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CRITICS WANTED TO DROP THE ENFANT FROM ENFANT TERRIBLE
As Martin Amis prepares to launch the Edinburgh Book Festival’s autumn programme, Brian Donaldson considers a wildly fluctuating career.
here are few contemporary British authors whose early literary output was received by the critics as like some unstoppable train only for it to wet horrilically off course and wind tip crashing and burning in full public glare. He seems to share a kinship with those whose names are normally uttered in the same paragraph. llanil‘ Kureishi and Will Self. This triptych were all early chroniclers of a diy'erse London and trapped the l‘)t\’(is 'I‘hatchcrite /eitgeist with perfection. All three would later be castigated by the media (variously for sex. drugs and dentistry) and slaughtered for their faltering later books while the critics who had dubbed them all at one point as enl'ants terrible simply wanted to drop the enl'ants. Then again. it‘s not just the lofty literati who haye stung him with their barbs recently. when Amis' short story. ‘The Last Days oi‘ Muhammad .-\tta' was published in The Observer prior to ‘)/l I's fifth anniversary. the paper’s blog was rampant with Venom. 'Seli-promotion and seli-aggrandisement cloud his artistic judgement'. ‘a pointless punt'. and ‘claptrap.
boring. depressing' were just some of the kinder
comments.
it all started rather differently. His W73 debut The Rachel Papers may. by his later standards. haye been pedestrian in its subject tboy meets girl) and style. but it nabbed The Somerset Maugham Award. and
immediately gained the press attention that has ney'er
i‘leLi his. side since. Dem] Babies and ()I/It'l' People were also well received. but the salad days arriy'ed with the 80s publication oi‘ Money and [JUN/(HI Fir/(ls. spawning crudely memorable characters such as the 20th century-obsessed ad man John Sell and the
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darts-i'ascinatcd small time crook Keith Talent. The writings of l'ellow trayellers ls'ureishi and Sell haye been daubed as misogynistic at times. and :\ltiis had similar accusations lilung in his direction i'or [JUN/UH lie/(ls. Yet bigger storms were brewing.
'li'mv's' Arrow was his most audacious noy cl to date. telling its story ol' the lioloeatlsl backwards but when he was preparing to unleash 'l'lit' Inlommmm in l‘NS. the enormity oi his book's adyance and the dumping of his long-term agent tor a man nicknamed 'The
Jackal‘ lei't Amis reeling. But the ludicrous nature ol
the criticism for him spending his own money on his own molars is beyond contempt.
Amis knew that the best way to respond to the Various backlashes would come by taking a break from iiction with his autobiography. lit/it'rit'nt'i'. :\ l'ew' scores were settled and there is lots about his dad. Kingsley. the author oi. Lucky .lim who was no great fan of his Iad‘s writing. .-\l'ter tnore critical thumbs-down l'or llmry llillt‘l' and iii/mt Dug. .-\mis is back with [IUHH' (if-.llr'r’llllt's. While he belieycs
that noy‘elists haye a 'duty to w rite about the near
future. he has dipped back in time once again with this noy‘ella about a one triangle set in post-war l'SSR. There may be no clamour to suggest that this is some return to his late Slis halcyon form but the yerye and Io-l'i ambition of the book proyes that Martin Amis remains one oi our most hcayily- anticipated Voices.
House of Meetings is published by Jonathan Cape on Thu 28 Sep; Amis appears at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 4 Oct.
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THE BEST READINGS AND SIGNINGS
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* Adam Ant After coming far from his face-painted days, the 1980S pop star has delivered an autobiography about the business and his battles with depression. Waterstone's, 128 Princes Street, Edinburgh, 226 2666. 7pm. Free. Tue 26 Sep; Borders Books, 98 Buchanan Street. Glasgow, 222 7700. 6pm. Free. Tue 26 Sep.
* Brenda Bletnyn An evening with one of Britain's best loved character actresses. whose biography Mixed Fancies will have you tickled pink. Tickets available from Ottakar‘s. 353 1500. Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, 332 8128, 6pm. £4. Mon 2 Oct.
* Joan Bakewofl At the ripe old age of 70. the writer and broadcaster reflects on her illustrious career and what it means to be British. Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchieha/I Street. Glasgow, 353 8000. 12.30pm. £4—£‘5. Tue 3 Oct.
* 100 Great Scottish Poems Sit back and listen as Stewart Conn and friends treat you to readings of, among others. the top 20 favourite Scottish poems as voted for by BBC Radio Scotland listeners. Borders Books, 98 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, 222 7 700. 6pm. Free. Wed 4 Oct: Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton '3 Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 5.15pm. Free. Thu 5 Oct.
* Alan Spence The poet and novelist, particularly known for his haiku. kicks off the Poetry Association of Scotland's 2006—07 season with a reading. Scottish Poetry Ubrary, 5 Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh, 55 7 2876. 7.30pm. £3 (£2; free to PAS members). Wed 4 Oct.
* Martin Amis See preview. left. Queen's Hall, 87-89 Clark Street, Edinburgh, 668 2019. 8pm. £8 (£6). Wed 4 Oct.