Lucky Jim
Encyclopedia
Lucky Jim is an academic satire written by Kingsley Amis
, first published in 1954
by Victor Gollancz
. It was Amis's first novel, and won the Somerset Maugham Award
for fiction. Set sometime around 1950, Lucky Jim follows the exploits of the eponymous James (Jim) Dixon, a reluctant medieval history lecturer at an unnamed provincial English
university
(based in part on the University of Leicester
). The novel uses a precise and seemingly plain-spoken narrative voice.
The book's preliminary pages quote an "old song" (in fact 1896 ): "Oh, lucky Jim, How I envy him...". It is supposed that Amis arrived at Jim Dixon's surname from 12 Dixon Drive, Leicester, the address of Philip Larkin
from 1948 to 1950, while he was a librarian at the university. Lucky Jim is dedicated to Larkin, who inspired the main character.
Time
magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.
Christopher Hitchens
has described it as the best comic novel of the second half of the 20th century, and Toby Young
has claimed that it is the best comic novel of the 20th century.
, presumably grammar school
-educated, lower middle class
young man, and not a natural fit with the high cultural
values he meets in academic society. The action takes place towards the end of the academic year, and having made an unsure start in the department, he is concerned not to lose his position at the end of his probationary first year. In his attempt to be awarded tenure, he tries to maintain a good relationship with his head of department, Professor Welch, an absent-minded and gauche pedant. He must also, to establish his credentials, ensure the publication of his first scholarly article, and with very little time remaining.
Dixon struggles with an on-again off-again "girlfriend" Margaret Peel (a fellow lecturer), who is recovering from a failed suicide attempt
after her previous boyfriend dumped her. Margaret employs emotional blackmail
to appeal to Dixon's sense of duty and pity to keep him in an ambiguous and sexless relationship. Professor Welch holds a musical weekend that seems to be an opportunity for Dixon to advance his standing amongst his colleagues, but this goes dreadfully wrong when Dixon gets drunk and burns his host's bedclothes. At the weekend, Dixon meets Christine Callaghan, a young Londoner who is dating Professor Welch's son Bertrand, an amateur painter whose affectedness particularly infuriates Dixon. After a bad start, Dixon realises he is attracted to Christine, who is far less pretentious than she initially appears. Dixon's obvious attempts to court Christine upset Bertrand who is using his relationship with her to reach her well-connected Scottish uncle, who is seeking an assistant in London. Dixon rescues Christine from the university's annual dance when Bertrand treats her badly. The pair kiss and make a tea date, but during the date Christine admits she feels too guilty about seeing Dixon behind Bertrand's back and because Dixon is supposed to be seeing Margaret. The two decide not to continue seeing each other.
Meanwhile, Margaret's ex-boyfriend telephones Dixon and asks to see him to discuss Margaret.
The novel reaches its climax during Dixon's public lecture on "Merrie England
," which goes horribly wrong as Dixon, attempting to calm his nerves with an excess of alcohol, uncontrollably begins to mock Welch and everything else that he hates; he finally goes into convulsions and passes out. Welch, of course, fires Dixon.
However, Christine's uncle, who reveals a tacit respect for Dixon's individuality and attitude towards pretension, offers Dixon the coveted assistant job in London that pays much better than his lecturing position. Dixon then meets Margaret's ex-boyfriend, who reveals that he was not exactly Margaret's boyfriend at all, and the two realize that the suicide attempt was faked to emotionally blackmail both men. Dixon feels he is free of Margaret. Dixon finally has the last laugh, as Christine finds out Bertrand was also pursuing an affair with the wife of one of Dixon's former colleagues; she decides to pursue her relationship with Dixon. At the end of the book, Dixon and Christine bump into the Welches on the street; Jim cannot help walking right up to them, with Christine on his arm, and exploding in laughter at how ridiculous they truly are.
British movie version directed by John Boulting, Jim Dixon was played by Ian Carmichael
. In the made-for-TV remake
of 2003
directed by Robin Shepperd
, the role was taken by Stephen Tompkinson
.
Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
, first published in 1954
1954 in literature
The year 1954 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Jack Kerouac reads Dwight Goddard's A Buddhist Bible, which will influence him greatly.*John Updike graduates from Harvard with a thesis on George Herbert....
by Victor Gollancz
Victor Gollancz Ltd
Victor Gollancz Ltd was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz and specialised in the publication of high quality literature, nonfiction and popular fiction, including science fiction. Upon Gollancz's death in 1967, ownership...
. It was Amis's first novel, and won the Somerset Maugham Award
Somerset Maugham Award
The Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each May by the Society of Authors. It is awarded to whom they judge to be the best writer or writers under the age of thirty-five of a book published in the past year. The prize was instituted in 1947 by William Somerset Maugham and thus...
for fiction. Set sometime around 1950, Lucky Jim follows the exploits of the eponymous James (Jim) Dixon, a reluctant medieval history lecturer at an unnamed provincial English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
(based in part on the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
). The novel uses a precise and seemingly plain-spoken narrative voice.
