Lucky Jim [NOOK Book]

Good characters and plot; a chore to read

My buddies and I read this book for our book group. We are all educated and pretty well-read and were looking forward to a well-written comedy (as advertised). We all agreed that the book was very difficult to get through. The plot was original for its time, and the character development was thorough. The readability, however, was nonexistent. The author's monotony stifled any potential enjoyment I might have had. It was a chore to read. By the time I was halfway through this short book, I was already counting the pages until the end. The others in the group agreed with the sentiment. It seems, however, we are in the minority of those who reviewed this book, so perhaps it is best to take our opinion with a grain of salt.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Quirky but enjoyable

Lucky Jim is a satirical tale about a disaffected youth Jim Dixon, an old guard English professor and relevant to today opinions about the class system and distribution of wealth. One of the themes, logically so, is incongruence. Jim is torn, he at once abhors his stuffy professor yet needs him to secure a teaching post the subject of which he hates. Jim dislikes his nemesis Bertrand’s pretentiousness yet he is attracted to Bertrand’s girlfriend, the beautiful trophy Christine. Oh, and by the way Bertrand is the professor’s son. Like Jim readers will experience some incongruity of their own as they react to him. You’ll either be amused by Jim’s antics or frustrated by them, you’ll like him or hate him but you will not be indifferent. I experienced a few laugh-out-loud moments as I worked my way through this challenging read. For me it was worth it.

A Good Laugh

This book, Lucky Jim, is about a loser, a man who is constantly finding himself making all the social mistakes he desperately wants to avoid. Jim is a new college professor on probation who wants to be made permanent while at the same time finds himself bored with the work and loathing his boss. Even as Jim attempts to make a good impression on his boss, he finds himself making stupid mistakes that nearly guarantee he will not be offered a permanent job. At the same time, Jim falls in love with the gorgeous young girlfriend of his boss's son. It is a situation that leaves the reader both cringing every time Jim does something stupid and cheering him along, hoping he will walk away with both the girl and the job.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Funny and Powerful

Funnier than Wodehouse.

Funny, offbeat, humourous look at England and English academic life

This humourous tale features English professor, schoolmaster, Jim Dixon; whose travels through academia, and love, are often, hilarious. With lively characters, Kingsley Amis, author of Take A Girl Like You, and the Green Man, paints a portrait of English life and love that can be interesting, to say the least, for our hero Jim. Christine, the love he seeks, is also an interesting character, his friend and sometimes confidant, Margaret, are drawn with an interesting touch. A lighthearted read. Of course, the British expressions might throw one off, but do not detract too much. Worth a look.

One of the funniest books ever

This is the hilarious story of Jim Dixon, an unhappy college lecturer who dreams of escaping his job. For anyone who has ever felt 'stuck' in a job, Jim Dixon is your hero. But most of all, the book is amazing for it's constant stream of laugh-out-loud observations.

Deliciously wonderful

I love a book that I can lie down and roll around in, so to speak, and 'Lucky Jim' is just that. Amis' descriptions of people and things (Dixon's hangover, his violent and childish fantasies, Bertrand's eyes, etc.) are so unique and delightful that I was often laughing out loud while marvelling at his literary dexterity. Dixon's faces are often better when they're only named, not described - the Martian Invader face, the Sex Life in Ancient Rome face... The wit of this book is biting and Dixon's pain and helpless anger is palpable as he struggles through fusty academia, the arty weekend and the business of Margaret. I savored it, much as I savored 'Cold Comfort Farm.' I highly recommend 'Lucky Jim' to anyone with a keen sense of humor and irony.

It's Hilarious

I first encountered Kingsley Amis because his study of science fiction, 'New Maps of Hell,' was on a 1961 Harvard reading period list. Though I read little fiction, I bought 'Lucky Jim' because I'd been impressed by that study. The novel is the only book that has ever made me laugh aloud. I've re-read it many times since: it is so hilarious I still laugh aloud when Amis describes Lucky Jim's 'faces,' his voices, and -- especially -- his frantic effort to obscure evidence of the destruction his cigarette did to bedclothes.

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