Fiction

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  • Downloads：5531
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-11-18 01:15:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Martin Amis
  • ISBN：8433981072
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Summary

Un libro ambicioso y deslumbrante que mezcla vida y literatura， novela y memorias， ensayo y narración。

Martin Amis explora experiencias vividas， evoca a personas importantes para él y reflexiona sobre la escritura como el arte de contar y dar sentido a las historias。 Desfilan por estas páginas tres figuras fundamentales para el autor como persona y como escritor: el mentor Saul Bellow en sus últimos años de vida， el amigo y compañero de tantas andanzas Christopher Hitchens enfrentado a su temprana muerte y el solitario， huraño y genial Philip Larkin， cuya poesía ha acompañado siempre a Amis。

Asoman además otros escritores， entre ellos el padre Kingsley， y también la hermana que falleció demasiado pronto por problemas con el alcohol， y los endiablados amoríos de juventud， y la vida familiar con la esposa e hijas， Inglaterra y Estados Unidos， el terrorismo， el antisemitismo y sobre todo la palabra， la literatura。。。

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Reviews

Robert Kenny ，

I’ve enjoyed some of this author’s other books， but this one was a little too autobiographical and self-indulgent。 Amis spends most of it boasting about famous people he was friends with and reminiscing about past girlfriends。

Rick ，

Maybe not the best book of 2021 and no the best book by Amis but i loved this strange hybrid if fact and fiction。 Amis is a marvel he can jump from fiction to political analysis in a split second and it all works， His homage to Bellow and Hitchins is heartfelt and touching and he even finds a certain perverse grandeur in Phillip Larkin。 Amis is a writer and a lover of life and a student of death。 There is no living writer i would rather meet

Lulu ，

found the mashup of literary styles annoying and the excessive self indulgence childlike。

Tim ，

Labelled "a novel" but mostly populated with real people。 You can't be sure what is remembered， what invented， what modified， etc。， though for the most part it doesn't seem to matter。 Also interspersed with sections on other stuff: yet further reflections on 9/11， advice on drafting technique， and other miscellaneous pontifications。 In short， MA has given himself a lot of freedom to write what he likes how he likes。 You could as well call it an essay as a novel - in the direct lineage of Montaig Labelled "a novel" but mostly populated with real people。 You can't be sure what is remembered， what invented， what modified， etc。， though for the most part it doesn't seem to matter。 Also interspersed with sections on other stuff: yet further reflections on 9/11， advice on drafting technique， and other miscellaneous pontifications。 In short， MA has given himself a lot of freedom to write what he likes how he likes。 You could as well call it an essay as a novel - in the direct lineage of Montaigne， one of whose greatest hits， of course， is on friendship， like 'Inside Story'。Here he's writing， often movingly， about the deaths of - mainly - friend Christopher Hitchens， mentor/hero Saul Bellow， and family friend Philip Larkin， and about an apparently fictional （composite？） ex named Phoebe Phelps。 Also some writing tips， fictional or otherwise （here there's a section on how to go through your drafts weeding out buzz expressions， unintended assonances， etc。）。 Framed very clumsily by second-person sections in which the author welcomes the reader into his home。In any case， it was an enjoyable read for someone like me who got on the Amis wagon early on， and followed with interest even when， as often， the quality of the work was all over the place。 He's always said he aspired to greatness， and for me that aspiration （not its fulfilment） sticks out on every page of every book; he's always trying to be profound， constantly going on about his horror of cliche， forever measuring up the competition。 There's a fair bit of that here too; but the overall tone is mellower and warmer than in the past， which is a welcome development， though it's sad of course that the change has been brought on by ageing and the deaths of loved ones。 。。。more

Katrina Gonsalves ，

Where to start。。。 This is only a book for those who want to read it。 By that I mean， not one that I would say 'oh， you have to read this'。 Very autobiographical and definitely a book he put his heart and soul into。 So many topics， so much grief， everything he wanted to get off his chest。 Where to start。。。 This is only a book for those who want to read it。 By that I mean， not one that I would say 'oh， you have to read this'。 Very autobiographical and definitely a book he put his heart and soul into。 So many topics， so much grief， everything he wanted to get off his chest。 。。。more

