Official Review: The Old Farts versus The Fatberg
Posted: 23 Jul 2020, 17:05
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Old Farts versus The Fatberg" by Pat Stevens.]
I am unsure how to begin the review of The Old Farts versus The Fatberg by Pat Stevens. It must be the most eccentric book I have ever read.
I had never heard of the word ‘Fatberg.’ I genuinely thought that this was someone’s last name or a word that Pat Stevens made up. As it turns out, fatbergs are, quote, ‘[…] large lumps of fatty gunk in the sewer system which can set as hard as concrete. They are caused by fat, oil and grease (FOG) being disposed of incorrectly down sinks and drains, and then accumulating over time.’ They may sound disgusting, but that is not all that they are. Sewage experts Professor Peter Watercloset and the beautiful Doctor Zee Garbo discover that fatbergs may have produced a basic, but potentially dangerous, life form. London is under threat. Their race to get the public to take this seriously and to get authorities moving are met by a thick brick wall. With their options diminishing, and anxieties over the fate of humanity rising, they decide to look for help elsewhere. The most unusual army – The Old Farts Club, a mobility scooter gang led by motorbike stunt rider Evil Neville – come to the rescue. And, at the heights of this war against the Whitechapel Fatberg, a love story is born.
In other news, what rules apply when farting in the presence of the Queen? And why did people of Hartlepool hand that poor monkey?
In The Old Farts versus The Fatberg, Pat Stevens covers a wide range of topics, such a Brexit, environmental issues, corporate-level cover-ups for the most heinous crimes, media bias, etc. It is mostly done discreetly, in a ‘passive-aggressive’ kind of way, which is the very thing that turns this book into a hilarious read. This particular approach is the essence of the book. As well as the somewhat grotesque-looking caricatures and treated photos that are scattered throughout the book.
My best shot at trying to squeeze this book into some sort of genre category is to describe it as a documentary with a mild spice of a romance story. It is overflowing with ambiguities, wordplay, metaphors, hyperboles, but, mostly, with the kind of humour like only the Brits can. They seem to possess this uncanny ability to say the strangest things with the straightest of faces. And it is delightful! It is also surprising as the author, Pat Stevens, originates from South Africa. Admittedly, he had been living in England for quite some time. There is no arguing that he assimilated the ‘British ways’ into his character exceptionally well. Rumour has it that most of his books are set in Southern Africa, and this is his first book set in Britain. He surely could have fooled me.
I am happy to award The Old Farts versus The Fatberg with three out of four stars. I would have loved to award it with full four stars for its unmatched quirkiness and the sheer volume of information. But, due to the number of grammatical and punctuation errors, I am obliged to deduct 1 star. However, I wish to say that in no way did this impede my utter enjoyment! I devoured this circa 350 pages book. The writing style, in my opinion, resembles that of an old man telling a story over a pint in a pub. Whilst, at times, it may impede the flow, it is somewhat suited to the genre and approach. If it were written in clean Queen’s English, it would lose some of its charm.
Whilst I did not encounter any profanities or erotic scenes, I would not recommend it to children. There is a mention (and a visual illustration) of a dildo as well as a novel approach when discussing Jimmy Saville’s deeds. For those of you who do not know who Saville is, to avoid spoilers, I would advise running a quick search as the theme may be upsetting to some. Other than that, I recommend this to all. Religious themes do not feature either, which makes it suitable for anyone of any creed or no creed at all. There is plenty of quirky history and urban legends mixed with today’s world. It is told in a very entertaining manner. There is even some mystery! While having a certain level of awareness of England’s current (and not so current) affairs would add to the enjoyment of this book, it is not crucial. I would lie if I were to say that I did not consult Google on numerous occasions. I learnt plenty.
As the British may say, it is a dashing book! I hope it turns into a theatre play!
******
The Old Farts versus The Fatberg
View: on Bookshelves
I am unsure how to begin the review of The Old Farts versus The Fatberg by Pat Stevens. It must be the most eccentric book I have ever read.
I had never heard of the word ‘Fatberg.’ I genuinely thought that this was someone’s last name or a word that Pat Stevens made up. As it turns out, fatbergs are, quote, ‘[…] large lumps of fatty gunk in the sewer system which can set as hard as concrete. They are caused by fat, oil and grease (FOG) being disposed of incorrectly down sinks and drains, and then accumulating over time.’ They may sound disgusting, but that is not all that they are. Sewage experts Professor Peter Watercloset and the beautiful Doctor Zee Garbo discover that fatbergs may have produced a basic, but potentially dangerous, life form. London is under threat. Their race to get the public to take this seriously and to get authorities moving are met by a thick brick wall. With their options diminishing, and anxieties over the fate of humanity rising, they decide to look for help elsewhere. The most unusual army – The Old Farts Club, a mobility scooter gang led by motorbike stunt rider Evil Neville – come to the rescue. And, at the heights of this war against the Whitechapel Fatberg, a love story is born.
In other news, what rules apply when farting in the presence of the Queen? And why did people of Hartlepool hand that poor monkey?
In The Old Farts versus The Fatberg, Pat Stevens covers a wide range of topics, such a Brexit, environmental issues, corporate-level cover-ups for the most heinous crimes, media bias, etc. It is mostly done discreetly, in a ‘passive-aggressive’ kind of way, which is the very thing that turns this book into a hilarious read. This particular approach is the essence of the book. As well as the somewhat grotesque-looking caricatures and treated photos that are scattered throughout the book.
My best shot at trying to squeeze this book into some sort of genre category is to describe it as a documentary with a mild spice of a romance story. It is overflowing with ambiguities, wordplay, metaphors, hyperboles, but, mostly, with the kind of humour like only the Brits can. They seem to possess this uncanny ability to say the strangest things with the straightest of faces. And it is delightful! It is also surprising as the author, Pat Stevens, originates from South Africa. Admittedly, he had been living in England for quite some time. There is no arguing that he assimilated the ‘British ways’ into his character exceptionally well. Rumour has it that most of his books are set in Southern Africa, and this is his first book set in Britain. He surely could have fooled me.
I am happy to award The Old Farts versus The Fatberg with three out of four stars. I would have loved to award it with full four stars for its unmatched quirkiness and the sheer volume of information. But, due to the number of grammatical and punctuation errors, I am obliged to deduct 1 star. However, I wish to say that in no way did this impede my utter enjoyment! I devoured this circa 350 pages book. The writing style, in my opinion, resembles that of an old man telling a story over a pint in a pub. Whilst, at times, it may impede the flow, it is somewhat suited to the genre and approach. If it were written in clean Queen’s English, it would lose some of its charm.
Whilst I did not encounter any profanities or erotic scenes, I would not recommend it to children. There is a mention (and a visual illustration) of a dildo as well as a novel approach when discussing Jimmy Saville’s deeds. For those of you who do not know who Saville is, to avoid spoilers, I would advise running a quick search as the theme may be upsetting to some. Other than that, I recommend this to all. Religious themes do not feature either, which makes it suitable for anyone of any creed or no creed at all. There is plenty of quirky history and urban legends mixed with today’s world. It is told in a very entertaining manner. There is even some mystery! While having a certain level of awareness of England’s current (and not so current) affairs would add to the enjoyment of this book, it is not crucial. I would lie if I were to say that I did not consult Google on numerous occasions. I learnt plenty.
As the British may say, it is a dashing book! I hope it turns into a theatre play!
******
The Old Farts versus The Fatberg
View: on Bookshelves
I hope that you enjoy reading the book too! I certainly had a good laugh as well as learnt lots 