Love Amis so much. London Fields is great and The Information is one of the wittiest and laugh-out-loud funniest books I've ever read. Times Arrow is brilliant yet horrifying. Amis' death made me very sad.
He’s no more??! I had no idea man! I am actually scared now. Martin Amis, Cormac McCarthy… I hope death can take a long break now before it takes any more of our great authors
Great review! I bought “The Zone of Interest” some time ago and I think I’m going to start reading that in anticipation of the Glazer movie. I’ve also heard great things about “London Fields”. A recommendation i have for you is the Romanian classic “The Rakes of Old-Court” by Mateiu Caragiale. It’s a short novel about the decadence and depravity of fin-de-siecle Bucharest written in a superb style.
I read my first Martin Amis only last week, and this is now on my to-get-to pile. Thank you for this, the world of literature was definitely a more interesting place when it had him around. RIP His collected non-fiction is also definitely worth checking out.
Amis aspired to be a style master (see: Nabokov) which I think he pretty much succeed at. He had a sharp wit and style which I enjoyed reading. However, I sometimes wondered what he was actually trying to say. RIP.
Wonderful hysterical novel. I read it a long time ago laughing on the train to uni every morning. It stands the test of time. The Fiat Iago always makes me smile. Try London Fields…
Totally missed that he died. Such a shame. Guys like Amis and Hitchens died far to early. Both were personified eloquence. Love all of Amis books, especially The Zone of Interest. RIP
I read London Fields years ago and, except for the creepy "dead cloud" thing, it did pretty much nothing for me. I'll have to give him another shot some time.
Finished reading it today. Very eerie random insights about cultural degeneracy that was mostly at the top 40+ years ago, but has trickled down into the mainstream of society today.
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Money', I found its satirical wit brilliant and the commentary on that side of showbiz, amusing, and very well written. It pumped iron. I did not enjoy 'The Map and the Territory' at all. I found Houellebecq's destination plot was his ego. An island unto itself. Cliff, do you know that 'Ulysses' is read online via Sweny's Pharmacy (Dublin) which is an apothecary which features in Joyce's masterpiece. (Lemon Soap. Bloom.) They have drop in reading sessions too. Well worth a visit for the readings. Honestly. Love your reviews. They're good fun and self-effacing. Ta. N
I'm fifty pages in and I have had to fight my way through every word. Most of the time I have no idea what Amis (or Self) is talking about. Like you say the main character is very off-putting. Possibly it gets better. I have had very bad luck with books lately. Whether it's Gore Vidal, Cormac McCarthy, or Tom Robbins I just don't know what any of them are talking about and have not enjoyed the books. Maybe I need to try easier books.
I sometimes find that if you just ignore the lack of understanding. Instead just plowing through, that the jigsaws may fall into place by the end. This doesn’t always work but sometimes it does. Then, if you want you can go back and re read it might be much easier/more enjoyable to read.
Are you young, like under age 25? You might miss some of the cultural references, if you're very young. Maybe you're right, try easier books. Do you like sci fi? Try Brave New World, or 1984.
Try "Assisted Living" by Nikanor Teratologen. A swedish cult-classic in the spirit of our revered teacher de Sade. Nordic grampa will give Judge Holden a challenge in deplorable life style and philosophy.
...good guess! did someone tell? from the "script"! just kidding , but a free hint in codicil: if you want more way more subs as i assume go to ( like you yourself blocked in the opening) and do the pod in a cafe nearby with all the noise and shabang around you as a sign of activity by the living for all we do strive for is the understanding of the audience...
Amis was the real deal. Even if I didn't think all the characters or plots he created worked, on almost every page he wrote there would be something that truly sparkled. A rare talent.
Believe it or not but Amis was the famous celebrity author of the 80s and 90s while Hitchens was his vaguely known journalist friend. It was on Amis’s recommendation that Hitch was hired by Vanity Fair where he found his own voice and reputation. Of course with the advent of RU-vid and the atheist movement Hitch exploded and his own fame superseded that of his literary friends like Amis, McEwan, Fenton etc.
Omit words! the key to good writing - as few words as possible, but no fewer. less! less! Money is brilliant - the best line is about John Self's inability to master the NYC subway system.
Money was decent, but it wasn't as sharp as London Fields. I'd recommend trying it after this one is a good distance in your rear-view mirror. Better than food, and most other things, for that matter.
I really liked that bit you read of the book, but I would get exhausted of all the eating and other indulgence too, so maybe I will try something else by Amis at some point. I have been thinking that maybe Amis' style is too wordy, but it seems it is not. Will Self is wordy. I like him as a speaker, but I don't like his style of writing.
I've read most of the books by Amis and I would strongly recommend 'London Fields,' I think that is generally considered his best book. The zany-ness is kept to a minimum and I feel it is the one where you can feel the sharpest application of his wit and irony. I have a harder time with his father, Kingsley, however, 'Lucky Jim' is quite good. There is an excellent BBC biography on Kingsley Amis. At the end of part one he goes to his childhood library and finds his own novels, and says, "they also have some of my son Martin's, but, they're all out. (The bit at the beginning with him shaving is really worth seeing.) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8MXMVeAbxRg.html