Bob ，

i had read some clever quotes of his， ran across this book and checked it out。 it is a meandering semi autobiography， with focus on friends christopher hutchins， saul bellows， phillip larkins norman mailer and his father kingsley amisstarting as a youth and then with the decline and death of them。 i am glad i read it as parts are brilliant， but what messed up people these intelligentsia are！！ i felt like my brain needed to take a cleansing shower when i finished。 i have not read much of these no i had read some clever quotes of his， ran across this book and checked it out。 it is a meandering semi autobiography， with focus on friends christopher hutchins， saul bellows， phillip larkins norman mailer and his father kingsley amisstarting as a youth and then with the decline and death of them。 i am glad i read it as parts are brilliant， but what messed up people these intelligentsia are！！ i felt like my brain needed to take a cleansing shower when i finished。 i have not read much of these novelists/poet， and after this background， i may tend to avoid them。 read only if retired and a little too much time on one's hands 。。。more

Daniel Sevitt ，

The author can protest as much as he wants about this being a novel。 It isn't， not that it matters in the slightest。 Inside Story may be the simplest and best title ever given to a memoir。 This is all inside stuff。 Nothing here for beginners。 Amis is growing old with more grace than his father for whom he has little time。 Kingsley is a wholly periphery entity to this story。 Instead we get a bunch of Bellow as Mart's beloved surrogate。 We see bits of Bellow at his best but much more of him in dec The author can protest as much as he wants about this being a novel。 It isn't， not that it matters in the slightest。 Inside Story may be the simplest and best title ever given to a memoir。 This is all inside stuff。 Nothing here for beginners。 Amis is growing old with more grace than his father for whom he has little time。 Kingsley is a wholly periphery entity to this story。 Instead we get a bunch of Bellow as Mart's beloved surrogate。 We see bits of Bellow at his best but much more of him in decline。 Because this inside story is about mortality， loss and grief。 Amis watches Bellow fade away and it's heartbreaking。Amis also talks endlessly about Philip Larkin and his legacy， what he achieved in life and what he failed to achieve。 Larkin's misogyny （misanthropy？） remains unfathomable and Amis tries to reconcile it with the work which continues to transcend。And at the heart of it all Amis writes about friendship。 His friendship with his second wife may seem idealized， but it is loving。 Only the names have been changed to protect the。。。 innocent？ His friendship with Bellow and Bellow's last wife feels true， and so the loss of it feels true。 But it is his friendship with Christopher Hitchens which runs through the book， even as Hitch continues to call him "Little Keith"。 It is Hitchens' untimely death which breathes life into this extraordinary memoir and reflection on writers and writing。Martin Amis is still here， orphaned， grieving， bereft。 He is still writing although he notes he may not have much left to say。 He is still standing with a wife， children， grandchildren。 Some people find Martin Amis insufferably smug。 He has plenty to be smug about， but he seems to have maintained his sense of wonder and appreciation and humility and I'm not sure there is anything more I could ever want from an author I have been reading for 30+ years。 。。。more

Suzanne ，

Loved it！Amis' gracious tell all was a riotous pleasure。 I feel as though i met a new friend on his journey。 Loved it！Amis' gracious tell all was a riotous pleasure。 I feel as though i met a new friend on his journey。 。。。more

Ronald Watson ，

I really enjoyed this book- which is much more of an autobiography than a novel。Mr Amis and I are almost exact contemporaries so the Zeitgeists were familiar to me as he traversed his years。 I have to say that in almost every dimension he did much better than I did。 Especially with his sexual activities！I particularly enjoyed reading about his close friendship with Christopher Hitchens - of whom I was a great fan because of his articulate atheism and anti-religiosity。 I devoured the book whilst I really enjoyed this book- which is much more of an autobiography than a novel。Mr Amis and I are almost exact contemporaries so the Zeitgeists were familiar to me as he traversed his years。 I have to say that in almost every dimension he did much better than I did。 Especially with his sexual activities！I particularly enjoyed reading about his close friendship with Christopher Hitchens - of whom I was a great fan because of his articulate atheism and anti-religiosity。 I devoured the book whilst at my house in Spain - appropriately as MA had so many homes and did so much travel。 。。。more

Graham Parker ，

Can never decide if I don't have the lexicon or mental strength to enjoy Amis。 This book is brilliant at moments and utterly rambling at others。 Confounding reading experience。 Can never decide if I don't have the lexicon or mental strength to enjoy Amis。 This book is brilliant at moments and utterly rambling at others。 Confounding reading experience。 。。。more

