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  • Lucky Jim

  • Penguin Modern Classics
  • By: Kingsley Amis
  • Narrated by: James Lailey
  • Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (138 ratings)

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Lucky Jim

By: Kingsley Amis
Narrated by: James Lailey
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Jim Dixon has accidentally fallen into a job at one of Britain's new red brick universities. A moderately successful future in the History Department beckons. As long as Jim can survive a madrigal-singing weekend at Professor Welch's, deliver a lecture on 'Merrie England' and resist Christine, the hopelessly desirable girlfriend of Welch's awful son Bertrand.

©1953 Kingsley Amis (P)2020 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Lucky Jim

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable period piece - funny and biting

I’d not read Lucky Jim since the seventies. I’d remembered it as a Wodehouse-like comic romp but while it does have some excellent comic scenes it’s far more bitter than that — and enjoyably so. Anyone interested in English social history will find this glimpse of 1950s provincial academia quite fascinating. The narrator does his job well. Recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Classic.

A moldern literrary classic. Have read the book several times over the years and never fail to laugh out loud - frequently. Although written in the 1950s much of it could be relevant today. An Audible classic too with a splendid performance that perfectly captures the voices and mannerisms of Jim Dixon and the book's other characters.


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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

I once heard Sue Townsend say this was her favourite and most influential book, the one that inspired her to write. I can see why as the development of the characters is flawless. The dialogue is refreshingly accurate.
I loved this book,.
Try it and see.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

outstanding

Very funny and extremely well read. Plenty of outlandish characters and cringeworthy episodes. Not sure how much I actually sympathised with Jim...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gloriously funny

I read Lucky Jim when I was young. It’s a delight, and lends itself so well to an Audiotreatment. Wonderful understated narration.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Dull

This is well read, unfortunately it's incredibly boring. None of the characters are likeable and it's quite mysogenistic. The climax is quite funny, but not so much that it makes the rest of it worth it - I stuck with it for my book club but I wouldn't recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite book which always makes me laugh

Kingsley Amls...at his finest. A book to read annually.

If you always laugh out loud at the same parts that does suggest the writting remains fresh and the characterisation well drawn

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Title says it all. Painfully funny and the end is well worth waiting for. X

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent reading

The women in the story were portrayed as childish and silly when in many cases they were clearly successful in their particular areas of expertise

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Easily the worst book I've ever got on Audible

the headline says it all. unengaging, not funny. the only thing I can say is I only got 2 hours in, so it could get better?

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