by Kingsley Amis
Comic description of an unlucky
college professor just trying to get by.
Reviewed by: Alan McClymont
About Alan McClymont
Anyone who has ever hated the job that they do and who
never has quite enough money can't fail to sympathize
with Jim Dixon. The lead character in Amis's novel is
a history lecturer in a second rate British University
during the 1960's. His life is made up of trying to
stay out of trouble whilst trying to find enough money
to buy beer and cigarettes (neither of which he ever
seems to manage).
The story revolves around his semi-relationship with
his neurotic fellow lecturer Margaret and the troubles
which he suffers at the hands of over-enthusiastic
students. As Jim bounces from one calamity to
another, Amis weaves an intricate story which manages
to combine all of the individual episodes (which are
hilarious in themselves) into a bigger picture. This
overview is where I feel that many people can
empathize with the main character. It shows a young
man who is interested in advancing his career slightly
(but not too much), who has money worries and
relationship troubles and who doesn't seem to be able
to control his life very much. I think I would be
right in saying that most people feel like this at
some time or another (some for their whole life) and I
found it comforting that Dixon seems to manage to keep
going and winning small victories whenever he can.
If this all sounds a bit pretentious I can promise you
that it isn't. It can be read on a level of pure,
unadulterated comedy and would provide just as much
entertainment. In fact it wasn't until my second read
that I actually looked past the funny events and
glimpsed the real story underneath.
If ever a book received acclaim it is that. It is
very rare for me to read a book twice (there are too
many others) and if I do I would suggest that it is a
real treasure.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Lucky Jim
Copyright © by Alan McClymont, 2003
Reviewed by Alan McClymont :
-- Dead Famous - by Ben Elton
-- Neither here nor there - by Bill Bryson
-- Lucky Jim - by Kingsley Amis
-- Round Ireland with a fridge - by Tony Hawks
-- The River at the Center of the World
- by Simon Winchester
-- The Rape of Nanking - by Iris Chang
-- Timeline - by Michael Crichton
-- How to Be Good - by Nick Hornby
-- Notes from a Small Island - by Bill Bryson
-- Player Piano - by Kurt Vonnegut
-- Wilt - by Tom Sharpe
-- Number9dream - by David Mitchell
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