Tim O'Leary ，

Not shown: another half-star。 In what could be taken as "titivating，" （Amis's pet word like his use of deliquescence--and so many others requiring tiring detours to Google to learn their meaning） am fussing over what is deservedly a five-star review。 No question， Amis's literary craft exhibits a finesse in style and content unequalled by his contemporaries--so why a half-star shy of perfection？ No reason but my own suspicion that his previous memoir "Experience" （2000） has been reformatted and m Not shown: another half-star。 In what could be taken as "titivating，" （Amis's pet word like his use of deliquescence--and so many others requiring tiring detours to Google to learn their meaning） am fussing over what is deservedly a five-star review。 No question， Amis's literary craft exhibits a finesse in style and content unequalled by his contemporaries--so why a half-star shy of perfection？ No reason but my own suspicion that his previous memoir "Experience" （2000） has been reformatted and merged with a lengthy-but-unpublished other auto-fiction he rejected decades earlier called "Life。" As much as it is the author's own story， it abounds moreso in the realm of eulogy for the leading characters whose influence is keenly portrayed in unparalleled loving detail; Saul Bellow （the aging life-writing/realist novelist--his heart-warming， serial-marrying， Jewish mentor）; Christopher "The Hitch" Hitchens （an outspoken contrarian atheist， Trotskyist， essayist， intellectual rebel， womanising wing-man， and best friend）; Sir Kingsley Amis （his formal and formidable writer/father a shameless adulterer and famous cantankerous drunk （see drunkard。com） fraught with neuroses--fear of driving， of flying， of being left alone after dark--ever-morphing with the complex and conflicted relationships of his wives， his discontent later becoming manifest as out-and-out misogyny）; Philip Larkin （his father's best friend and emotionally-challenged life-long librarian， the would-be poet laureate of disappointment--of stunted lives and spoiled desires--he avoided the limelight turning the offer down）; and the sadly， morally compromised victim of early sex abuse--Amis's first love-interest--the manipulative beautiful product of fictitious （？） hybridization， Phoebe Phelps）。 Such a cast。 There is nothing to suggest the heady aroma of mothballs， however。 Whether this remains a novel， as a life-writing genre whereby certain names have been changed （Phoebe Phelps）， or it subscribes more closely to a memoir， is not really substantive to debate。 Call it what it is; an exemplary， intimate story of a writer whose literary life， and love of storytelling， and profoundly respectful regard for his readers， is a classic altogether worthy of his best efforts。 Where， in the fullest measure of his prolific career， he professes this to be his "last big novel。" In his "Afterthought" at the conclusion of the novel， he reveals the moving experience of scaling Israel's Masada--that "dramatic chunk of rock" that was the last stand of the Zealots （who died by their own swords） in their Great Revolt against Rome 73 CE。 Amis who climbed the 2，300 feet with younger legs a quarter of a century before， had returned in 2010 with his family， only to nearly succumb to the day's heat and its difficulty。 Will he attempt to summit the mountain again？ Is there yet another book in him？ Time will tell。 In the greatest themes that are the contests between life and death， of love and loss， what remains of Amis's writing days at age 72 are numbered--being ever grateful for what his talents can bestow up to the last。 As in the play "He Used to Notice Such Things，" the old poet would smile with childish wonder upon examining the tiny stipples of an orange held closely in his hand。 "That f--king old fool of a poet， Cuthbert，" Amis proclaimed。 Only to add: "To be a poet， to be a writer， you have to be continuously surprised。 You have to have something of the f--king old fool in you。" The Child is the father to the Man。 。。。more

Kurt ，

Highly recommended。 Inside Story is what a life lived according to literature is all about。 And what a death （several deaths， actually） lived according to literature is all about， too。

Mary Ann ，

This is supposed to be a novel， but， make no mistake， it's a memoir for all intents and purposes。 I started it on July 7th after reading Bernadette's review （link below） because of my great admiration for Amis's best friend， Christopher Hitchens。 Much of it is utterly heartbreaking， but it's also beautiful and so intense I had to take a break about halfway through。 Don't skip the footnotes; they're much more than citations and add a great deal of insight and context。 https://www。goodreads。com/re This is supposed to be a novel， but， make no mistake， it's a memoir for all intents and purposes。 I started it on July 7th after reading Bernadette's review （link below） because of my great admiration for Amis's best friend， Christopher Hitchens。 Much of it is utterly heartbreaking， but it's also beautiful and so intense I had to take a break about halfway through。 Don't skip the footnotes; they're much more than citations and add a great deal of insight and context。 https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more

