Comments on: The Pregnant Widow, by Martin Amis

By: Solar, by Ian McEwan « KevinfromCanada

Solar, by Ian McEwan « KevinfromCanada — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:08:17 +0000

[...] whom the reviewer has respected for decades who is also in his early 60s (Martin Amis’ The Pregnant Widow is the other if you missed that post.) The central character in both novels is also a well-off male [...]

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:43:21 +0000

A very fair point on the self-indulgence Kevin, you’re quite right of course.

Amis certainly can do good work with caricatures, I take that point too.

Hm, I may take a look at it. It sounds interesting, and I’m curious not having been there to see what I’d make of it.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:54:27 +0000

I think “self-indulgence” is an Amis characteristic you have to pretty much put up with in any of his novels — although it is usually offset by a healthy dose of “self-criticism” (which is true in this novel).

What annoyed me about the coda is that it is a truism that young people grow up to lead adult lives which are both influenced by and different from their youth. Amis seems to miss that in this book — either let the reader contemplate possibilities for him/herself or do the job properly would be my recommendation. And while both Scheherazade and the nobleman are caricutures to start out with, Amis does use that to advantage.

By: Max Cairnduff

Max Cairnduff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:48:34 +0000

Craig,

Money is a good one to try, I liked Success and I am one of those who really liked Night Train (I’m not alone in that, but there’s plenty who hate that one too).

Time’s Arrow hasn’t the best reputation, though I admit I’ve not read it myself.

Kevin,

The coda sounds unfortunate, like notes for another novel he didn’t care to write, and as you say there seems to be an awful lot of it. The interval rings false too, progress music? I grant I didn’t grow up back then but I have listened to a fair bit of the music and I just don’t see that. It seems a very obvious authorial conceit.

Also, Scheherazade? And a 4’10 Italian nobleman? Is there a touch of self-indulgence to this novel? Amis is rarely bad, but I share your query as to whether one had to be there to appreciate the work, and since I wasn’t I’m not sure what remains is enough to tempt me.

By: Craig D.

Craig D. — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:47:13 +0000

This post is a shameful reminder for me. Amis has been on my to-read list forever, along with countless others. I promise I’ll pick up “Money” or “Time’s Arrow” one of these days.

You can’t see my nose growing over the internet, can you?

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:07:23 +0000

Good point, Kim. Sorry for overlooking it.

By: kimbofo

kimbofo — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:58:24 +0000

“If you were a male Brit (or Canadian), you were very glad you weren’t American”

… or an Australian. My dad (born in 1947) skipped the draft b/c he was a student at the time, but many of his friends weren’t so lucky.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:20:49 +0000

Guy: Your Amis response seems to be similar to mine — which suggests that you might like this book.
Colette: I think Amis did Italy quite well but did miss on trying to extend that part of the story. And I think that was more him being muddled than me, as a reader. As for The Rachel Papers, I would suggest planning a “duo-read” with In Praise of Older Women — reading the two like that would give you a good indication of what males in the late ’60s, early ’70s faced.

By: Colette Jones

Colette Jones — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:56:11 +0000

By the way, I haven’t read The Rachel Papers yet but I will.

By: Colette Jones

Colette Jones — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:53:46 +0000

Another excellent review, Kevin.

I (female, age 48) liked The Pregnant Widow quite a lot. I struggled with some of the narration. The story of the summer in Italy was fine, but some of the asides were difficult for me to understand. I felt like I could read them over and over and still not get it. I think I need to find an example.