Lucky Jim: Postwar Satire of British University Life
Lucky Jim
By Kingsley Amis
Howdy 1000 Bookies!!!
The latest book on my long journey to read all the volumes from 1000
Books to Read Before You Die, is one entitled—Lucky Jim
by Kingsley Amis. Published in 1954, Kingsley
Amis is credited for having captured the moment of the “Angry Young Man” in
post-World War II England. Time Magazine
included Lucky Jim in its TIME 100 Best English-language
Novels from 1923 to 2005. What Catcher
in the Rye means to generations of readers in the United States; I believe Lucky Jim means
to Great Britain. Catcher in the
Rye was the seminal work describing youth in postwar 1950s America. Lucky
Jim describes intellectual university life in postwar Britain. Both
novels embody an “Angry Young Man” theme one through escape the other through
comedic satire.
Lucky Jim tells the tale of a junior
professor of history at a British university and the politics of the university
system. Jim Dixon hates his job, hates
his boss, and generally hates most of the people in his orbit. He is in a semi-dead-end relationship with a
colleague who is recovering from a suicide attempt. Jim takes this out on all those
around him through practical jokes and obnoxious behavior. With his hopes of rising in the university on
obtaining tenure--Jim must spend time basically kissing up to his professor,
Mr. Welch. Thus Jim subjects himself to
all kinds of craziness including attending an arts weekend at Professor Welch’s
home. Jim proceeds to fall asleep with a
lit cigarette burning the sheets.
The weekend proves a disaster. Jim is mistrusted by the hostess, Mrs. Welch. He instantly dislikes
Bertrand Welch, the professor’s artistic son. Of course, Jim proceeds to fall for Bertrand’s girlfriend, Christine. Bertrand becomes Jim’s implacable enemy which
eventually leads to blows. While reading I so identified
with this story-line. We all have a
Bertrand Welch in our lives, our nemesis, our bete noire. The scenes between Christine and Jim are very
good—for me the high-point of the book. My favorite scene in the book was when
Jim and Christine sneak into the Welch house both for its screwball comedy nature and its high romance.
I am a hopeless romantic and the scene was enjoyable. Life works out for Jim Dixon and thus I
recommend the book.
Why was Lucky Jim included on the list of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die? Here is my theory: Kingsley Amis would go on and become a prolific, famous and beloved (?) writer. He was ranked 9th on The
Times list of the 50 Greatest British writers since 1945. The popularity of
the book in post-war Great Britain and the career of Kingsley Amis ensured the inclusion
of Lucky Jim on the list of 1000 Books to Read Before You
Die. The book became a major motion picture in 1957 and a remake was released in 2003. The story is tart, a little bitter but won't put you to sleep.
Please pick up a copy and see for yourself.
Keep reading
my Friends!!!
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