Helen Cummings ，

What an amazing book！

Lawrence ，

I am not quite sure what this book is or what it is really about。 Is it a novel as I think Mr。 Amis says it is？ If so， I suppose it is in the category of autofiction。 This would seem an odd "genre" for thoughts about great writers like Bellow， Nabokov， Larkin， and the real love of Mr。 Amis' life， Christopher Hitchens。 Perhaps， Mr。 Amis' realizes that our memories of people and events are， in fact， a kind of fiction -- as in the well-polished story told at cocktail parties。 So。 In the final analy I am not quite sure what this book is or what it is really about。 Is it a novel as I think Mr。 Amis says it is？ If so， I suppose it is in the category of autofiction。 This would seem an odd "genre" for thoughts about great writers like Bellow， Nabokov， Larkin， and the real love of Mr。 Amis' life， Christopher Hitchens。 Perhaps， Mr。 Amis' realizes that our memories of people and events are， in fact， a kind of fiction -- as in the well-polished story told at cocktail parties。 So。 In the final analysis， the big question is: Can I trust this book？If I try to take a flight over this book's landscape， it seems to be about foibles and mostly decline and death。 The persons that Mr。 Amis focuses on the most are dead。 He seems to have witnessed Saul Bellow's decline。 He was virtually present at Hitchens' death。 His father （also dead） attended Philip Larkin's funeral or memorial。 He visits Phoebe Phelps， not a writer， but his lifelong obssession， and finds her practically moribund。 He goes into the "last words" of his dead and others。Mr。 Amis can describe these scenes and feelings with great power。 But can I trust him？ Well， I think I can trust him to make me more interested in the writers that he loves。 But I think I'll have to be my own jury on their lives。Sprinkled throughout are little doses on writing。 The most interesting is what Mr。 Amis calls "decorum" which is， simply， matching language/style to subject matter。 Otherwise， the lessons are not very exceptional。 He is better describing the writing practices of his father， Kingsley Amis， and his second wife， Elizabeth Jane Howard。Whatever my confusion， Mr。 Amis really entertained me。 He has a quick chatty style in this book。 In the main， he does not hold to one topic for very long， but drifts around as if we were at tea or drinks。 Since he is also very clever and has a great vocabulary and excellent sinewy and flexible sentences， I had a good time！ I suppose that's enough to say the book was a three-star enterprise。 。。。more

Ailema ，

This feels more like a technical exercise than the autobiographical novel it claims to be。 Amis's insights on writing are astute， often brilliant and occasionally hilarious， but the frequent， rambling hops between time， place and voice interrupt the book's thrust with such regularity that I found it a chore to finish。 He acknowledges early on that he doesn't necessarily expect you to read it cover to cover。 Giving this a rating would feel facile and mean-spirited。 Amis is a genius writer， a vete This feels more like a technical exercise than the autobiographical novel it claims to be。 Amis's insights on writing are astute， often brilliant and occasionally hilarious， but the frequent， rambling hops between time， place and voice interrupt the book's thrust with such regularity that I found it a chore to finish。 He acknowledges early on that he doesn't necessarily expect you to read it cover to cover。 Giving this a rating would feel facile and mean-spirited。 Amis is a genius writer， a veteran， and I frequently found myself highlighting phrases for both their acuity and their unselfconscious creativity。 Who else could describe a train as "slaked of motion" and be quoted on it in both the London Review of Books and the Guardian？ Moreover， he publishes raw detail about his private life that is all the more reassuring because of its profoundness。 Yet， since this is a novel about his own life， we can't speak of a satisfying plot。 Perhaps I would have found the experience more pleasurable if I had read Saul Bellow， Christopher Hitchens， and Philip Larkin。 At any rate， I greatly appreciated， but only slightly enjoyed， this book。 。。。more

