Lucky Jim (Penguin Modern Classics)
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Product Description
Product Description
Jim Dixon has accidentally fallen into a job at one of Britain's new red brick universities. A moderately successful future in the History Department beckons. As long as Jim can survive a madrigal-singing weekend at Professor Welch's, deliver a lecture on 'Merrie England' and resist Christine, the hopelessly desirable girlfriend of Welch's awful son Bertrand.
About the Author
Kingsley Amis' (1922-1995) works take a humorous yet highly critical look at British society, especially of the period following the end of World War II. He was born in London. Amis explored his disillusionment with British society in novels such asTHAT UNCERTAIN FEELING (1955). His other works include THE GREEN MAN (1970); STANLEY AND THE WOMEN (1984); and THE OLD DEVILS (1986) which won the Booker Prize. Amis also wrote poetry, criticism, and short stories.
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First Sentence
'They made a silly mistake, though,' the Professor of History said, and his smile, as Dixon watched, gradually sank beneath the surface of his features at the memory. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
'They made a silly mistake, though,' the Professor of History said, and his smile, as Dixon watched, gradually sank beneath the surface of his features at the memory. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Lucky Jim is one of Amis's best works, filled with intense humour, false bravado and absurd characters. The 'hero' Jim Dixon, is intially engulfed by the diverse scope of the eccentric social group with which he finds himself into at University, his students and collegues alike causing him no end of problems. Speaking as a student I find the novel to be in parts painfully close to reality, particularly in Jim's dealings with his over-keen student Michie, and the general irreverent nature of university life, despite the fact that it is set over forty years ago, it is still a humourous and well-recorded version of campus life. Overall the main strengths of the novel are its varied cast of characters whose imbecility, social ineptitude or plain naivety constantly amuse the reader throughout, whilst the climax is a fitting end to Jim's trials both socially, intellectually and morally. Deeply funny.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am in complete agreement with the 14 year old boy who found this absolute classic in with his dad's old books. I bought this for £2 out of the university bookshop bargain bin when I was in first year at university ( I should add I am 27 so no old fogey) and vaguely remembered seeing Terry-Thomas as Bertrand ("AH SAAAAM") in some old black and white sick-day film on a tuesday afternoon. I started reading it on the train home and didn't stop till I was done. I was actually shocked to see that people hated this and found it dated or "middle-class" (I assume that's meant to be pejorative?). This has to be one of the funniest novels of all time - particularly all the fighting talk "Would you like a slap?" "Not much" and Jim's ability to turn any situation to his complete disadvantage.
I now have a theory that the reason this novels appeals so much to some and not to others is that the world is divided into Bertrands and Jims - the former definitely would hate this book. They'd be into magic realism or something. If you like this you will almost definitely like "Take a Girl like You" which is almost the same book with the characters shifted round a bit but slightly less funny - apart from Julian Ormerod who is pant-wettingly hilarious. Every time I read either of these I crease up and for a long time after I read Lucky Jim even thinking about it was enough to set me off. Buy two copies cos you'll loan one to your friend and never see it again.
I now have a theory that the reason this novels appeals so much to some and not to others is that the world is divided into Bertrands and Jims - the former definitely would hate this book. They'd be into magic realism or something. If you like this you will almost definitely like "Take a Girl like You" which is almost the same book with the characters shifted round a bit but slightly less funny - apart from Julian Ormerod who is pant-wettingly hilarious. Every time I read either of these I crease up and for a long time after I read Lucky Jim even thinking about it was enough to set me off. Buy two copies cos you'll loan one to your friend and never see it again.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have re-read this so often that I wore out / gave away previous copies. The one I just ordered was a replacement.
The word 'classic ' is over-used, but it really applies to 'Lucky Jim.'
Jim was the first anti-hero and he has been much imitated, but never equalled.
The life of a history lecturer at a redbrick University after the war, 'Lucky Jim' is laugh-out-loud funny. (My spouse objects to my reading it in bed as the bed shakes when I laugh.)
'Lucky Jim' leaps fresh off the page at every re-reading.
Every home should have a copy.
(By the way, avoid like swine flu the film of the same name with Ian Carmichael. It is dreadful.)
.
The word 'classic ' is over-used, but it really applies to 'Lucky Jim.'
Jim was the first anti-hero and he has been much imitated, but never equalled.
The life of a history lecturer at a redbrick University after the war, 'Lucky Jim' is laugh-out-loud funny. (My spouse objects to my reading it in bed as the bed shakes when I laugh.)
'Lucky Jim' leaps fresh off the page at every re-reading.
Every home should have a copy.
(By the way, avoid like swine flu the film of the same name with Ian Carmichael. It is dreadful.)
.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
postwar britain brought to life
a seminal work, which foreshadows the social changes that were to come in the last decades of the twentieth century. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. J. E. Fisher
boring
The second most boring book I have ever read. Where were the laugh out loud parts? Book destined for Oxfam.Lucky Jim (Penguin Modern Classics)
Published 3 months ago by suelorna
Excellent Read
I wasn't expecting to like this book but I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised as I thought it was a terrific read and very funny. Read more
Published 5 months ago by wycfan
a really funny book, if dated
that is to say the attitudes and environment on which a lot of the humour is based seems dated, but it's still hilarious. I especially like the sheet scene
Published 7 months ago by F. Geering
Lucky Jim versus the Scanner
Lucky Jim deserves to be described as a classic. It is hilariously funny and very perceptive at the same time. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. R. L. Smith
Get this now - please!!!
If you are looking for the very best in English humour - one that ranks along with "Three Men in a Boat" and "Diary of a Nobody" - this is IT. It really does NOT get any better. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Trevor K. Killen
The doldrums of the fifties
This farcical account of a young man working in a 1950's University now feels rather dated though the humour has worn well. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
Almost Great
As a huge fan of David Nobbs' Reggie Perrin books I found Jim Dixon a bit of a fore-runner of Reggie. Read more
Published 13 months ago by P. Borrington
Excellent service
I am really pleased with the service that I have had from Amazon. We have ordered a wide range of goods and have not been disappointed. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Jayfox
Accomplished and Wise, but Not All That Hilarious
I think I read this as a teenager, over forty years ago. At the time I don't think I was all that impressed. Read more
Published 14 months ago by conjunction
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