The Information Martin Amis (Vintage)
As Martin Amis' latest novel, The Pregnant Widow, continues to sell briskly, he's reaching a wider readership. So where's the best place for the newly acquainted reader to start delving through the famous author's back-catalogue?
There's a great deal to choose from. Twelve novels, 11 works of non-fiction, and a few superb short-fiction anthologies.
Amis' most enduring successes are Money, Success, and London Fields; all highly recommended.
A less illustrious but similarly rewarding Amis read is his oft-overlooked 1995 novel, The Information, in which his exuberant wit and painfully shrewd observational skills (many of the vile characters appear to be real people) are showcased in a nasty send-up of the London publishing world. Anyone who has ever had reason to be ticked off with book publishers, literary agents, or self-absorbed scribes, will find this venomous treatment most gratifying.
One wonders if Amis received any writs.
Usually novels by novelists about novels and publishing are a big yawn. But Amis - almost as famous for his literary feuding as for his terrific books - delivers a narrative about two of the most detestable fictional writers ever.