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Book Review of Lucky Jim (Penguin Classics)

Lucky Jim (Penguin Classics)
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2


Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim is a classic. It's one of the first comic send offs of the English style higher academic system, and tells the story of Jim Dixon, a young lecturer at a small British college. Although Jim drinks too much and is somewhat of a cad, he is less annoying that everybody else in the book, and you find yourself rooting for him despite yourself. I felt an obligation to read this book due to its history and the genre it started, but it really wasn't that enjoyable and I don't recommend it unless you appreciate dry British humor and Jane Austen style dialog driven stories. In fact, Lucky Jim is what would have happened if Jane Austin had written The Big U (which I recommend instead).

Literary Quality: 9/10

Enjoyment: 5/10