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Collected Short Stories
Contents:
My enemy's enemy --
Court of inquiry --
I spy strangers --
Moral fibre --
All the blood within me --
Dear illusion --
Something strange --
The 2003 claret --
The friends of Plonk --
Too much trouble --
Investing in futures --
Hemingway in space --
Who or what was it? --
The Darkwater Hall mystery --
The house on the headland --
To see the sun --
Affairs of death --
Mason's life.
My enemy's enemy --
Court of inquiry --
I spy strangers --
Moral fibre --
All the blood within me --
Dear illusion --
Something strange --
The 2003 claret --
The friends of Plonk --
Too much trouble --
Investing in futures --
Hemingway in space --
Who or what was it? --
The Darkwater Hall mystery --
The house on the headland --
To see the sun --
Affairs of death --
Mason's life.
- GenresFictionShort Stories
321 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
1 person is currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Kingsley Amis
215 books558 followersBest known novels of British writer Sir Kingsley William Amis include
Lucky Jim
(1954) and
The Old Devils
(1986).
This English poet, critic, and teacher composed more than twenty-three collections, short stories, radio and television scripts, and books of social and literary criticism. He fathered Martin Amis.
William Robert Amis, a clerk of a mustard manufacturer, fathered him. He began his education at the city of London school, and went up to college of Saint John, Oxford, in April 1941 to read English; he met Philip Larkin and formed the most important friendship of his life. After only a year, the Army called him for service in July 1942. After serving as a lieutenant in the royal corps of signals in the Second World War, Amis returned to Oxford in October 1945 to complete his degree. He worked hard and got a first in English in 1947, and then decided to devote much of his time.
Pen names: [authorRobert Markham|553548] and William Bill Tanner
This English poet, critic, and teacher composed more than twenty-three collections, short stories, radio and television scripts, and books of social and literary criticism. He fathered Martin Amis.
William Robert Amis, a clerk of a mustard manufacturer, fathered him. He began his education at the city of London school, and went up to college of Saint John, Oxford, in April 1941 to read English; he met Philip Larkin and formed the most important friendship of his life. After only a year, the Army called him for service in July 1942. After serving as a lieutenant in the royal corps of signals in the Second World War, Amis returned to Oxford in October 1945 to complete his degree. He worked hard and got a first in English in 1947, and then decided to devote much of his time.
Pen names: [authorRobert Markham|553548] and William Bill Tanner
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 10, 2020
His science fiction stories are worth reading - he loved the genre. He had something to say about life in the army, but said it more succinctly in the book the Anti-Death League, set in an imagined near future. I find his military stories unreadable. Perhaps their point is too deeply hidden in observation. And I value books for their social observation (satire, critique), and have written it myself. Perhaps all his novels are detective stories in a way.
The best story is All the Blood Within Me. An elderly man sets out for the funeral of an old friend, a woman who married the other man. He and the couple and other friends formed a social set somewhere in the London suburbs. He recalls a way of life that must have been busy and warm-hearted and that has now probably vanished. Once you were accepted into the tennis club, the social club or the drama circle, you were made. Those with the wrong kind of ties and shoes were probably left outside.
He has not seen these friends for years, and that happy life in the suburbs now seems impossibly remote. We sympathise with him, though he begins to come out with some "angry old white man" opinions. At the funeral he breaks down and is led away by a family member he has always dismissed as vulgar and not quite out of the top drawer. They end up with the family at the pub. The vulgar cousin-in-law knows our hero has realised he has wasted his life yearning over a woman out of his reach. That suburban life he thought so fulfilling has turned out to be a sham.
And now things turn even darker. One of the family has a Jewish husband, and our hero has predictable thoughts about them all. Remember his heyday was the 30s. He goes out into the pub garden, and is followed by the wife, daughter of his beloved. She lays into the woman they've just buried – "The way she kept you on a string for years" – and the destruction of his life is complete.
You can never trust an Amis character.
Well, Professor Amis, do I get my A Level now?
