Reviews - Lucky Jim | The StoryGraph

Where have we met James before? This "no-longer-academic" young man, who is alienated from his studies, always game for a pint, prurient beyond his means, ruining a set of bedsheets in an amusing manner, disdaining the success of the well-connected son of his superior, despising his attendant insipid politics (though still voting Tory himself), and who is leaving academia to pursue a better life in a novel, is already the current chair of your English department.

(As for his theory that, "Nice things are nicer than nasty ones," <-- "No in italic capitals.")

andrewch's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ctbyrd929's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

taine's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

hilcreads's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

lizzieallen's review against another edition

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funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

wampusreynolds's review against another edition

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4.0

Delightful relic and well-perceived humor made this book rise above all. My own hangup was, since the protagonist is an English academic who drinks and chain smokes, I imagined Christopher Hitchens as the role. That’s on me, though. The sexism is a drag, but enough hilarity in characters (the Welch family in particular) carry through to the ending that makes the title make sense.

wileyacez's review against another edition

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1.0

Story of a rather unlikeable academic instructor in post-war England. I made it about halfway through, and at first caught some Wodehouse-like humor. By mid-book this guy's wimpy flip-flopping on every darn thing wore me down. I just gave up, flipped to the end to see the happy ending, and was darn glad I didn't waste more of my life getting to the end.

bstephens's review against another edition

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4.0

Hilarious story about young academic searching for love and tenure. Light academia?

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