Vivian Henoch ，

“Welcome！ Do step in。” From its opening lines， “Inside Story” by Martin Amis appears to invite the reader in for a friendly book chat， the pleasures of a tell-all novel。 Readers， beware。 The book is a beast， free to rant and roam cover-to-cover， 539 pages long; free to crisscross the lines between memoir， journalism and fiction， a fusion described as “accelerated life writing，” shape-shifting and gadabout in its narrative; free to break the fourth wall with copious footnotes; free to plot agains “Welcome！ Do step in。” From its opening lines， “Inside Story” by Martin Amis appears to invite the reader in for a friendly book chat， the pleasures of a tell-all novel。 Readers， beware。 The book is a beast， free to rant and roam cover-to-cover， 539 pages long; free to crisscross the lines between memoir， journalism and fiction， a fusion described as “accelerated life writing，” shape-shifting and gadabout in its narrative; free to break the fourth wall with copious footnotes; free to plot against all expectations of what an Amis novel might be， inserting memos to readers and a manual within the subcontext of “How to Write”; free to self-plagiarize for no apparent reason its author’s previous work to feature a short story published years ago; and finally， free to concede an ending of sorts and a fond adieu - but not complete without Afterthoughts， an Addendum and Index listing real people， places and events。 Taxing his readers patience and indulgence， literature is freedom， Amis declares 。 。 。 and yet， we follow him， willingly， free-climbing his mountainous body of work to plant our flag。“The book is about a life， my own” Amis suggests in the intro， “so it won’t read like a novel， more like a collection of linked short stories， with essayistic detours 。 。 。 to be read it fitful bursts， with plenty of skipping and postponing and doubling back –” In other words， the book is easy to put down for a nap。 And pick up again with a strong drink in hand。 Not to quibble the definition of a novel， I’ll take Martin Amis at his word: He is， after all， an internationally acclaimed writer， a master of entertaining and graceful sentences， praised in interviews as “prodigy， literary Mick Jagger， bad boy of British letters， enfant terrible， contrarian and stone-solid genius。” I have no doubt that that Amis knows precisely what he’s been up to （and up against） through the decade it’s taken him to write his 17th work of fiction。 Now a septuagenarian， he suggests that he is reaching the finishing line， that “another full-length fiction， let alone another long fiction， seems unlikely。” It’s no stretch to imagine within the sprawling pages of his “Inside Story，” there lurks the fear of running dry， that this is the Big One， Amis unchained by convention， energized by his mortality， gunning for his last laugh， his final say – his legacy and just reward in the complex matter of the “writing life” he has been privileged to lead。 Rarely anything written about Martin Amis fails to mention his literary lineage， that he is the son of Booker Prize winning novelist Kingsley Amis， and a lifetime beneficiary of a galaxy of literary luminaries who have encouraged， energized and inspired his work。 Dropping names like tidbits at a cocktail party， “Inside Story” reads like a literary festival， peppered with reconstructed and reimagined conversations with all his writer pals， the likes of Salman Rushdie， Iris Murdoch， Ian McEwan， Philip Roth， Vladimir Nabokov， John Updike， Kurt Vonnegut， Norman Mailer。As Amis observes， “The business of writing about writers is more ambivalent than the end-product normally admits。 As a fan and a reader， you want your hero to be genuinely inspirational。 As a journalist， you hope for lunacy， spite， deplorable indiscretions， a full-scale crack-up in mid-interview。 And as a human， you yearn for the onset of a flattering relationship。”Lunacy， spite， obsession， maddening digressions – it’s all baked inside Amis’s story。 I haven’t much to say about the male enhancement revenge plot against his fictional love interest， Phoebe Phelps。 She seems an amalgam， a mere amusement among the clutter。 The heart， the soul， the spine and the truth of the novel - those places where Amis’s most authentic and assured voice comes alive – are all centered around his four principal characters: His wife， author Isabel Elena Fonseca， to whom the book is dedicated; The Poet Phillip Larkin of his father’s generation; The Novelist Saul Bellow， his literary idol; and the Essayist， Christopher Hitchens， the “Hitch” to Amis’s wagon to the stars。 “The poet went in 1985， the novelist in 2005 and the essayist in 2011，” writes Amis。 “The essayist was my longest-serving friend and my exact contemporary。 Whatever else it did to me and for me （a very great deal）， his death gave me my theme， and meant， too that Life could earn its subtitle。 There was more room to manoeuvre， more freedom; and fiction is freedom。 Life was dead。 Life is dead， artistically。 Death， on the other hand， in this respect is very much alive。” Ironically， “Inside Story” comes most alive in its final chapters – at the death beds of Phillips， Bellow and Hitchens – where Amis gently brings you in， as a witness， an intimate， a friend who breaks your heart。 What pain， what pleasure to read， what alchemy。 Yes， Amis， the novelist， has still got it。 。。。more

