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A review of Lucky Jim

by Kingsley Amis

Comic description of an unlucky college professor just trying to get by.

Reviewed by: Alan McClymont
About Alan McClymont

Lucky Jim 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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