Father and Son: Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis, and the British Novel since 1950

338 Pages·2003·17.79 MB·English

by  Gavin Keulks

Father and Son
Publicationofthisbookhasbeenmade possibleinpart
bythegenerous supportoftheAnonymous Fund
oftheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison
S
Father and on
Kingsley Amis,
Martin Amis, and
the British Novel
.
sznce I950
Gavin Keulks
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
TheUniversityofWisconsinPress
1930MonroeStreet
Madison,Wisconsin537II
www.wisc.edulwiseonsinpress/
3HenriettaStreet
LondonWC2E8LU,England
Copyright©2003
TheBoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofWisconsinSystem
Allrightsreserved
4
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Keulks,Gavin.
Fatherandson:KingsleyAmis,MartinAmis,andtheBritishnovel
since1950/GavinKeulks.
p. em.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-299-19210-5(alk.paper)
1. Amis,Kingsley-Criticismandinterpretation.
2. Amis,Martin- Criticismandinterpretation.
3. Englishfiction- 20thcentury-Historyandcriticism.
4. Fathersandsons-GreatBritain.
1. Title:KingsleyAmis,MartinAmis,andtheBritishnovelsince1950. II. Title.
PR6oo1.M6Z745 2003
823'·91409-de21 20°3°°7228
Formyfather,
GeorgeW. Keulks,
I9J8-I997
Contents
Acknowledgments VIlI
Introduction: TheAmises,Tradition, andInfluence:
GenealogicalDissent 3
BriefAnecdotalHistory:TheMid-I98osandMid-I990S 6
Tradition,Influence, andAnxiety 18
RealismandRevaluation 24
PART I. CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY:
CHARTING THE ARTISTIC ALLEGIANCES
1. TheAmises onAmerican Literature: Nabokov, Bellow, Roth 33
VladimirNabokov: StyleasMorality 37
SaulBellow: PropheticRealism 46
Philip Roth: EgocentricNarration 55
2. TheAmises on English Literature: Austen,Waugh, Larkin 66
JaneAusten: ManneredMorality 68
EvelynWaugh: DeclineandFall 79
Philip Larkin:TheComedyofCandor 88
PART 2. INFLUENCE AND INTERSECTION:
THE INTERPLAY OF INDIVIDUAL WORKS
3. TheAmises on Comedy: LuckyJim and TheRachelPapers 101
LuckyJim: CulturalandGenerationalConflict 105
TheRachelPapers: RevaluativeInversionand
Critique 115
"TheTwoAmises" 120
4. TheAmises on Satire: EndingUp andDeadBabies 133
HenryFieldingandHoratianSatire 142
MikhailBakhtinandMenippean Satire 147
CharacterizationandClosure 153
VI
Contents • Vll
5. TheAmises on Realism andPostmodernism: Stanleyand
the Women andMoney:ASuicideNote 162
Chauvinism,Feminism, andMisogyny 164
TheAutobiographicalAbyss:Jake'sThingand Stanley
andthe Women 166
RevaluativeFeminism?Money, Misogyny, andDoubling 174
TheAmises, Realism, andPostmodernism 183
Revaluative Realism:MoneyandMetamimesis 189
6. TheAmises on Love, Death, andChildren: TheLetters
ofKingsleyAmisandExperience:A Memoir 199
HigherAutobiography: Experience, MidlifeCrisis, and
theUnconscious 201
PersonalRealignment: HillyRedux 208
ProfessionalRealignment: The OldDevils 210
PersonalRealignment: Experience 218
Conclusion: ProjectingaFuture:TheAmises, Genealogical
Dissent, and the British Novelsince1950 227
WhithertheNovel? Realism,Postmodernism,
andBeyond 232
AfterKingsley: MartinAmisandthe EventHorizons
ofFiction 242
ProfessionalRealignment? Love, Children,and
NightTrain 245
Notes 257
Bibliography 307
Index 323
Acknowledgments
As with all scholarly works, numerous people have helped shape my
ideas. Specialthanks go toJonathanAllison,John Cawelti, and Steven
Weisenburger, allofwhom offeredinvaluable advice in the earlystages
of composition. James Diedrick, Jerome Meckier, and Dale Salwak
similarlydeserve commendationfor theirexceptionallyinsightfulcom
ments on later drafts ofthe manuscript. In addition, I'd like to thank
Suzi Krasnoo for helpingto coordinate myvisitto the Huntington Li
braryandAlanH.Jutzi,AveryChiefCuratorofRare Books,forgiving
me an informal tour ofKingsleyAmis's workinglibrary. Numerous of
my students also leant their emotional strength to this project, but I'd
liketosingleoutCelesteBarkerandAdeleJohnsonfortheirintellectual
rigorandtirelesssupport.Mostofall,I extendmydeepestthankstomy
wife, Preeti,who has inspiredme through herremarkablepatience and
dedication. She has shared all ofthe frustrations and joys associated
withthisbook, andmydebttoherislimitless. Iwouldalsoliketothank
the University ofKentucky and Western Oregon University for their
graciousfinancial assistancewiththisproject.
Vll1
Father and Son