It's All in the Blood

Being a college student, it makes it hard to keep up with reading. I do make it a point to read as often as I can though because I feel like a more rounded person when I do so. In previous posts, I reviewed some books that were sporadic across the Guardian's 1,000 best books of all time. Instead of rooting through all the topics, I'm starting from the top.

The first book on the list was Lucky Jim by Kinsley Amis. I liked the old nostalgia of the book, and there were some parts that made me laugh out loud. The personality if Jim (the lead) is pretty right-on in terms of how men think. I liked it, it has some political undertones about college and the different classes that it is composed of. I liked Jim because he was risky, flighty and pretty oblivious to everything going on around him. It was a bit hard to relate to as a woman, although I could see a lot of guys out there rooting for Jim as he burns bedsheets with cigarettes after blacking out and the ensuing scene where he has a rough time determining how to fix the problem (the bedsheets weren't on HIS bed) from the text, they sounded rather expensive.

The second book on the list was Money by Martin Amis. There is a lot to be said of this book. Genetically speaking, Martin is the above-mentioned author's son. Writing must run in the family. You can't put both works side-by-side and notice that it's a father-son relationship. They write like their from two different planets. Martin Amis is a dirty, but brilliant author. He gets down to the nasties and I felt like such a sinner reading this book. I wouldn't recommend it for light reading. Although entertaining, it's depressing. If you get into the book enough, it can bring you down. Is this book an accurate portrayal of the British entertainment industry? I hope not. One thing I will say about Martin's writing: It's really brilliantly witty. Can I say brilliantly witty> Yes, I can. He even brings himself, played as himself into the novel. I didn't like the storyline, it was too...... greasy. I like his writing, though because it's very blunt. I'll be looking forward to reading The Information by Martin Amis, which is next on my list.

-Coming up in new blogs: Flaubert's Parrot and The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapter by Julian Barnes & The Information by Martin Amis.