lucky jim

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (Viking Compass, 1965)

I think I had read this — or at least part of it — in college, but my memory of it was very vague and so I decided to reacquaint myself.  Jim Dixon is a hapless, almost accidental, academic at a provincial public (really) university in England in the late 50s, and the novel is a very merry sendup of academic life.  Lazy, dishonest, and somewhat charming, Jim makes a complete mess of just about everything and everyone he encounters.  The book’s sunny gayety is somewhat marred by the misogynistic portrait of Jim’s hysterical  girlfriend Margaret, who displays all the most unattractive and unpleasant feminine stereotypes.  This blotting portrait is somewhat redeemed by the presence of Margaret’s replacement, a  younger and prettier woman who has both spunk and self-respect.  An enjoyable read — fun and funny (and horrid).