Damián Tullio ，

Las circunstancias hicieron que tardara mucho tiempo en leer este libro。 Pero estuvo bien que fuera así。Amis lo describe como una novela de no-ficción。 Para mí es una autobiografía cruzada por tres hombres: su mejor amigo， Christopher Hitchens; su mentor， Saul Bellow; y una especie de padre putativo， distante y rechazado: el poeta Philip Larkin。Con un tono entre resignado y nostálgico， y una prosa muy colorida， más que repasar su propia vida repone las formas en que aquellos tres hombres se la t Las circunstancias hicieron que tardara mucho tiempo en leer este libro。 Pero estuvo bien que fuera así。Amis lo describe como una novela de no-ficción。 Para mí es una autobiografía cruzada por tres hombres: su mejor amigo， Christopher Hitchens; su mentor， Saul Bellow; y una especie de padre putativo， distante y rechazado: el poeta Philip Larkin。Con un tono entre resignado y nostálgico， y una prosa muy colorida， más que repasar su propia vida repone las formas en que aquellos tres hombres se la transformaron。 Una novela a la que la asola la vejez， la nostalgia del amor y la muerte。 Se siente un poco como una despedida 。。。more

Mary ，

Decidely one of the strangest things I've ever read。 It's labled a novel but has real people described at length with extensive dialog。 The "narrative" jerks along and includes policical essays， poetry analysis， scathing self deprecation and writing tips。 Decidely one of the strangest things I've ever read。 It's labled a novel but has real people described at length with extensive dialog。 The "narrative" jerks along and includes policical essays， poetry analysis， scathing self deprecation and writing tips。 。。。more

Joseph Reynolds ，

Shaggy dog tales abound。 I like Amis。 He's an amiable writer。 But he's like the garrulous companion you know who， after a few drinks， is not as funny or interesting as he thinks。 You tolerate him。 He amuses you。 But he can be tiring， and you are all relieved when you pour him into the cab and can finally relax。 I might dip into it again， it did have some good moments。 But he needs an editor who will crack the whip。 A lot of filler。 Shaggy dog tales abound。 I like Amis。 He's an amiable writer。 But he's like the garrulous companion you know who， after a few drinks， is not as funny or interesting as he thinks。 You tolerate him。 He amuses you。 But he can be tiring， and you are all relieved when you pour him into the cab and can finally relax。 I might dip into it again， it did have some good moments。 But he needs an editor who will crack the whip。 A lot of filler。 。。。more

Stefani ，

I felt as though I'd been backed into a corner at a party， unable to extract myself from the clutches of this blowhard。 I didn't make it further than 10 pages。 Guess it's an acquired taste。 I felt as though I'd been backed into a corner at a party， unable to extract myself from the clutches of this blowhard。 I didn't make it further than 10 pages。 Guess it's an acquired taste。 。。。more

Rob Miech ，

The arrogance and righteous indignation are off the charts 。。。 not exactly unexpected; still， there are wonderful passages with/of Hitch （why I mainly bought it）， and there are some excellent insights into grammar/style/mechanics。

Blake ，

A beautiful biography/novel（？） written in some of the most exquisite language I have ever read。 A love story of sorts of Amis and his best of friends。 His chapters on Hitchens were incredible。

Margaret ，

Did not finish。 This autobiographical novel deals with the author's friendship with Christopher Hitchens， his relationship with Saul Bellow， and his opinions about writing， among other things。 I like his work， but not this one。 Did not finish。 This autobiographical novel deals with the author's friendship with Christopher Hitchens， his relationship with Saul Bellow， and his opinions about writing， among other things。 I like his work， but not this one。 。。。more

Benjamin Just ，

Wonderfully written， and intimately laid out。 Reading it feels like a conversation with Amis; full of humour， intelligence， love， and insight。 A thought provoking， comfortingly gentle， and significant read。Particularly enjoyed witnessing the everyday Hitch。

ThereWillBeBooks ，

Breezy， well-written， gossipy， and fascinating。 Biography as fiction or fiction as biography doesn't really matter what you label it as long as the material is engaging， and if you like Amis and/or Hitchens you'll find plenty to like here。 Amis is a bit of a snob （but so are most bookish people） and he's only a snob to others while confiding in you the reader as if they're a dear old friend。 Breezy， well-written， gossipy， and fascinating。 Biography as fiction or fiction as biography doesn't really matter what you label it as long as the material is engaging， and if you like Amis and/or Hitchens you'll find plenty to like here。 Amis is a bit of a snob （but so are most bookish people） and he's only a snob to others while confiding in you the reader as if they're a dear old friend。 。。。more

