the joy of incessantly reading "shag", "bonk", "wank" and "willy".
February 28, 2008
The first and biggest thing that irritated me about this book, told through dual consecutive diary entries written by husband and wife, was the voice of Lucy. Obviously the wife. She was completely two-dimensional, flat as a caricature, with her depressing obsession about as luridly painted as a two dollar whore. Pretty much the only thing Lucy does is whinge on about wanting a baby, her entire point in life being having a baby, having wanted a baby since she was one herself, desiring nothing beyond the replacement of herself on this Earth. I'll admit that desire is pretty foreign to my character, hence the lack of sympathy; however, even if I was actively jonesing for a child, I still think I'd be sickened by the voice of this character. For GoD's sake (no irony intended here), there's more to life than just reproducing.
Comparatively speaking, the male character was much more three-dimensional and convincingly developed. This is what irritated me even more... the author was obviously capable of writing well-rounded characters (apparently). So why didn't he give Lucy the benefit of a proper character? I'm aware it was a satire, apparently about infertility, but it didn't feel very socially progressive to me. Or was it the point that they were completely obsessed with themselves, completely absorbed in their own apparently miserable lives, that they couldn't even once consider adoption to form their precious family unit?
Anyway, Elton almost redeemed himself when, in the course of the book, the main character (who's writing a screenplay based on the shared suffering of him and his wife) admits that he hasn't got the woman's voice developed and she is, indeed, a bit of a flat character. Ha! I thought. He's making fun of himself, and it IS the point that Lucy's flat as the proverbial horizon. Except, then, no, there's no further evidence that that's what was intended at all. In fact, it's after that point that Lucy finally manages to become a bit more three-dimensional. This isn't high literature, so I can't even convince myself that this was all part of Elton's plot to somehow manipulate us into believing that Lucy wasn't a real character until that point because Sam wasn't paying enough attention to her. You can't countenance that theory when the entire book is based on purely separate diary entries they've both been writing for the entirety of the novel. She's been a separate and ostensibly complete person for the entire sad parade.
There's also very little emotional impact to the story because you knew where it's going (both characters are boringly predictable) and they both pretty much deserved what happened to them. Of course, credit where credit's due: I respect the way in which Elton manipulated the two points of view to convincingly portray a couple's malfunction of communication. It was amusing to see how they both interpreted the other's words, especially when you did really know what the other person was thinking.
There's a maudlin cast to the last forty pages that viciously and ham-handedly grabs for the heart-strings. But it's too much too late, over-loading whatever sympathetic capabilities I possessed at that point and leading to a cruelly insensitive "meh" reaction on my part. The book ends as lackluster as it began, and I am definitely not impressed.
I should watch some Black Adder to restore my faith in Elton. Despite what the cover of the book proclaims (in regards to at least this book), Elton the novel-writer IS NOT funnier than Ben Elton the comic or script-writer.
Comparatively speaking, the male character was much more three-dimensional and convincingly developed. This is what irritated me even more... the author was obviously capable of writing well-rounded characters (apparently). So why didn't he give Lucy the benefit of a proper character? I'm aware it was a satire, apparently about infertility, but it didn't feel very socially progressive to me. Or was it the point that they were completely obsessed with themselves, completely absorbed in their own apparently miserable lives, that they couldn't even once consider adoption to form their precious family unit?
Anyway, Elton almost redeemed himself when, in the course of the book, the main character (who's writing a screenplay based on the shared suffering of him and his wife) admits that he hasn't got the woman's voice developed and she is, indeed, a bit of a flat character. Ha! I thought. He's making fun of himself, and it IS the point that Lucy's flat as the proverbial horizon. Except, then, no, there's no further evidence that that's what was intended at all. In fact, it's after that point that Lucy finally manages to become a bit more three-dimensional. This isn't high literature, so I can't even convince myself that this was all part of Elton's plot to somehow manipulate us into believing that Lucy wasn't a real character until that point because Sam wasn't paying enough attention to her. You can't countenance that theory when the entire book is based on purely separate diary entries they've both been writing for the entirety of the novel. She's been a separate and ostensibly complete person for the entire sad parade.
