Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, David Lodge (Introduction), David Lodge (Introduction)

Good characters and plot; a chore to readby Anonymous

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October 05, 2009: 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.

A Good Laughby Flowerodesert

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May 30, 2009: 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.

I Also Recommend: Maurice, Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas Series #1), Everyday Drinking.