The book's preliminary pages quote an "old song" (in fact 1896 ): "Oh, lucky Jim, How I envy him...". It is supposed that Amis arrived at Jim Dixon's surname from 12 Dixon Drive, Leicester, the address of Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL is widely regarded as one of the great English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century...
from 1948 to 1950, while he was a librarian at the university. Lucky Jim is dedicated to Larkin, who inspired the main character.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
has described it as the best comic novel of the second half of the 20th century, and Toby Young
Toby Young
Toby Young, MA, FRSA is a British journalist and the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his stint in New York as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine...
has claimed that it is the best comic novel of the 20th century.
Plot
Jim Dixon is a medieval history lecturer at a redbrick university in the English Midlands. The comic dynamic of the novel is Dixon's rebellion against the cant and pretension he meets in academic life, and the uncontrolled escalation of this from private fantasy to public display. It seems a disastrous trajectory, but Jim is 'lucky', and the novel ends with possession of relative affluence, the London life he craves, and the girl. Dixon is a northernNorthern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, presumably grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
-educated, lower middle class
Lower middle class
In developed nations across the world, the lower middle class is a sub-division of the greater middle class. Universally the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle class associated with the higher realms of the middle...
young man, and not a natural fit with the high cultural
High culture
High culture is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture...
values he meets in academic society. The action takes place towards the end of the academic year, and having made an unsure start in the department, he is concerned not to lose his position at the end of his probationary first year. In his attempt to be awarded tenure, he tries to maintain a good relationship with his head of department, Professor Welch, an absent-minded and gauche pedant. He must also, to establish his credentials, ensure the publication of his first scholarly article, and with very little time remaining.
Dixon struggles with an on-again off-again "girlfriend" Margaret Peel (a fellow lecturer), who is recovering from a failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempts comprise a large portion of suicide attempts. Some are regarded as not true attempts at all, but rather parasuicide. The usual attempt may be a wish to affect another person by the behaviour. Consequently, it occurs in a social context and may represent a request for help....
after her previous boyfriend dumped her. Margaret employs emotional blackmail
Emotional blackmail
Emotional blackmail is a term used to cover a central form of psychological manipulation - 'the use of a system of threats and punishment on a person by someone close to them in an attempt to control their behavior'. "Emotional blackmail.....
to appeal to Dixon's sense of duty and pity to keep him in an ambiguous and sexless relationship. Professor Welch holds a musical weekend that seems to be an opportunity for Dixon to advance his standing amongst his colleagues, but this goes dreadfully wrong when Dixon gets drunk and burns his host's bedclothes. At the weekend, Dixon meets Christine Callaghan, a young Londoner who is dating Professor Welch's son Bertrand, an amateur painter whose affectedness particularly infuriates Dixon. After a bad start, Dixon realises he is attracted to Christine, who is far less pretentious than she initially appears. Dixon's obvious attempts to court Christine upset Bertrand who is using his relationship with her to reach her well-connected Scottish uncle, who is seeking an assistant in London. Dixon rescues Christine from the university's annual dance when Bertrand treats her badly. The pair kiss and make a tea date, but during the date Christine admits she feels too guilty about seeing Dixon behind Bertrand's back and because Dixon is supposed to be seeing Margaret. The two decide not to continue seeing each other.
Meanwhile, Margaret's ex-boyfriend telephones Dixon and asks to see him to discuss Margaret.
The novel reaches its climax during Dixon's public lecture on "Merrie England
Merry England
"Merry England", or in more jocular, archaic spelling "Merrie England", refers to an English autostereotype, a utopian conception of English society and culture based on an idyllic pastoral way of life that was allegedly prevalent at some time between the Middle Ages and the onset of the Industrial...
," which goes horribly wrong as Dixon, attempting to calm his nerves with an excess of alcohol, uncontrollably begins to mock Welch and everything else that he hates; he finally goes into convulsions and passes out. Welch, of course, fires Dixon.
However, Christine's uncle, who reveals a tacit respect for Dixon's individuality and attitude towards pretension, offers Dixon the coveted assistant job in London that pays much better than his lecturing position. Dixon then meets Margaret's ex-boyfriend, who reveals that he was not exactly Margaret's boyfriend at all, and the two realize that the suicide attempt was faked to emotionally blackmail both men. Dixon feels he is free of Margaret. Dixon finally has the last laugh, as Christine finds out Bertrand was also pursuing an affair with the wife of one of Dixon's former colleagues; she decides to pursue her relationship with Dixon. At the end of the book, Dixon and Christine bump into the Welches on the street; Jim cannot help walking right up to them, with Christine on his arm, and exploding in laughter at how ridiculous they truly are.
Film adaptations
In the 19571957 in film
The year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:...
British movie version directed by John Boulting, Jim Dixon was played by Ian Carmichael
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
. In the made-for-TV remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of 2003
2003 in television
The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
directed by Robin Shepperd
Robin Shepperd
Robin Sheppard is a British television director who has directed Lucky Jim, Octavia, Cherished, The Bad Mother's Handbook, and episodes of Kingdom, Casualty, Playing the Field and At Home with the Braithwaites...
, the role was taken by Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Tompkinson is a British actor. He is best known for his work in comedy and drama productions such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Ballykissangel, Grafters, In Deep, Wild at Heart and DCI Banks....
.