There's also very little emotional impact to the story because you knew where it's going (both characters are boringly predictable) and they both pretty much deserved what happened to them. Of course, credit where credit's due: I respect the way in which Elton manipulated the two points of view to convincingly portray a couple's malfunction of communication. It was amusing to see how they both interpreted the other's words, especially when you did really know what the other person was thinking.
There's a maudlin cast to the last forty pages that viciously and ham-handedly grabs for the heart-strings. But it's too much too late, over-loading whatever sympathetic capabilities I possessed at that point and leading to a cruelly insensitive "meh" reaction on my part. The book ends as lackluster as it began, and I am definitely not impressed.
I should watch some Black Adder to restore my faith in Elton. Despite what the cover of the book proclaims (in regards to at least this book), Elton the novel-writer IS NOT funnier than Ben Elton the comic or script-writer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2020
Ik dacht : in tijden van crisis is het goed een grappig boek te lezen.
Maar is een boek met als onderwerp een "onvruchtbaar" koppel grappig ?! Wel als Ben Elton het geschreven heeft.
U kent hem misschien van andere boeken (Stark, Popcorn, ...), maar waarschijnlijker als schrijver van absurde series als The young ones, Blackadder en The tin blue line.
Het duurt even voor Elton in doldrieste modus komt, maar na ongeveer een derde van het boek is hij goed op gang en rollen de personages van het ene (komische) drama in het andere.
Toch valt het verhaal bij momenten ook weer stil en zijn niet alle "grappen" van een even hoog niveau.
Maar is een boek met als onderwerp een "onvruchtbaar" koppel grappig ?! Wel als Ben Elton het geschreven heeft.
U kent hem misschien van andere boeken (Stark, Popcorn, ...), maar waarschijnlijker als schrijver van absurde series als The young ones, Blackadder en The tin blue line.
Het duurt even voor Elton in doldrieste modus komt, maar na ongeveer een derde van het boek is hij goed op gang en rollen de personages van het ene (komische) drama in het andere.
Toch valt het verhaal bij momenten ook weer stil en zijn niet alle "grappen" van een even hoog niveau.
June 8, 2015
I normally love Ben Elton's writing, but this, for me, was the worst of the bunch. The main characters were sooooo annoying, selfish, stupid, whiney, vapid, and self-involved, I had trouble reading it. The ending was quite sweet and there were definitely some funny bits, so I can't say it was all bad.
May 16, 2021
Brilliantly funny. For such a sensitive topic he tackled it so well and in such a unique writing style. It was both hilarious and heartbreaking
November 24, 2020
Ben Elton is a very funny writer but this isn't his greatest book. I have read funnier;!at the same time, his satire is second to none. He is a far better writer than a comedian and that's saying something.
May 12, 2020
Well, I'm sad to say that this was far less than great.
I usually love Ben Elton's books as they have been, in my experience, really funny and clever. This is not funny, not clever, not good. It was mostly offensive, puerile and insensitive.
There is a bit of irony with this book as there is a portion where the male lead has written a script for a movie and is told it's to angled to the male perspective. He's told to get a female co-writer to add more relatable content to his women viewers. I wish someone had told Ben to do this with Inconceivable. I barely felt a difference between reading from Lucy to Sam.
The characters were pretty much all people you'd like to punch in the neck; either annoying or pathetic or boring.
If this was the first Ben Elton book I'd ever read, I'd likely not picked up another. Don't be discouraged by this one if it was your first (or skip it entirely if you haven't read it yet) because Blind Faith is absolutely brilliant and High Society is a great read. Chart Throb was pretty good, too, in my opinion.
Rom Coms are not really Ben Elton's forte.
I usually love Ben Elton's books as they have been, in my experience, really funny and clever. This is not funny, not clever, not good. It was mostly offensive, puerile and insensitive.
