Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Final outcome for Armageddon, 18 Jan 2001
By A Customer
The third and final part of the Armageddon series, finds us once more following the life of Rex Mundi and Elvis Presely (with Barry the time sprout in his head). Now that idea alone should have made this book one of the funniest things ever. But for me it seems that after two attempts at armageddon that should really have been enough. The third book to me seems a little laboured and hard fought over by the author, which is a damn shame, as every other Robert Rankin book is a pure gem. Some people liked this book, some (including me didn't) But hey, don't take my word for it. If you liked the first two armageddon books, you might love this one!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
*A Lazlo Woodbine Thriller..., 28 Aug 2004
The third and final book in Rankin's Armageddon trilogy whisks Rex Mundi away from his post-Armageddon idyllic existence (again) and throws him into an alternate timeline where Elvis Presley's quest through history to destroy the Anti-Christ has in turn lead to a world where Presley himself is worshipped as a god. Oddly, though his presence is felt throughout, Elvis is largely absent from this novel (bar a brief touching coda), though Barry the time-sprout, villainous Jonathan Crawford, and the rest of the supporting regulars return. The major change this time round is the introduction of Lazlo Woodbine, a private-eye pastiche, who ends up dominating the book so much that Rex Mundi virtually becomes a supporting character in his own book. Lazlo is intermittently funny, and his limitation of being contractually obliged to only appear in 4 stock locations (his office, a bar, a back alley, and a rooftop for the climax) makes for some great material (including holding his hands over his eyes and stumbling around in the dark when the plot requires him to appear elsewhere), though his first person narration and tortuous similes soon outweigh their welcome.Of the 3 Armageddon books this volume has by far the highest gag factor, with at least a dozen running gags, and on average a joke in every paragraph, though inevitably with the 'throw everything at the wall' approach not all of the jokes stick. The downside is that this has the least engaging plot-line of the trilogy - the final explanation of what's actually going on is fine, but for too much of the book it's unclear just where the storyline is going and what the characters are trying to achieve. A good climax ensures that whilst this slightly flabby novel is the weakest of the trilogy, it's still a fairly hilarious read, with a nice line in post-modern self-aware fictional characters. All in all the Armageddon books are as ingenious as they are insane, and are highly recommended to all madmen everywhere. Enjoy.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Final Installment, 13 Aug 2004
The final meeting with Rex, Elvis and the Sprout. Following the same formula as the last two, Rex is disturbed from a life which he could easily spend the rest of his days in without a second thought. But disturb him we do.Another set of adventures ensue and we follow Rex to his ultimate goal - a return to his life with the daughter of God - Christine. I dont think this book would work as a standalone, its a little harder to get through, perhaps a little strained. I think it could fall foul o putting in too much ground work before it gets to the point. But its still exciting, strange, twisted and absorbing. Buy it to finish the trilogy off - but make sure you have read the first two.
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