Bernadette Jansen op de Haar ，

I just finished this utterly remarkable book: Inside Story – a novel by Marin Amis。 Is it a novel， is it a memoir？ That’s beside the point， what matters is that it’s a great read and wonderful literature。 A book to my heart， and that doesn’t mean I subscribe to all the author’s view， I’m a practising Roman Catholic， so say no more。 It’s so refreshing to read an author who identities （this should be obvious but isn’t often enough） with readers and takes them seriously and challenges them to follo I just finished this utterly remarkable book: Inside Story – a novel by Marin Amis。 Is it a novel， is it a memoir？ That’s beside the point， what matters is that it’s a great read and wonderful literature。 A book to my heart， and that doesn’t mean I subscribe to all the author’s view， I’m a practising Roman Catholic， so say no more。 It’s so refreshing to read an author who identities （this should be obvious but isn’t often enough） with readers and takes them seriously and challenges them to follow him on his journey through life and literature。 His asides on the ins and outs of writing prose and poetry are insightful and memorable。 The whole book deserves its length and is to be savoured。 Wonderfully also to see acknowledgement and commemoration of death （none of us are immune to it） at the core of this book。 。。。more

David Guy ，

Inside Story has novelistic sections， but the bulk of the book is a memoir of some writers who have been his good friends。 I have a vague memory from early in the book （I’ve been reading it for so long that it seems like weeks ago） that Amis at one point considered calling the book Life。 He could just as easily have called it Death， since that’s what he’s recounting most of the time。 He’s had a rich literary career， full of famous writers—his father was Kingsley Amis， his stepmother Elizabeth Ja Inside Story has novelistic sections， but the bulk of the book is a memoir of some writers who have been his good friends。 I have a vague memory from early in the book （I’ve been reading it for so long that it seems like weeks ago） that Amis at one point considered calling the book Life。 He could just as easily have called it Death， since that’s what he’s recounting most of the time。 He’s had a rich literary career， full of famous writers—his father was Kingsley Amis， his stepmother Elizabeth Jane Howard—but feels himself coming to the end of things。 He ain’t the only one。 The man is one year younger than I am。The novelistic part of the book might be the most entrancing， however。 It primarily concerns a woman named Phoebe， whom he supposedly picked up at a phone booth one evening when he was young。 Amis has said somewhere or other that she’s a composite of several women he’s known; in any case， she’s a real zinger。 She almost immediately challenges him—“D’yo do a lot of this。 Trolling around street corners on the off-chance？”—but then， when she agrees to meet him， immediately takes control， making a reservation for dinner and having him to her place for drinks。 They’ve hardly taken a sip when she leads him off to the bedroom—at this point they’ve known each other for all of about ten minutes—and her performance in bed is marvelous， though he doesn’t describe it in detail （this book includes tips for writers， and one of them is to avoid describing sex explicitly[1]。 He also advises the writer to avoid religion as a subject。 My whole career just went down the tubes）。 After this unlikely beginning， she becomes a factor in his life for years to come。In a way she is the most important person in the book， because it is she who tells him， well into their relationship， that Kingsley Amis told her he was not Martin’s biological father。 She delivers this news on September 12， 2001， a day when Martin—and the rest of the world—had something else on their minds。 Kingsley by that time is dead， and Martin’s only apparent recourse is to go to his mother and ask a rather awkward question。 He never reports that he does that。 But the issue of patrimony hangs over the entire novel。Much of the memoir concerns Amis’ friendships with an older writer， Saul Bellow， and an exact contemporary， Christopher Hitchins。 He is also quite obsessed—as is Phoebe—with a friend of his father’s， the poet Philip Larkin， who emerges as perhaps the most vivid， and also the weirdest， of the people who inhabit the book。 Amis practically worships Bellow。 He considers him the greatest American novelist， a statement that threw me for a loop。 I haven’t read all of Bellow， in fact pretty much stopped with Humboldt’s Gift， my favorite of his books。 I had assumed， perhaps unfairly， that none of the later books could match that one。 I still don’t believe Bellow surpasses Faulkner， or Toni Morrison for that matter。 But it’s interesting that Amis thinks so。I didn’t realize that Bellow suffered so seriously from Alzheimer’s at the end of his life， and was sad to discover that。 I suppose it’s sadder when the mind of a brilliant writer encounters that disease， but any Alzheimer’s patient is a sad one （and none will be sadder for me than my mother）。 Amis is blindsided by the illness on one visit when Bellow keeps asking him the same question again and again。 I’ve been there。 It’s a difficult situation。But the closer friendship was with Hitchins， a writer whom I don’t know at all。 Everyone who knew him raves about him as a person， and about his brilliance as a writer。 Amis goes on and on about the man， and what great company he was。 I do think that that friendship， and Amis’ long account of the man’s death， is the most moving thing in the book， and dominates the latter part of it。 Even the question of paternity—which does get resolved—doesn’t overshadow it。I have a prejudice against Hitchins because he wrote a book entitled God Is Not Great。 It doesn’t bother me that someone is an atheist， and of course Hitchins is known as a contrarian and an antagonist。 I object to that title because it seems needlessly provocative and offensive; it’s fine to disagree with people， but you don’t need to spit in their face。 Also， the atheist arguments that so many of these writes espouse seem puerile to me （“How could a loving God allow blah blah blah。 Such arguments sound like sophomores in college）。Hitchins was apparently great company over lunch and dinners （meals which occupied a huge amount of his day）， and could drink anyone under the table。 He had two whiskies before lunch， and a minimum half a bottle of wine with the meal。 He repeated the performance at dinner， which must have come fairly soon after lunch， because he would sit at both meals for hours， regaling people with conversation。 Previous to lunch， he had satisfied his daily requirement of producing a thousand printable words every day。 From then on it was all talk and booze。Amis portrays him as a lover of life， and I’m not suggesting he wasn’t。 But he was a heavy smoker， and died a horrible death of esophageal cancer， which had spread to various parts of his body。 Nothing is more predictable than that a man who smoked and drank the way he did would die of cancer。 Yet he apparently didn’t stop， even in the face of that illness， and the people who surrounded him， including Amis and Hitchin’s wife， continued to attend these meals and to smoke themselves。 I’m reading a book about supposedly intelligent people who allegedly love life， and they’re systematically poisoning their bodies and are blotto half the time。 I drink beer， and like a little buzz at the end of the day。 But I don’t drink like this， and don’t think it’s intelligent—or life affirming—to live that way。Amis’ account of Hitchins’ death is quite moving， and at least according to Amis he was kind to everyone around him and had a dignified passing。 I could have read an entire book about that friendship alone。Amis sprinkled his book with chapters of writing tips—he was throwing everything into this book but the kitchen sink， a phrase he would disapprove of， since it’s a cliché—and that always seems a little strange to me。 Writing is a mystery that can’t be reduced to a set a rules， and there are great books that break every rule that Amis enumerates， and he knows it。 Besides， what are writing tips doing in a novel， which isn’t actually a novel but a memoir？ While he was at it， why didn’t he include some recipes and self-help tips？www。davidguy。org 。。。more