There is a bit of irony with this book as there is a portion where the male lead has written a script for a movie and is told it's to angled to the male perspective. He's told to get a female co-writer to add more relatable content to his women viewers. I wish someone had told Ben to do this with Inconceivable. I barely felt a difference between reading from Lucy to Sam.
The characters were pretty much all people you'd like to punch in the neck; either annoying or pathetic or boring.
If this was the first Ben Elton book I'd ever read, I'd likely not picked up another. Don't be discouraged by this one if it was your first (or skip it entirely if you haven't read it yet) because Blind Faith is absolutely brilliant and High Society is a great read. Chart Throb was pretty good, too, in my opinion.
Rom Coms are not really Ben Elton's forte.
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March 13, 2011Different Than The Average: Ben Elton, as many of us fans out there know, tends to write murder thrillers with that touch of comedy that everything he has ever done, and ever will do, has. This however does not follow his traditional murder mystery whodunnit. This book is even written in a totally different narration style. Generally he writes in the third person to explain the story throughout. Thi time there is NO third person involved. He writes in a style that many writers have tried and only half have pulled off successfully. He uses two characters as the focus, Sam and Lucy a couple trying to have a baby but cannot conceive. The way their stories are told respectively are as a form of diary entry.
It is set up so that they are writing provate letters to no-one to let out their sad emotions and frustrations at the inability to conceive. The focus of the story is love. Whether love between the two is strong enough to survive if they cannot conceive or reliant on a child. Each character also has their own private battles. Sam is a BBC worker dreaming of writing a hit programme or film, but he has no inspiration. Lucy is an agent's assistant, who's newest client happens to be the hottest new, gorgeous British actor on the scene. As the two face their separate battles, can they focus on Lucy's main goal, a child. Sam isn't as determined seemingly to have a child as he feels that it would just be a bonus, he feels he loves Lucy enough to be happy with her forever, child or not.
The story has great one liners that will make even the person with the least sense of humour in the world to crack a smile. It is funny throughout ut also has the touch of seriousness also. Tears could flow at points. I enjoyed this, finished it just this afternoon. If you like his other books you'll love this too. If you hve never read anything of his before this could be a good start as it shows how he can hold a story well and keep things moving. It also dislays the difficult technique of balancing two characters roles equally, which he succeeds seeminlgly with ease.
Enjoy.
December 21, 2016
Alternating diary entries from a couple who are dealing with the inability to produce a baby together - that's how this book is written. Sam wants to be a writer, but there's only one problem. He isn't writing.
Lucy wants to be a mother, but there's only one problem. She can't seem to get pregnant.
Ben Elton tells a story about a serious issue (infertility) with loads of humour and some great dialogue. However, he doesn't manage to completely break the stereotypical gender moulds - the man who appears aloof and disconnected, and the woman who is desperate for a child. So, while the story moves along with great speed and has some really funny moments, there are also parts that are a bit cliched. Also, the characters remain a little two-dimensional.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book and I'll surely be reading more from the author.
Lucy wants to be a mother, but there's only one problem. She can't seem to get pregnant.
Ben Elton tells a story about a serious issue (infertility) with loads of humour and some great dialogue. However, he doesn't manage to completely break the stereotypical gender moulds - the man who appears aloof and disconnected, and the woman who is desperate for a child. So, while the story moves along with great speed and has some really funny moments, there are also parts that are a bit cliched. Also, the characters remain a little two-dimensional.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book and I'll surely be reading more from the author.
November 6, 2009
This is one of my favourite books and i have gone back to it time and again, because the characters, especially Sam are so endearing. This book is written in diary form from both Sam and Lucy and it gives their thoughts on the IVF they are going through.
Some parts are moving and I sympahised with their situation, especially when Lucy dreams of reading Beatrix Potter to her potential child,it struck a chord with me because I read those stories to my own children. But what I love about Ben Elton is that he has taken a difficult subject and given us an honest insight into how the opposite sex deals with the issue of IVF.
I would recomend this to anyone and although i have read most of Ben Elton's books and have found them all enjoyable, this remains my favourite.
