Lucky Jim door Kingsley Amis

Title Lucky Jim The name "Lucky Jim" is the nickname for the headcharacter, Dixon, the reason will be clear at the end of the story: Lucky Jim really has got many luck! Kingsley Amis, the author of Lucky Jim, was born in the South of London in 1922. In the beginning when he was 11, wrote he poetry. Later wrote he novels like "Lucky Jim". Dixon had an assistant job at a university somewhere in England. His professor, Welch, invited him for a weekend. The whole week he was looking to find a young woman to accompany him; at last he found Margaret. As he had expected, the party was very boring: he left without saying anything, unfortunately he was so drunk when he returned that he tore up his sheets in the gastroom. Because he was afraid he would loose his job he hides them with the help of Christine, he hated here in the beginning of the weekend but at the end they were good friends. At a party one week later he met her again and at the end of the evening he brought her home with a cab. This was the beginning of a love-story. Unfortunately it ends rather fast because they had both already a relation. Two weeks later he was fired by the university. A certain mister Catchpole offered him a job as personal clerk; he accepted but what a surprise: Mr. Catchpole is the uncle of Christine! Meanwhile both had broken with their formal lovers, so they fall in love again and now without any problem. Dixon is not a special person: Initially he is shy but at the end of the story he says what he really thinks. Margaret Peel is a small, thin person wearing glasses and bright makeup. She almost committed suicide but she has been saved by Dixon. Christine is a very rich woman, at first she looks down on them but at the end she is really nice. I like the book, this for two reasons: the funny dialogues and the fresh style from the writer.