Not easy to like.

Much has been written in the reviews of this novel and so for what it is worth I will add my own thoughts. Definitely a marmite book I think. I wanted to like this. I had read no Amis before (father or son) but having seen junior speak at Hay-on-Wye festival I wanted to give him a go. This perhaps was not the book to start with. You know it is good and you know it is insightful and on the money in its social observations but reviewers are right when they say it is hard to like and it does feel slow at times as it crawls painfully to its close. But none of this should detract from the writing which is excellent. And I think that's the point. Don't sit down with this if you want a fluffy easy to read page turner. It isn't that at all. But I would be surprised if this does not survive to be read by many generations to come and be all the more relevant and recognised for the image it creates of the London of the late 20th Century. That having been said I am 100 pages into Lionel Asbo. Much more accessible and engaging.

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1 person found this helpful

London Fields

Brilliant narration - the characters came alive. I loved the 1980's predicted millennium, the quirky plot, the narrator. This is a book I've meant to read for a long time and it certainly didn't disappoint.

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Superb

Great novel. Superb narration. First class work from the author and narrator. A very erudite tome.

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Prescient in so many ways

Brilliantly written with so many highlights, laugh out loud moments and amazing characters, this is not a book for the faint hearted but could well be classed as a cultural reference book.
The story is quite unique in its premise but the characters and writing style is what elevates.
Steven Pacey's narration (performance) is fantastic.

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Dark Disturbing but unforgettable

Not an easy story,this one, particularly if you are a feminist until you realise everyone gets exploited with just a tiny glimmer of hope at the end. And although of it’s time ,very prescient. Beautifully and captivatingly narrated.

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hard work

inspired by posthumous articles about Amis prowess to give it a go, I appreciated some of the satire and gymnastic use of language, I found it hard to finish. I made the effort and realised when I reviewed the experience that I could say in had enjoyed it although I will remember the characters and some of the sayings:
No danger 😉

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Nasty but good

What made the experience of listening to London Fields the most enjoyable?

Not sure it was 'enjoyable' as such. I read it because I had not read any Martin Amis and thought i 'should'.

Would you recommend London Fields to your friends? Why or why not?

Not really. I think Mr Amis has a rather unpleasant line of thought that must run through his head.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Can't say I enjoyed any of it. I can see he is a good writer - but Oh! So negative and dark!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

no

Any additional comments?

As another reviewer wrote - life is too short to spend on listening to such darkly imagined stuff.

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3 people found this helpful

A right good listen

The story is a "must" for fans of urban fiction, but may not be to everybody's taste. Check out reviews for this book elsewhere and you'll find a mixed bag of opinions ranging from "best book ever" to "utter garbage".
However, one thing I'm sure nobody would ever argue over is the quality of Steven Pacey's narration. His accents are truly outstanding. His acting is spot on, and his understanding of the author's nuance makes this story a sheer delight to listen to.
I wasn't a huge fan of Pacey when he was in Blake's 7, but wow, he's come a long way. My next month's audiobooks will definately be titles he has read. Give it a try!

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2 people found this helpful

Making Darts Interesting

Steven Pacey's reading of this novel is superb. It enabled me to get into a novel which I would otherwise have found challenging. His interpretation brings a collection of sad and shady characters to life and is very entertaining. By the end, I felt very involved and sorry to be leaving this bizarre and unsafe world.

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Slippery accent

Steven Pacey is clearly a talented actor. But unfortunately his American accent, comprising 99% of this lengthy audiobook, is not up to scratch here. He struggles with ‘A’ sounds, adding unnecessary Rs particularly, for instance saying “astronort”, and conversely omitting necessary Rs too. The effect is really jarring and mars an otherwise solid reading of a great book. Any decent producer or dialogue coach would have snagged these slips during the record, and got the actor to re-read the passages in question. I’m hoping his native accent is the focus of the other Amis books he’s read.

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