Some parts are moving and I sympahised with their situation, especially when Lucy dreams of reading Beatrix Potter to her potential child,it struck a chord with me because I read those stories to my own children. But what I love about Ben Elton is that he has taken a difficult subject and given us an honest insight into how the opposite sex deals with the issue of IVF.
I would recomend this to anyone and although i have read most of Ben Elton's books and have found them all enjoyable, this remains my favourite.
January 13, 2013
Lucy and Sam trying to get pregnant. I could relate to this (so I thought) thats why I picked the book. I never thought that such a sensitive issue could be tackled in a non-conventional way; hilarious BUT also heartbreaking at some point. I could relate to Lucy's frustration and desperation to get pregnant so I asked my husband to read it and let me know if Sam is a realistic character. My husband finished the book in 2 nights (hahah) and bounced back to me with loads of question relating to Lucy! Two thumbs up for Ben Elton.
September 14, 2021
Yhdessä Rowan Atkinsonin kanssa Musta Kyy -televisiosarjaakin käsikirjoittaneen Ben Eltonin järjestyksessään seitsemäs romaani Vauvahorkka, 2000 (Inconceivable, 1999) kertoo tv-viihdealalla työskentelevästä pariskunnasta, joka ei saa lasta, vaikka kovasti sitä yrittääkin. Lapsettomuuden tuskasta kasvaa hiljalleen yhä suurempi tragedia pariskunnan arkeen. Erään tuttavan kehotuksesta pariskunnan kumpikin osapuoli alkaa kirjoittaa omaa päiväkirjaansa tuntemuksistaan. Koko romaani koostuukin vain näiden kahden ihmisen, Lucyn ja Samin, päiväkirjamerkinnöistä.
Täytyy myöntää, että luettuani romaanin pari ensimmäistä aukeamaa ja ymmärrettyäni tarinan rakenteen, pohdin huokaillen kuinkakohan puuduttava kokemus tästä oikein mahtaa kehkeytyäkään. Ensinnäkään lapsettomuus ei ole itselleni mitenkään suurempaa mielenkiintoa herättävä tai sielua koskettava aihe, ja toisaalta pelkkiin päiväkirjamerkintöihin nojaava kerronnallinen rakenne tuntui lähtökohtaisesti puuduttavalta. Onneksi en kuitenkaan helpolla jätä heikoltakaan tuntuvaa romaania kesken. En nimittäin olisi voinut ennakko-odotuksineni paljon enempää metsään ampua.
Ben Elton on loistava satiirikko ja humoristi, ja hän onnistuu näistä edellä mainitsemistani lähtökohdistakin huolimatta rakentamaan mainon, mukaansatempaavan romaanin. Pariskunnan kummankin osapuolen näkökulmat tapahtumista ja arviot toisen mietteistä menevät herkullisella tavalla ristiin, ja Elton osaa todella repiä aiheesta kaiken mahdollisen irti samalla sekä koskettavaa että hersyvää keitostaan varten. Myös viihdeteollisuus on totuttuun tapaan kirjailijan viiltävän satiirin kohteena. Tämä on kolmas lukemani Eltonin romaani, ja toivon että näitä suomennettaisiin pikaisesti lisää. Kirjailijan 17 romaanista on tähän mennessä ikävä kyllä suomennettu vain neljä teosta.
Arvioni 4,0 tähteä viidestä.
Täytyy myöntää, että luettuani romaanin pari ensimmäistä aukeamaa ja ymmärrettyäni tarinan rakenteen, pohdin huokaillen kuinkakohan puuduttava kokemus tästä oikein mahtaa kehkeytyäkään. Ensinnäkään lapsettomuus ei ole itselleni mitenkään suurempaa mielenkiintoa herättävä tai sielua koskettava aihe, ja toisaalta pelkkiin päiväkirjamerkintöihin nojaava kerronnallinen rakenne tuntui lähtökohtaisesti puuduttavalta. Onneksi en kuitenkaan helpolla jätä heikoltakaan tuntuvaa romaania kesken. En nimittäin olisi voinut ennakko-odotuksineni paljon enempää metsään ampua.