The best story is All the Blood Within Me. An elderly man sets out for the funeral of an old friend, a woman who married the other man. He and the couple and other friends formed a social set somewhere in the London suburbs. He recalls a way of life that must have been busy and warm-hearted and that has now probably vanished. Once you were accepted into the tennis club, the social club or the drama circle, you were made. Those with the wrong kind of ties and shoes were probably left outside.
He has not seen these friends for years, and that happy life in the suburbs now seems impossibly remote. We sympathise with him, though he begins to come out with some "angry old white man" opinions. At the funeral he breaks down and is led away by a family member he has always dismissed as vulgar and not quite out of the top drawer. They end up with the family at the pub. The vulgar cousin-in-law knows our hero has realised he has wasted his life yearning over a woman out of his reach. That suburban life he thought so fulfilling has turned out to be a sham.
And now things turn even darker. One of the family has a Jewish husband, and our hero has predictable thoughts about them all. Remember his heyday was the 30s. He goes out into the pub garden, and is followed by the wife, daughter of his beloved. She lays into the woman they've just buried – "The way she kept you on a string for years" – and the destruction of his life is complete.
You can never trust an Amis character.
Well, Professor Amis, do I get my A Level now?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2021
I know of no other author who brought post-WWII British culture to life like Sir Kingsley Amis did. His writing and the characters he presents are endlessly entertaining to me. Of his novels, "Lucky Jim" and "The Old Devils" are two of my favorites. This prompted me to have a look at how he delves into the realm of short stories, which he indicates in the introduction are not really his thing.
In my view, the results are spotty. Of 16 stories, I liked or really liked four of them. Running through the contents while avoiding spoilers, the first three involve soldiers around the end of WWII. The characters are sometimes brilliant and the situations are classic K. Amis, but it all comes off as being about as as dated as those Army surplus Jeeps in barrels of grease one could order from the backs of comic books 60 or more years ago.
The next three were my favorites: "Moral Fiber," which concerns a lost soul, a social worker, and observations by the peripherally involved main character; "All the Blood within Me," in which the main character attends a funeral and learns a lot about himself; and "Dear Illusion," involving a news reporter's reporting on and subsequent connection with a famous poet. The other I enjoyed involved a British researcher going to the Balkans in the 1920's to investigate a vampire tale. I thought it was well done.
As for the rest, there were three rather silly ones about time travel and drinking, a dull one about working in space, another related to space with a plot that that too closely resembled a short story by V. Nabokov related to space, a pretty good drama in the mold of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and three other stories that I thought were just okay; about fiction coming true, events to do with teratophilia, and one very brief and underdeveloped story related to dreams.
The author's talent is indisputable and is evident in these short stories. But I think he would be the first to say that this isn't his preferred format.
In my view, the results are spotty. Of 16 stories, I liked or really liked four of them. Running through the contents while avoiding spoilers, the first three involve soldiers around the end of WWII. The characters are sometimes brilliant and the situations are classic K. Amis, but it all comes off as being about as as dated as those Army surplus Jeeps in barrels of grease one could order from the backs of comic books 60 or more years ago.
The next three were my favorites: "Moral Fiber," which concerns a lost soul, a social worker, and observations by the peripherally involved main character; "All the Blood within Me," in which the main character attends a funeral and learns a lot about himself; and "Dear Illusion," involving a news reporter's reporting on and subsequent connection with a famous poet. The other I enjoyed involved a British researcher going to the Balkans in the 1920's to investigate a vampire tale. I thought it was well done.
As for the rest, there were three rather silly ones about time travel and drinking, a dull one about working in space, another related to space with a plot that that too closely resembled a short story by V. Nabokov related to space, a pretty good drama in the mold of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and three other stories that I thought were just okay; about fiction coming true, events to do with teratophilia, and one very brief and underdeveloped story related to dreams.
The author's talent is indisputable and is evident in these short stories. But I think he would be the first to say that this isn't his preferred format.
August 10, 2020
Auden lists 5 possible 'verdicts we can pass on a book.' Number 4 is 'I can see this is good, though at present I don't like it (I believe that with perseverance I shall come to like it). Number four I'm afraid is the verdict I levy upon this collection.
