Review: The Green Man by Kingsley Amis
Tia
- posted on
- No Comment
Honestly, what a great book.
It is so witty and so devilishly charismatic. I’m ecstatic to report that I could not put it down.
The best way to summarise ‘The Green Man’ is: Fawlty Towers with ghosts and threesomes. Published in 1969, complete with a cynical hotel owner fondling women and palming off guests to his bumbling underling from ‘Espain’. (FYI: Racism and sexism abound).
Maurice, the owner of The Green Man Inn, is convinced that late one night while drunk he had an encounter with a ghost. Of course, his friends and family roll their eyes as they remind Maurice of his problem with alcoholism. Undeterred, Maurice seeks to prove the ghost is real.
The story takes place over the course of a week or so. Maurice’s life becomes more and more chaotic as he compiles evidence of his ghost, plots sexual exploits with his friend’s wife, and guzzles even more hard liquor.
Maurice is an absolute asshole in the most fascinating, brilliant way. He has the snarky humour of an intelligent person constrained by the humdrum of everyday life, but not motivated enough to change their predicament. No one is safe from Maurice’s sharp insights, not even God. It’s the kind of comedy that will curl your lips up into a wry smile, you naughty heathen.
This is slapstick entertainment for smart people.
There are some moments that probe into deeper, philosophical topics, such as the desire to escape from self awareness. These musings come across as being for the sheer thrill of it, rather than looking to appease any frumpy, highbrow scholars.
‘The Green Man’ is black comedy sprinkled with horror. I never had any idea what was going to happen next, and I loved every moment of it.
3 out of 5 cheeky nips of Scotch.
I would have given 4/5, but I decided to deduct one mark as I felt that the author used sexual violence as a short cut for character development. You can read more about why I do this here.
Rather than comedy, ‘All the Birds, Singing’ by Evie Wyld uses ghost story elements to create a Gothic horror in the Australian outback.
