Return of the Kingsley (British Novelist Kingsley Amis)

The American Conservative ^ | 9/19/2012 | Matthew Walther

[mojito]

Prayers have been answered: Kingsley Amis’s novels Lucky Jim and The Old Devils are being reissued in the United States. The New York Review of Books Press has printed the new editions with introductions by Keith Gessen (n+1 editor and novelist) and John Banville (Irish novelist and critic). Eric Hanson has drawn splendid covers for both, but I especially like his Jim Dixon: head down, arms behind his back and hands reaching out from his elbow-patched tweed, his weary cigarette sending up a pathetic little smoke signal as he approaches the lecture hall’s monstrous redbrick façade.

[....]

Amis’s comedy in The Old Devils does not depend not on the usual succession of set pieces and grotesques. For once, his characters are almost soft. Here, early in the novel, are the old devils at table:

"Alun began to relax. He went on relaxing over the next drink, when they got on to politics and had a lovely time seeing who could say the most outrageous thing about the national Labour Party, the local Labour Party, the Labour-controlled county council, the trade unions, the education system, the penal system, the Health Service, the BBC, black people and youth. (Not homosexuals today.) They varied this with eulogies of President Reagan, Enoch Powell, the South African government, the Israeli hawks and whatever his name was who ran Singapore?"

[mojito]

A fine amusing essay about a very amusing author who is not as well known in the US as he should be. Lucky Jim's been on my list for a long time. I've read some of Amis' hysterically funny letters, especially those to his friend the poet Philip Larkin.

Not familiar with The Old Devils, but that looks good too.

[Perdogg]

He also wrote the first contiuation James Bond novel after the death of Ian Fleming called "Colonel Sun" under the nmae of Robert Markham. He was also involved the contraversy regarding "The Man With Golden Gun". After Fleming wrote his first draft, he died. However, Kingsley was asked to review it. He also wrote one my favorites, "The James Bond Dossier"

[informavoracious]

I wonder how long it was out of print. I read it in a Modern Brit Lit class in the 90’s.