Lucky Jim

Amis’s debut novel, published in 1954, is a satire on academia. The protagonist is a bored and disinterested history lecturer at a provincial university, trapped in a joyless and sexless relationship with a depressive fellow lecturer. The book immediately elevated Amis to fame as one of the leading writers of his generation.

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.

Year

1998

Language

English

Publisher

Penguin Classics

Editions

22

Reader rating

4.2 / 5 (10)

Pages

251

ISBN

9780142180143

Data source: Wikidata