I found the first few stories absolute trials to read, but warned up even to them and to those following as I pressed on. There is a fun if simplistic take on the Watson-Holmes canon and even a version of the vampire (Dracula) tales. I found it took me some effort to maintain concentration with most of these stories, though I can't say they're strictly boring. They're not. They're rather like listening to a stranger prattle on to me on a bus. I find myself vaguely interested, even keenly interested at times, but I am always watchful for my stop and distracted by any number of things passing the window. While reading, I kept turning to the contents to check the page count.
I love Amis's novels. I knew not to expect those here, not that style, not that subject matter, but... I was still disappointed even though I had steeled myself against it. Ultimately I do recommend the collection to Amis fans if only to complete your own study of the author.
I recommend Auden's list, too.
I found the first few stories absolute trials to read, but warned up even to them and to those following as I pressed on. There is a fun if simplistic take on the Watson-Holmes canon and even a version of the vampire (Dracula) tales. I found it took me some effort to maintain concentration with most of these stories, though I can't say they're strictly boring. They're not. They're rather like listening to a stranger prattle on to me on a bus. I find myself vaguely interested, even keenly interested at times, but I am always watchful for my stop and distracted by any number of things passing the window. While reading, I kept turning to the contents to check the page count.
I love Amis's novels. I knew not to expect those here, not that style, not that subject matter, but... I was still disappointed even though I had steeled myself against it. Ultimately I do recommend the collection to Amis fans if only to complete your own study of the author.
I recommend Auden's list, too.
September 24, 2022
Mixed bag with decidedly wobbly start with the best curiously saved for last (Mason’s Life which appears in various collections).
The first 3 stories are dreadful: boring army-office politics and then a kind of anti socialist and perhaps homophobic conspiracy tale. But if you soldier on through that lot, things do pick up.
Amis, as with Lucky Jim, seems at his best with a charismatic male lead engaged with lively women. Sensible or excitable ladies help to offset the stolid English sensibility and lift the whole short story endeavour to something engaging and enjoyable.
Aside from the help of female characters and doubtless real life female energies, the tales of sci-fi with a touch of booze are the most humorous.
Monsters or horror are a little tame, yet charming. Female characters are generally relegated to supporting and housewifey roles, but that’s probably par for the course of the time…
There are some skilful and slightly irreverent takes on classics such as Holmes and Dracula.
Worth a read if you can skip the army bits and don’t object too much to a man writing in a man’s world…
The first 3 stories are dreadful: boring army-office politics and then a kind of anti socialist and perhaps homophobic conspiracy tale. But if you soldier on through that lot, things do pick up.
Amis, as with Lucky Jim, seems at his best with a charismatic male lead engaged with lively women. Sensible or excitable ladies help to offset the stolid English sensibility and lift the whole short story endeavour to something engaging and enjoyable.
Aside from the help of female characters and doubtless real life female energies, the tales of sci-fi with a touch of booze are the most humorous.
Monsters or horror are a little tame, yet charming. Female characters are generally relegated to supporting and housewifey roles, but that’s probably par for the course of the time…
There are some skilful and slightly irreverent takes on classics such as Holmes and Dracula.
Worth a read if you can skip the army bits and don’t object too much to a man writing in a man’s world…
October 6, 2019
Many of these Re “of their time,” I guess, with little to recommend the shorter efforts at all. To be sure, Amis does better in the longer form, and the stories that still do resonate with me are All the Blood Within Me, Dear Illusion and the Darkwater Hall mystery, variously a story of a lifetime of unrequited love, an excellent tale of an aging poet and his notable new (final?) collection and a Sherlock Holmes story without the man himself.
August 23, 2017
Very entertaining
April 3, 2023
A wonderful collection of short stories, if you enjoy Kingsley Amis's writing you will love this book.
July 22, 2012
Military stories, Sherlock Holmes, people going into the future to see what drinking is like, vampires, ghosts... These are the short stories of the great social starist Kingsley Amis...
November 19, 2014
Interesting collection ... displays a new facet of Kingsley Amis ... of particular note: "Dear Illusion", perhaps a fantasy of Amis' own ...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews