The Anti-Egotist: Kingsley Amis, Man of Letters

Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. 206 pages; 22 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Age toning. Dust jacket price-clipped on the front flap. "In The Anti-Egotist, Fussell captures the essence of Kingsley Amis as a man of letters - 'a serious critic,' as John Gross writes, 'operating outside the academic fold.' Part biography, part critical appraisal, The Anti-Egotist traces the influences that have shaped Amis's writing, ranging from his schooldays through military service to university teaching, as he emerged as a novelist, poet, and essayist. By drawing our attention to the details first of Amis's life, then of his writing, Fussell reveals the profound moral sense that expresses itself so wonderfully in Amis's fiction and criticism. He mixes affection with insight as he paints a highly personal portrait of Amis as a writer who despises self-promotion in all its forms, savaging the world's show-offs and blowhards with a particularly sharp-toothed bite. Amis's criticism, too, shook the British literary world with his 'no-nonsense, can-the-bullshit tone,' restoring skepticism and honesty to postwar English writing. Fussell guides us through Amis's immense output - portraying him as a book reviewer, custodian of language, gastronomic critic, anthologist, and poet - showing how his overriding concern is always for the public, deriding pretensions that come at a cost to the audience. And the power of Amis's writing, from his humor to his deft characterization, rings through in page after page of Fussell's accurate and evocative assessments." - Publisher.. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo.