December 2015- Money

[Lisa]

December comedy read

[Leslie]

I am waiting for my interlibrary loan to arrive. I haven't been very successful in reading our books the last few months but I hope to do better this time.

[Kaycie]

Great, Leslie! I had a rough time finding this book, but have it now and will try to start by next week. I've been reading the books, but not posting as much as id like. Hopefully we both do better in the coming months!

[Leslie]

My library loan has come through so I should be picking this up today or tomorrow. I have a few other books to finish up before I get to this so won't probably start until next week.

[Kaycie]

I'm actually having a super hard time finding this book. If my husband can get ur for me like he thinks, I'll start this week some time. I'll keep you updated!

[Leslie]

I started last night. I am 60 pages in, in what seems to be the second (unlabeled) chapter. I don't know if I will continue with this. I wasn't much liking the frequent swearing and talk about bodily functions but now he jokes about rape :(

[Kaycie]

Ugh, great. Not looking forward to starting then. It is on almost every book list I've ever seen, though, so I will finish. There has to be something important in there!

[Phil]

Martin Amis was always an annoying writer (and man). Full of the worst excesses of the 80s.

[Phil]

I'd like to think that it's satire, and you're really supposed to side against them and that's why it's in the comedy section ... but I'm not totally sure

[Kaycie]

Ya, I just started, but it's already not very funny. I've only ever read one other Amis, London Fields, that was also supposed to be funny but I didn't see it. I figured I just didn't get Amis...

[Leslie]

Phil wrote: "I'd like to think that it's satire, and you're really supposed to side against them and that's why it's in the comedy section ... but I'm not totally sure"

Yeah, it doesn't strike me as satire but maybe... if the language wasn't so crude I might be able to handle the unpleasant personalities but the 2 together are a tough combination for me to swallow.

[Kaycie]

I do have to admit I laughed pretty hard during the scene where he tried to play tennis. John Self is a man I love to root against.

I'm doing okay with the reading, though. Ya, its crude, but I'm still able to read it alright.

[Leslie]

I thought the description of his clothes was pretty funny - the checked Bermuda shorts and black socks :)

Being old enough to remember the 80s, it is evoking some memories of the time when people could smoke pretty much anywhere -- I was a smoker back then.

[Phil]

if you find this one crude, I hesitate to think how folk will get in with Kathy Acker's "Blood and Guts in High School" (which I believe is also on the list)

[Leslie]

Phil wrote: "if you find this one crude, I hesitate to think how folk will get in with Kathy Acker's "Blood and Guts in High School" (which I believe is also on the list)"

Hmmm... it doesn't sound at all familiar. And it is an "A" name so it would be near the top of whichever section it was in; I would have been more likely to see it repeatedly as I pore over the list checking books off... but 1000 books is a lot so maybe I missed it.

[Leslie]

I am not quite halfway and I am going to make a prediction (please don't tell me if I am right or wrong yet!) - (view spoiler)[I think Selina is cheating on John with Martina's man (husband? I don't remember) Ossie. (hide spoiler)]

[Kaycie]

Phil wrote: "if you find this one crude, I hesitate to think how folk will get in with Kathy Acker's "Blood and Guts in High School" (which I believe is also on the list)"

Phil, this book is not on The Guardians list, but is on Boxalls.

[Kirsten]

Finally picked up my copy at the library last night. Hope to give you first impressions soon.

[Leslie]

I see that I was correct in my prediction in post #16!

[Kaycie]

I had just read that part when you posted and was impressed! I had considered him such an insignificant character he never stuck around in my brain at all!

Weirdly, i think the same thing happened to our main character which is partly why he was in that predicament.

[Kirsten]

Just started last night. May be the most unlikable main character I've read in a long time.

This is a good companion book to The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. They were both written for the same time and place.

I have to say that NYC is a different planet to me. I live in a metropolitan area of 250,000 in the wastes of eastern Washington State, so it feels so alien to me. I suppose NYC in the 1980s is even more so.

[Leslie]

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Just started last night. May be the most unlikable main character I've read in a long time.

This is a good companion book to The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. ..."

Yes, I never did get over my dislike for John Self's character...

What did you all think about the fact that Martin Amis shows up as a character?

[Kirsten]

I finally finished my interlibrary loan last night! It's now a day late, so I hope I don't owe too much of a fine.

Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kaycie]

Hey Leslie, i just saw your post. I was very intrigued by Martin amis showing up as a character. I wondered how much his character personality reflects his real self. It reminded me of paul aster in the new York trilogy.

Kirsten, did you enjoy the book?

[Leslie]

It was a bit like Auster -- good comparison Kaycie!

In another possible parallel with New York Trilogy, I started wondering towards the end if Amis (the character) was trying to tell John that he (John) was suffering because Martin had written him that way! The entwining of the "real" and the fictional started to make my head spin but it was one of the better features of the book for me!

[Kirsten]

Kaycie - once things started happening, then, yes I did enjoy it. Though I was never really considered it a comedy. Satire, yes. The first half was such a slog. Quite unappealing. Though Amis did seem to make me feel something for John.

Leslie - I didn't really see that. Auster's book was much more layered and interesting. Not to mention the characters weren't so sleazy. And I actually had some sense of awareness of what happened to the characters in Auster's books. However, I'm not sure I really understand what happened to John.

[Leslie]

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Leslie - I didn't really see that. Auster's book was much more layered and interesting. Not to mention the characters weren't so sleazy. And I actually had some sense of awareness of what happened to the characters in Auster's books. However, I'm not sure I really understand what happened to John. ..."

Oh, I agree that Auster's book was much much better! I, like you, found these characters very unappealing. And in such unrelenting repetitious manner.