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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Some violence as Richard's obsession escalates
Language
A lot
Strong and explicit language throughout in Amis's maximalist prose style
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual content in the novel's various subplots
Substance Use
Some
Drinking and some drug use in the literary London setting
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The sustained psychological portrait of male envy — and the existential horror of watching your life's meaning drain away — is the novel's dark and brilliant subject
What this book is about
Martin Amis's novel follows two writers in middle age: Richard Tull, a serious novelist whose books are unreadable, and Gwyn Barry, his old friend whose vapid novel has made him rich and celebrated. Richard's envy curdles into obsession and then into a plan for revenge. Amis writes with his characteristic verbal pyrotechnics and savage wit; the novel is an exploration of male ego, literary ambition, and the existential vertigo of turning forty. Strong language and adult content throughout.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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