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A review by lelia_t
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, David Lodge
4.0
Absolutely enjoyable. I hadn’t read this in decades and find it’s still hilarious. When I read this the first time, I spent most of the book cringing for Jim. This time around, I realize all of his mistakes and the ridiculous faces he makes are acts of resistance, his way of striking out against the pretentiousness that would otherwise overwhelm him. I read this shortly after finishing Reading Lolita in Tehran - of course there’s no comparison between Jim’s situation as an aspiring academic and the struggles in Iran - but the idea of small acts of rebellion to keep hold of your own identity and autonomy seems the same to me. And Jim’s small acts of rebellion are usually funny.
There are some 1950s ideas in the book that I would quibble with - for example, Jim’s assertion that if Margaret were attractive she wouldn’t be neurotic. But there weren't enough of these moments to ruin the book, which I highly recommend.
There are some 1950s ideas in the book that I would quibble with - for example, Jim’s assertion that if Margaret were attractive she wouldn’t be neurotic. But there weren't enough of these moments to ruin the book, which I highly recommend.