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nickdablin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
iollie92's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
heathssm's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
buddhafish's review against another edition
4.0
69th book of 2020.
A decent read, though only my second Kingsley Amis novel after [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732]. The wit remains, but this time we have affairs, polyamory, a girl fight, a regular fight and classical music.
Duggers
Our protagonist is Douglas, and there's not a great deal to say about him. He's a thirty-three year old music critic and he's employed by Kitty Vandervane to watch over her husband (composer Sir Roy Vandervane) as he falls into a new affair with a hippie girl far younger than he is. Roy wants to use Douglas as his alibi as he gets more and more involved with his said hippie, Sylvia. And worst of all, old Duggers has troubles of his own. A web of love scandals.
Oh, Christ On a Bloody Big Bicycle
There are some good one liners and classic Amis humour running throughout which makes for an enjoyable read. Below are just several lines from a fight that ensues -
who swung her umbrella; a mistake, for any umbrella, though a potentially dangerous lance is an ineffective club.
She brought her knee up into my crotch, upon which I retired from the conflict for perhaps half a minute.
Possibly not as enjoyable as [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732], or maybe it is, I can't decide.
A decent read, though only my second Kingsley Amis novel after [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732]. The wit remains, but this time we have affairs, polyamory, a girl fight, a regular fight and classical music.
Duggers
Our protagonist is Douglas, and there's not a great deal to say about him. He's a thirty-three year old music critic and he's employed by Kitty Vandervane to watch over her husband (composer Sir Roy Vandervane) as he falls into a new affair with a hippie girl far younger than he is. Roy wants to use Douglas as his alibi as he gets more and more involved with his said hippie, Sylvia. And worst of all, old Duggers has troubles of his own. A web of love scandals.
Oh, Christ On a Bloody Big Bicycle
There are some good one liners and classic Amis humour running throughout which makes for an enjoyable read. Below are just several lines from a fight that ensues -
who swung her umbrella; a mistake, for any umbrella, though a potentially dangerous lance is an ineffective club.
She brought her knee up into my crotch, upon which I retired from the conflict for perhaps half a minute.
Possibly not as enjoyable as [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732], or maybe it is, I can't decide.
caseey's review against another edition
3.0
I feel conflicted over this book because I found the narrative to be entertaining yet the whole thing still felt very slow moving. I enjoyed it but it isn't one that's going to leave a memorable impact on me.
ailsapeacock's review
2.0
Unfortunately I didn't find this very funny which made for quite painful reading.
Amis père can produce some stylish sentences (I approached mildly-amused with the Elevations 9 parts) but at 250 pages it seriously outwore its welcome with me.
What was that ending?
"At least they didn't have pop in the Black Hole of Calcutta" 148
Amis père can produce some stylish sentences (I approached mildly-amused with the Elevations 9 parts) but at 250 pages it seriously outwore its welcome with me.
What was that ending?
"At least they didn't have pop in the Black Hole of Calcutta" 148
laurasbookcase's review
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lnatal's review
2.0
From BBC radio 4 Extra:
"As you get older, you'll find that absolutely straight-down-the-middle sex doesn't strike you in quite the way it did."
Sir Roy's pursuit of something more stimulating wreaks havoc in his own and everyone else's life in this comic observation of the late 1960s. Written by Tony Bilbow based on Kingsley Amis's novel 'Girl 20'.
Starring Robert Stephens as Sir Roy Vandervane, Christopher Timothy as Douglas Yandell, Eva Stuart as Lady Kitty, Geoffrey Whitehead as Meers, Kim Thomson as Penny, Anna Mazzotti as Sylvia and Okon Jones as Gilbert.
Producer: Matthew Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08n1vxy
"As you get older, you'll find that absolutely straight-down-the-middle sex doesn't strike you in quite the way it did."
Sir Roy's pursuit of something more stimulating wreaks havoc in his own and everyone else's life in this comic observation of the late 1960s. Written by Tony Bilbow based on Kingsley Amis's novel 'Girl 20'.
Starring Robert Stephens as Sir Roy Vandervane, Christopher Timothy as Douglas Yandell, Eva Stuart as Lady Kitty, Geoffrey Whitehead as Meers, Kim Thomson as Penny, Anna Mazzotti as Sylvia and Okon Jones as Gilbert.
Producer: Matthew Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08n1vxy
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