Ben Elton on loistava satiirikko ja humoristi, ja hän onnistuu näistä edellä mainitsemistani lähtökohdistakin huolimatta rakentamaan mainon, mukaansatempaavan romaanin. Pariskunnan kummankin osapuolen näkökulmat tapahtumista ja arviot toisen mietteistä menevät herkullisella tavalla ristiin, ja Elton osaa todella repiä aiheesta kaiken mahdollisen irti samalla sekä koskettavaa että hersyvää keitostaan varten. Myös viihdeteollisuus on totuttuun tapaan kirjailijan viiltävän satiirin kohteena. Tämä on kolmas lukemani Eltonin romaani, ja toivon että näitä suomennettaisiin pikaisesti lisää. Kirjailijan 17 romaanista on tähän mennessä ikävä kyllä suomennettu vain neljä teosta.
Arvioni 4,0 tähteä viidestä.
January 16, 2021
I have definitely read this book and I'm sure it was okay but for some reason I hadn't marked it as read. The whole concept of the book was a bit foreign to me as I have never wanted children and now it's too late I don't regret my decision. I still enjoyed it though and like Ben Elton as a writer.
December 13, 2021
Great writing
December 12, 2023
Leuk maar iets te opvallend dat het geschreven is door een man
September 18, 2023
I have read several books by Ben Elton and his versatility is immense.
This book made me laugh out loud but was also extremely sad. The ending was probably realistic although I hoped it might conclude as his imaginary screen play did.
This book made me laugh out loud but was also extremely sad. The ending was probably realistic although I hoped it might conclude as his imaginary screen play did.
August 16, 2020
Quite enjoyable in a depressing, heartfelt sad kind of why, it's a comedy about a tragedy being made into a comedy
November 16, 2012
Time Taken To Read - 3 days
Blurb From Goodreads
Lucy desperately wants a baby. Sam is determined to write a hit movie. The problem is that both their efforts seem to be unfruitful. And given that the average IVF cycle has about a one in five chance of going into full production, Lucy's chances of getting what she wants are considerably better than Sam's.
What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?
Inconcievable confirms Ben Elton as one of Britain's most significant, entertaining and provocative writers.
My Review
This is a story about a happily married couple who want a baby. The book isn't in chapters but rather diary entries. Lucy writes hers as Dear Penny, a childhood friend whilst Sam goes with dear book or sometimes without title. The entries follow their journey from hitting 5 years of trying for a baby but now seriously looking at why they aren't pregnant and investigating it.
For me the book reminded me of Bridget Jones diary, not just in format but in that there is a lot of humour involved. You can empathize with both characters and you get to see the same story from two view points. Despite the serious nature of the main issue there is a lot of humour involved in the book, there is also a lot of crass and crude language throughout, so not for the easily offended.
The book covers some serious issues and despite it being a fairly humourous book I did learn a bit about the IVF process and what couples have to go through when facing difficulties in trying for a baby. Funny, sad, emotional and a bit of a rollercoaster I did enjoy this and wasn't too sure how it would end which is always a plus, 3/5 for me this time and I would read Ben Elton again (I have read one or two of his before).
Blurb From Goodreads
Lucy desperately wants a baby. Sam is determined to write a hit movie. The problem is that both their efforts seem to be unfruitful. And given that the average IVF cycle has about a one in five chance of going into full production, Lucy's chances of getting what she wants are considerably better than Sam's.
What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?
Inconcievable confirms Ben Elton as one of Britain's most significant, entertaining and provocative writers.
My Review
This is a story about a happily married couple who want a baby. The book isn't in chapters but rather diary entries. Lucy writes hers as Dear Penny, a childhood friend whilst Sam goes with dear book or sometimes without title. The entries follow their journey from hitting 5 years of trying for a baby but now seriously looking at why they aren't pregnant and investigating it.
