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Lucky Jim

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Lucky Jim

By: Kingsley Amis, David Lodge - introduction
Narrated by: James Lailey
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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.

© Kingsley Amis 2000 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

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The women in the story were portrayed as childish and silly when in many cases they were clearly successful in their particular areas of expertise

Excellent reading

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I read Lucky Jim when I was young. It’s a delight, and lends itself so well to an Audiotreatment. Wonderful understated narration.

Gloriously funny

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I loved Lucky Jim in print, and the audiobook loses none of its bite. If anything, hearing Jim Dixon given a voice humanises him, while making his running animosity with Bertrand even funnier. Their eventual confrontation remains a particular joy.

The satire of academia, class and sheer human silliness still works because Amis never labours the point, and even the romantic entanglements have more depth than they initially appear to. The narration is fantastic throughout and genuinely adds to the experience of having read the novel.

This is how an audiobook should be done.

“Your attitude measures up to the two requirements of love.”

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This is well read, unfortunately it's incredibly boring. None of the characters are likeable and it's quite mysogenistic. The climax is quite funny, but not so much that it makes the rest of it worth it - I stuck with it for my book club but I wouldn't recommend.

Dull

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One of the funniest books in the English language - I’ve read it many times. This version is also excellent. Some reviewers have complained about the portrayal of female characters, but believe me, the men depicted are far worse!

First class.

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