Reviews

Jake's Thing by Kingsley Amis

calwhimsey's review

5.0

One of the best descriptions of K. Amis’s writing style I’ve heard to date was “eloquently misanthropic”, which is exactly what it is. Jake’s Thing is cruelly funny. It’s not a book to be taken too literally and seriously. It’s satiric to the core. Jake is a pathetic figure, but somehow generating readers’ sympathy. All his misogynistic statements aim to entertain and underline his own misery. In fact, reading through other reviews, I think it’s really interesting how K. Amis works with readers’ sympathies.

schellenbergk's review against another edition

Funny in spots, but the unremitting misogyny of the main character sours one on the book.

margeryk101's review

4.0

Read this as part of a Stylistics course at university back in the late 1990s. Quite funny and endearing as I recall. Can't recall the Stylistic virtue of it. Ho hum.

dvversendaal's review against another edition

3.0

I had fun, bit archaeic in a slightly upsetting way (mysogenistic), is it a parody though?

bent's review against another edition

2.0

I read Lucky Jim at university and thought it was hilarious. Then I tried to find another Amis that was as good and never came close. I remember this as being a fitfully amusing book, that did nothing to convince me that Lucky Jim was a fluke.

aishie's review against another edition

3.0

This is my first foray into my attempt to get through booker prize winners and the nominees. I don't think I need to state the obvious and confirm that this is quite the misogynistic novel. All the ideas, scenarios, dialogues are all firmly steeped with the overwhelming sense of Jake and his not so quiet dislike of the lady figures in his life! I had to suspend a lot of my own beliefs, and my outrage at some of the comments thrown about, but when I did that, I did find myself giggling a good bit at some of his comments and attitudes toward the fairer sex. The premise of this story is the once lothario Oxford professor is now sadly chasing his libido, and can't understand why he can't get it up anymore! He laments his erstwhile escapades and goes through therapy to see if he can reclaim former glory. The book lags a bit in certain places and does tend to get a little laboured, but the ending is truly hilarious :)