I listened to a chunk of Money as an audio book on two long drives recently. It does not work well as an audio book. I remember liking it 20odd years ago when I read it but it wasn't anything like as funny as I remember it being.
My brother was an avid Amis reader. Got all the first editions when they came out. I managed the Rachel Papers and Money but I kind of got stuck on this one. Don't give away the ending.
When he died recently I read Time's Arrow (on someone's recommendation) about the Holocaust doctor's life where time goes backwards from his death to his birth.
I wasn't expecting much having struggled with Money and London Fields. But it was the most moving and brilliant pieces of writing. And I now recommend it to all my m8s asking for a recommendation.
The Second plane, a series of essays about 11 September and its aftermath is also excellently pugnacious and incisive, you can see the parallels between him and Christopher Hitchens.
I'd be interested in any other recommendations - Dead Babies or Other People perhaps?
In The New York Times, critic Michiko Kakutani described the book as, "The narcissistic musings of a spoiled, upper-middle class litterateur who has never known the kind of real suffering Stalin's victims did."
He does attract a certain type of review. This is from Tibor Fischer
Yellow Dog isn't bad as in not very good or slightly disappointing. It's not-knowing-where-to-look bad. I was reading my copy on the Tube and I was terrified someone would look over my shoulder (not only because of the embargo, but because someone might think I was enjoying what was on the page). It's like your favourite uncle being caught in a school playground, masturbating.
And Marty’s considered response:
In his case I think it’s envy. As far as my other critics are concerned, the envy seems to have corroded down to hatred. They don’t like a prose style that reminds them how thick they are every couple of sentences, and how numb.
Tibor Fischer’s first three novels are great and owe more than a little to MA, obvs. The Thought Gang in particular I remember as inspired as is Collector Collector in places. Heaving with ideas. He sank without trace. That review of Yellow Dog is notorious and MA was magnanimous in the circs.
Was a genuine reaction motivated by a sense of betrayal by his idol or was it cynical self-promotion? If so it worked. I think I'll pick up some Tibor.
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He's one of those novelists with one great book (Money) and the rest of his output is all a bit meh.
Which might in fact be the case for all novelists.
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I listened to a chunk of Money as an audio book on two long drives recently. It does not work well as an audio book. I remember liking it 20odd years ago when I read it but it wasn't anything like as funny as I remember it being.
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My brother was an avid Amis reader. Got all the first editions when they came out. I managed the Rachel Papers and Money but I kind of got stuck on this one. Don't give away the ending.
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I loved London Fields.
Marmaduke really hits different now I have an infant son.
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I also loved this book.
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Unlike rof, he rarely wrote a dull sentence.
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Some of his sentences were bad. Some of them were very bad but not the worst, not the very worst ever.
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tbf hard to beat Lucy Letby on that
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He was the best. I will always miss never having a new book by him again.
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When he died recently I read Time's Arrow (on someone's recommendation) about the Holocaust doctor's life where time goes backwards from his death to his birth.
I wasn't expecting much having struggled with Money and London Fields. But it was the most moving and brilliant pieces of writing. And I now recommend it to all my m8s asking for a recommendation.
The Second plane, a series of essays about 11 September and its aftermath is also excellently pugnacious and incisive, you can see the parallels between him and Christopher Hitchens.
I'd be interested in any other recommendations - Dead Babies or Other People perhaps?
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The Information
Experience
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thanks m8
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All Roffere can be divided between Keith Talent and Guy Clinch.
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There is only one dud, and it’s the Invasion of the Space Invaders.
Everything else is worth your time.
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I read MA's biography of Stalin and ended up wanting to punch him (MA) in the face more than Uncle Joe.
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In The New York Times, critic Michiko Kakutani described the book as, "The narcissistic musings of a spoiled, upper-middle class litterateur who has never known the kind of real suffering Stalin's victims did."
Koba the Dread - Wikipedia
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He does attract a certain type of review. This is from Tibor Fischer
Yellow Dog isn't bad as in not very good or slightly disappointing. It's not-knowing-where-to-look bad. I was reading my copy on the Tube and I was terrified someone would look over my shoulder (not only because of the embargo, but because someone might think I was enjoying what was on the page). It's like your favourite uncle being caught in a school playground, masturbating.
And Marty’s considered response:
In his case I think it’s envy. As far as my other critics are concerned, the envy seems to have corroded down to hatred. They don’t like a prose style that reminds them how thick they are every couple of sentences, and how numb.
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No-one had even heard of Tibor Fischer before that.
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Tibor Fischer’s first three novels are great and owe more than a little to MA, obvs. The Thought Gang in particular I remember as inspired as is Collector Collector in places. Heaving with ideas. He sank without trace. That review of Yellow Dog is notorious and MA was magnanimous in the circs.
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Worth observing that Dolly Alderton of all people came out as a fan of the Rachel Papers a few years ago. Proving she has some sort of brain.
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Was a genuine reaction motivated by a sense of betrayal by his idol or was it cynical self-promotion? If so it worked. I think I'll pick up some Tibor.
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