For me the book reminded me of Bridget Jones diary, not just in format but in that there is a lot of humour involved. You can empathize with both characters and you get to see the same story from two view points. Despite the serious nature of the main issue there is a lot of humour involved in the book, there is also a lot of crass and crude language throughout, so not for the easily offended.
The book covers some serious issues and despite it being a fairly humourous book I did learn a bit about the IVF process and what couples have to go through when facing difficulties in trying for a baby. Funny, sad, emotional and a bit of a rollercoaster I did enjoy this and wasn't too sure how it would end which is always a plus, 3/5 for me this time and I would read Ben Elton again (I have read one or two of his before).
February 28, 2018
I don't even know where to begin with this book, I thought it was horrible. The characters were awful people, neither of them had a single redeeming quality. In a book about infertility, I'm sure you are supposed to root for the characters to get pregnant, but I found myself eternally grateful that they couldn't reproduce. There was absolutely no love between them, they were horrible to each other. The storyline was lame, and pretty predictable, the whole secret movie thing was ridiculous given that they were moving in the same circles. Sam in particular was unlikeable and unbelievable, no man who cared about his wife would think the way he did, about nothing but his sperm, he seemed to have zero concerns for his wife at all. Speaking of Lucy, she just had nothing to her. She wasn't likeable, she wasn't interesting, there wasn't enough pain in her for me to feel sorry for her. I really can't think of anything redeeming about this book. I just found it slightly offensive and ridiculous, and not a lot else. Thank god its over!
March 23, 2018
I’d read Inconceivable some years ago and decided to pick it up again this week. I was instantly gripped by the voices of the two main protagonists, Sam and Lucy Bell, who are trying for a baby.
Ben Elton perfectly captures their voices - the laddish and insensitive Sam and the desperate and hormonal Lucy. It’s written in the form of their diary entries. Not an easy feat but it’s perfectly sustained throughout. As well as capturing the raw pain of infertility, Ben Elton explores other yearnings: the desire to be successful and validated by others; the yearning to be found attractive and loved. The ending is clever and unexpected, but emotionally satisfying. A great read, despite the earthy language.
Ben Elton perfectly captures their voices - the laddish and insensitive Sam and the desperate and hormonal Lucy. It’s written in the form of their diary entries. Not an easy feat but it’s perfectly sustained throughout. As well as capturing the raw pain of infertility, Ben Elton explores other yearnings: the desire to be successful and validated by others; the yearning to be found attractive and loved. The ending is clever and unexpected, but emotionally satisfying. A great read, despite the earthy language.
May 2, 2016
The book is set up as the two main characters' diaries as they pursue fertility treatment. Perhaps it's because I'm reading this at a temporal distance from this setting (the mid 90s), or it could be the fact that I don't want children therefore don't comprehend the all-encompassing desire for a baby which the female character has, but I found them both immensely unpleasant. I found most of the novel predictable and dull, and the resolution was too short and under-developed. Finally the reinforcement of gender stereotypes - woman desperate for child, man skeptical and uncaring - were too much to bear.
December 4, 2010
Probably the most interesting thing about Inconceivable is the structure—it's presented as alternating diary entries from a couple who are experiencing fertility issues. And when the characters get off topic and go on comedic rants, it's reasonably funny. But the main storyline is overwrought, overcomplicated, and for a supposedly comedic novel, not very funny. So.
February 5, 2021
I read this as a teen (I'm not sure exactly how old, though I know I reread the book several times) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's rare for a book about romance, pregnancy and married life to hold my interest, even rarer for it to make me laugh out loud. I probably wouldn't pick it out now as an adult, but it's definitely a fun read and I remember it fondly. Elton at his comedic best.
September 16, 2023
Even if the story wears kind of thin in the final third of the book it is hilariously funny (and that is quite an achievement given the serious theme I think) and has enough of "must know how it ends"-quality to recommend it.
November 11, 2021
This was a very difficult book for me to read. The entire thing is journal entries by a husband and wife as they try to have a child. The story itself was interesting and entertaining, but I felt like I was slogging through the pages as there were no changes to other ways of telling the story like there was in "Bridget Jones' Diary" (e-mails, narrative, journal entries.
