Kingsley Amis - Modern Novelist (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating critical study of the life, work and milieu of one of Britain's best known and most popular novelists. Starting with a biographical overview of the influences on the developing writer while at home, at school, at Oxford, and at war, Dale Salwak goes on to offer the general reader a lively interpretation of all of Amis's novels, from Lucky Jim (1954) through to The Folks That Live on the Hill (1990), set against the ever-changing backdrop of the twentieth century. Dale Salwak makes extensive use of the major Amis archives, and draws on material from Amis's notebooks, letters, juvenilia and manuscripts, as well as upon his own discussions with Amis and many of his friends. Waving these sources with his own critical appraisal, Salwak plots each step in the development of Amis's imaginative vision throughout his writing career. This illustrated study, which includes a selective chronology and a complete primary bibliography, will be read with pleasure by those who are interested in learning more about Kingsley Amis, modern novelist.