Alistair ，

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Rex Fausett ，

The best thing I've read for several years。 I was a fan earlier in his career but lost touch with The Pregnant Widow， which failed to move me。 Despite that， Amis's use of language， his style of writing， was always pure pleasure。 I have a friend who thought that Lucky Jim was one of the best novels ever and despite his encouragement， Kingsley never moved me like Martin did。 I know more about Kingsley now than I did back then and it seems the stories were true。 I know something about Hitchens， Lar The best thing I've read for several years。 I was a fan earlier in his career but lost touch with The Pregnant Widow， which failed to move me。 Despite that， Amis's use of language， his style of writing， was always pure pleasure。 I have a friend who thought that Lucky Jim was one of the best novels ever and despite his encouragement， Kingsley never moved me like Martin did。 I know more about Kingsley now than I did back then and it seems the stories were true。 I know something about Hitchens， Larkin and Bellow now， none of whom I knew before， and more about death， or at least Martin's view of it and fear of it， having hit seventy。 Hitchens and Anna Wintour！ Who knew？ Probably everyone but me。 The Phoebe Phelps character， apparently， according to Google， a simulacrum of a real person， was terrific。 Sadly， and presumably as a result of most of her male/female interactions being commercial， she was unable to form a stable and genuine relationship with Martin or any other male。 Phoebe makes up many pages in the book and can't be ignored even if you want to ignore her or if she frightens you。 And death？ Martin sees it coming down the highway but it stopped for petrol so he's safe for a while。 We've all seen people die and the famous die just like the everyone else。 Dementia is the real enemy。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Desde dentro

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Desde dentro&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Desde dentro&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0