Lucy and Sam keep trying to conceive, but nothing seems to work. They try abstaining and measuring her ovulation schedule -- no luck. Sex all the time -- no luck. Aromatherapy -- no luck. Then they start the IVF process. The journal entries which comprise the entirety of the book are a way for Sam to get in touch with his feelings; Lucy also keeps a journal although she feels she is more in touch with herself and her feelings than Sam is.
In addition to the conception story, the story follows the couple's individual trials and tribulations in their work lives. Sam works at the BBC in the comedy division. Unexpected "errors" result in him being transferred to BBC Radio. Eventually, bored with the radio program in which he's "in charge", Sam decides to write a screenplay entitled "Inconceivable" about a couple trying to conceive a child, based on his and Lucy's journey. This is where the story becomes comical and the most interesting.
The book was turned into the movie "Maybe Baby". Ben Elton, the author, is well known in British comedy.
Lucy and Sam keep trying to conceive, but nothing seems to work. They try abstaining and measuring her ovulation schedule -- no luck. Sex all the time -- no luck. Aromatherapy -- no luck. Then they start the IVF process. The journal entries which comprise the entirety of the book are a way for Sam to get in touch with his feelings; Lucy also keeps a journal although she feels she is more in touch with herself and her feelings than Sam is.
In addition to the conception story, the story follows the couple's individual trials and tribulations in their work lives. Sam works at the BBC in the comedy division. Unexpected "errors" result in him being transferred to BBC Radio. Eventually, bored with the radio program in which he's "in charge", Sam decides to write a screenplay entitled "Inconceivable" about a couple trying to conceive a child, based on his and Lucy's journey. This is where the story becomes comical and the most interesting.
The book was turned into the movie "Maybe Baby". Ben Elton, the author, is well known in British comedy.
May 21, 2017
Ben Elton taps his personal career to produce a book centered around a couple working at the BBC. The entire book is formed from the couple's personal diaries, created to help then deal with the difficulty of getting pregnant. As per usual, the Elton brand of wit is sharp, rude and cutting edge, hitting on the taboo areas of our everyday lives most people don't feel comfortable talking about. It's interesting reading since Elton never hints at where he's leading you, or to about which subject he will open up like a can of worms next. The charactisation will make you ask questions of yourself as Elton is uncanny in his portrayal of human psychology and behaviour - it's very Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. So far, it's all good news. However, I did find that the actual flow of the book was somewhat impeded by the Diary Entry form of the book. Overall it's a good read; which is on-the-ball with cultural events and humour, but the format, although original, prevents real immersion and gets rather stale towards the end.
January 20, 2019
Ben Elton is a famous British comedian, with several successful (and rather laddish) sitcoms to his writing credit. He was also one of a generation that took standup away from gag telling (blue collar) and story telling (white collar) towards standup-with-a-message. That message was usually left wing politics.
I read one of his other books many years ago and it was surprisingly well crafted.
This story, Inconceivable, however read like something rattled off in one draft when under a deadline for his agent. The 'humour' comes from the diary format, written by the two characters who are trying for a baby, and their different interpretations of events. It is pretty one dimensional however. And having two voices like this makes it hard to really introduce other characters.
The last quarter of the book though, gets a bit more interesting as some of the plot lines start to intersect. It probably wasn't worth getting there however, unless you are out for a simple, untaxing read on a plane.
I read one of his other books many years ago and it was surprisingly well crafted.
This story, Inconceivable, however read like something rattled off in one draft when under a deadline for his agent. The 'humour' comes from the diary format, written by the two characters who are trying for a baby, and their different interpretations of events. It is pretty one dimensional however. And having two voices like this makes it hard to really introduce other characters.
The last quarter of the book though, gets a bit more interesting as some of the plot lines start to intersect. It probably wasn't worth getting there however, unless you are out for a simple, untaxing read on a plane.
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