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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a page-turner! With some suprisingly deep notions of life, too.
Have to admit, I laughed out loud several times in this book, which is not typical for me. There was a line a few pages in that I laughed so hard at I was forced to tell those in the room what was going on, which is a pretty good litmus test for how funny I found it.
Amis definitely has a gift for writing, but it feels relegated to the rom-coms of novels. Basic, fairly inane storyline, but there is a place for all kinds of narrative I suppose. His protagonist was well-wrought I thought, and some very earnest moments arose out of him. Very readable, and was pleased to read something that made me laugh for a change.
Amis definitely has a gift for writing, but it feels relegated to the rom-coms of novels. Basic, fairly inane storyline, but there is a place for all kinds of narrative I suppose. His protagonist was well-wrought I thought, and some very earnest moments arose out of him. Very readable, and was pleased to read something that made me laugh for a change.
Entertaining. (recommend the audiobook from Audible, brilliant)
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An indecently humorous story of lucky winning.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Unfortunately, this book was deeply funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
GRRRRRR FUCK THIS BOOK.
funny
lighthearted
I stumbled onto this due to a mention of Amis in Christopher Hitchens' autobiography, where he makes the point that Kingsley was an exceptional person in his youth (when this was written).
It is published as a classic, and I suppose it is. To read it today you certainly would want to know something of its heritage, as it doesn't age gracefully without it. Billed as exceptionally funny, most of it is only amusing. I did, however find myself putting the book aside during the lecture scene towards the end - it was a bit Fawlty Towers / Mr. Bean, and there is only so much of that I can take at once - I had mixed reactions of exasperation, cringe and laugh-out-loud appreciation of the scene.
From a historical perspective, a glimpse of England in the 50s, it was also much appreciated, although as a parady you need to take the situations with a large grain of salt, or as the eponymous James would undoubtedly want us to do, a pint or six.
This makes me want to go out and read some of his later work - I understand 'The Green Man' is more representative of the name that he made for himself.
It is published as a classic, and I suppose it is. To read it today you certainly would want to know something of its heritage, as it doesn't age gracefully without it. Billed as exceptionally funny, most of it is only amusing. I did, however find myself putting the book aside during the lecture scene towards the end - it was a bit Fawlty Towers / Mr. Bean, and there is only so much of that I can take at once - I had mixed reactions of exasperation, cringe and laugh-out-loud appreciation of the scene.
From a historical perspective, a glimpse of England in the 50s, it was also much appreciated, although as a parady you need to take the situations with a large grain of salt, or as the eponymous James would undoubtedly want us to do, a pint or six.
This makes me want to go out and read some of his later work - I understand 'The Green Man' is more representative of the name that he made for himself.