I’m halfway through Lucky Jim and loving it. Leaving the narrative arc aside for the moment, Amis is just a joy to read. And he’s a killer example for how to convey a humorous angle in writing. Even if the scenes themselves weren’t hilarious (and they are, universally), Amis’ way with words most certainly is.
Not that this next line is funny, but it’s worth sharing. I’ve found some neat parallels between Dixon’s movement through life and mine.
“Cautiously and contortedly he got hold of matches and cigarettes and lit one of each in succession. More than ever he felt secure: here he was, quite able to fulfill his role, and, as with other roles, the longer you played it the better chance you had of playing it again. Doing what you wanted to do was the only training, and the only preliminary, needed for doing more of what you wanted to do.”
Sandy 