ham

Oops: that whole deciphering the characters thing before is basically wrong.

 Self, the author, starts off the book with a new world that is somehow connected to the way people in the present do. It's confusing, but as the pages keep turning, the more Self criticizes how Christianity was set up. Dave (present-day) is middle-age, balding cab driver who has a bitter take on the world. The remarks and insults he makes in his head while conversing with his fares are cynical, but at the same time true. Self makes an atheistic connection between how Hamsters wait anxiously and loyally for Dave (500 or so years later) to raise from the grave and how Christians do the same thing. He notes on how they consider plastic bits precious and that each piece of plastic they find belonged to Dave (plastic is everywhere!, and it's not just Dave's!). Also, he incorporates his idea of how adultery started to be frowned upon. 

The four listed literary devices were all used. Self is especially satirical with his way of describing how a religion starts and how easy it could be to start one if there was enough persuasion. The book is comedic and realistic where Self inserts Dave's cynical thoughts. They show that Dave is bitter about the world, and has been for quite some time, but in that cynicism it's true. Dave isn't materialistic (he only calculates fares and gas prices) or conceited (he's aware of how unhygienic he appears) or tied down (he hates commitment), so he has an harsh simple way of looking at life.

by Will Self

This novel is told in third-person. The Book of Dave has two settings: the present, beginning a little after 9/11, and about 500 years from then. The timing of the future is actually 523 AD, but AD is not from our biblical sense; it is according to the Book of Dave. The future is introduced first. Carl, a twelve-year-old boy is described from his head to his toes, which then leads to the description of the Island (later confirmed as the Island of Ham). The island of Ham is broken into "territories" almost, and it resembles the Garden of Eden, but on a larger scale--Great Britain is the Garden. The north and easternmost is what they call The Gayt, on the very oppposite of the island is The Ferbiddun Zön, and a path called The Layn connects the two. Conversation in the future is written phonetically in a southern British accent. Also, the future so far has a barbaric air to it.

• Carl, although young, is incredibly manipulative and too reckless and curious. He almost killed Runti, the person who Carl persuaded into being the bait for capturing a moto.
• Runti has a lisp, which makes comprehending the phonetic dialogue even harder. Runti might be mentally disabled. Towards the end of the first chapter, Runti is hurt and bleeding, and because he has an innocence about him, it makes Carl look like the bad guy.
• The moto is a species that is depicted as fun to torture. Slaughtering motos is what people 500 years from now do for entertainment. They have small reproductive organs, so they wouldn't "exist without the help from humans" (sick and twisted, right?).
• Inhabitants of Ham are called Hamsters, Hamstermen or Hamsterwomen.
• Carl calls for a taxicab after he and the Guvnor of Ham captured a moto. The Driver then helps them slaughter the moto. There is a sense that the Driver is respected; not how we "neglect" cab drivers today.
• Finally, the Hack is mentioned throughout the first chapter, in fact, that is the title of the chapter. The Hack, I think, is like God to the Hamsters. They worship the Hack.