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A review by kevin_shepherd
The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis
3.0
I came to Martin Amis via Christopher Hitchens. Since Hitch was, arguably, the most well-read person on the planet, I had lofty expectations. For my first foray into Amis-Land, I will simply say that I am whelmed. Not overwhelmed. Not necessarily underwhelmed. Just whelmed.
The lion's share of The Pregnant Widow takes place in the summer of 1970. Our protagonist, college student Keith Nearing, is on a holiday excursion with a group of friends to an Italian castle. Here, Keith diligently but rather awkwardly navigates the sexual revolution and the burgeoning concept of free-love. He's at once a feminist and a womanizer. No. He's a womanizer who fancies himself as a feminist. No. He's a horn-dog, but a horn-dog with a heart-of-gold.
The style, structure and grammar are impeccable. Amis can make a paragraph look like a work of art. But, there is something about the way he writes women. It's as though they are not really women at all. They're men with vaginas and breasts and all the associated accessories. I often found them vapid and a bit cruel (e.g., men).
I suspect Amis is an acquired taste. He's certainly well refined and intellectual. Maybe I'll be more enthusiastic after I've read a few of his other novels(?).
The lion's share of The Pregnant Widow takes place in the summer of 1970. Our protagonist, college student Keith Nearing, is on a holiday excursion with a group of friends to an Italian castle. Here, Keith diligently but rather awkwardly navigates the sexual revolution and the burgeoning concept of free-love. He's at once a feminist and a womanizer. No. He's a womanizer who fancies himself as a feminist. No. He's a horn-dog, but a horn-dog with a heart-of-gold.
The style, structure and grammar are impeccable. Amis can make a paragraph look like a work of art. But, there is something about the way he writes women. It's as though they are not really women at all. They're men with vaginas and breasts and all the associated accessories. I often found them vapid and a bit cruel (e.g., men).
I suspect Amis is an acquired taste. He's certainly well refined and intellectual. Maybe I'll be more enthusiastic after I've read a few of his other novels(?).