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Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions
Fuelled by innumerable cigarettes, Martin Amis provides dazzling portraits of contemporaries and mentors alike: Larkin and Rushdie; Greene and Pritchett; Ballard and Burgess and Nicholson Baker; John Updike - warts and all. Vigorously zipping across to Washington, he exposes the double-think of nuke-speak; in New Orleans the Republican Convention gets a going over. And then there's sport: he visits the world of darts and its disastrous attempt to clean itself up; dirty tricks in the world of chess; and some brisk but vicious poker with Al Alvarez and David Mamet.
Sex without Madonna, expulsion from school, a Stones gig that should have been gagged, on set with Robocop, or on court with Gabriela Sabatini, this is Martin Amis at his electric best.
Sex without Madonna, expulsion from school, a Stones gig that should have been gagged, on set with Robocop, or on court with Gabriela Sabatini, this is Martin Amis at his electric best.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
25 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
About the author
Martin Amis
113 books3,022 followersMartin Amis was an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His works included the novels Money, London Fields and The Information.
The Guardian writes that "all his critics have noted what Kingsley Amis [his father] complained of as a 'terrible compulsive vividness in his style... that constant demonstrating of his command of English'; and it's true that the Amis-ness of Amis will be recognisable in any piece before he reaches his first full stop."
Amis's raw material is what he sees as the absurdity of the postmodern condition with its grotesque caricatures. He has thus sometimes been portrayed as the undisputed master of what the New York Times has called "the new unpleasantness."
The Guardian writes that "all his critics have noted what Kingsley Amis [his father] complained of as a 'terrible compulsive vividness in his style... that constant demonstrating of his command of English'; and it's true that the Amis-ness of Amis will be recognisable in any piece before he reaches his first full stop."
Amis's raw material is what he sees as the absurdity of the postmodern condition with its grotesque caricatures. He has thus sometimes been portrayed as the undisputed master of what the New York Times has called "the new unpleasantness."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 14, 2022
After eight Martin Amis novels I thought it was high time to have a crack at some of his non-fiction. Overall - I'm impressed. This was the second time in little over a week that I came across writings about Graham Green and V.S. Naipaul in the same book (the other being J. M. Coetzee's Inner Workings) but Amis was far more fun to read, and had more variety here, whereas Coetzee was hard going. Some of these pieces were only a few pages long, whilst the longest ran up to about twenty; so easy to read a handful at a time in hardly any time. Of the thirty-three pieces the highlights for me were - Watford in China, J.G. Ballard, Visiting Mrs Nabokov, More Die of Hearbreak, Snooker with Julian Barnes, RoboCop ll, Darts: Gutted for Keith (I wonder if Amis named the darts obsessed Keith from his novel London Fields after the professional darts player Keith Deller, whom this is partly about), and Roman Polański.
July 20, 2021
78th book of 2021.
I dislike Martin Amis and that is a hard profession to be in as it’s so easy to like him. As in a paradox I tell people: “I hate Amis! But I really like him too, of course.” As with his memoir, Experience, some of these essays showed the gooey side to the otherwise cold Nabokov-esque figure in the literary world, right-wing, cynical. The best of these were the literary ones but the collection falls with countless sport-related essays which I didn’t care for: “Watford in China”, “Tennis: the Woman’s Game”, “Chess: Kasparov v. Karpov”, “Darts: Gutted for Keith”. Amis’ voice has that cynical charm to it but it feels lesser than elsewhere. Some of these essays are very short, some are 20 pages long, etc. One a lengthy essay about nuclear war (which despite dreading, I found human and astute), another lengthy essay (gush) about a Bellow novel, More Die of Heartbreak.
His memoir Experience is far more consistently entertaining and warm. Other than its highlights, a lot of these were mostly forgettable. Highlights include the opener on Greene, a portrait of the novelist at eighty-years-old and their interview (Greene still sharp, Amis sharper), with an interesting postscript (post-Greene’s death) that lets on about the woman who joined them for lunch and Amis’ view on Greene’s work as being adolescent, but important for readers in their adolescence. His essay on Updike is humorous, presenting the novelist as open and warm. Ballard was a brilliant insight into ‘England’s least conventional writer’, and Amis writes in the very first paragraph: ‘He has always been a vivid exponent of Flaubert’s Law: orderly and regular in his life, savage and original in his art.’ They talk briefly of Empire of the Sun and Ballard answers Amis about how much of it is fact, and how much of it is fiction. Amis was a strong supporter of Rushdie during the fatwa and this a strong essay about the period of Rushdie’s hiding. There are a good few quotes from Rushdie himself, my favourite being this,
Asimov is portrayed as arrogant but charming, like a mad professor; Pritchett's essay is full of quotes from his works, and I joined Amis in his awe; Burgess drank Amis effortlessly under the table and probably get up the next day and wrote three novels and composed seven musical works, whilst Amis was hungover for half a week; Naipaul is more a reflection on India, or rather "his" India; Nicholson Baker is a strange figure, the essay made wonderful by Amis' description of him: 'Baker's physical appearance: a balding, four-eyed, pin-headed drink of water'; Larkin is drawn with tender nostalgia, a figure from Amis' childhood.
Other essays were of varying interest on the Rolling Stones, Madonna, John Braine, various locations like St Lucia, Cannes, and quite a lot about nuclear warheads and Reagan, as most of these essays were coming out of the 70s and 80s.
The titular essay was one of the best and most interesting for me, a fellow Nabokov fan. Martin Amis has been open about his love for VN his entire life. He discovers that even his wife, Véra, calls him V.N. They talked in a hotel and were joined by VN's son, Dimitri, who had recently had a motorsports crash and had burns up his arms. Amis describes him as being remarkably talented on many fronts, his sports, his music, and of course, translating his father's novels. The most striking thing about the essay is how unwavering dedicated they are to VN and his work still. The essay ends with this touching exchange:
I dislike Martin Amis and that is a hard profession to be in as it’s so easy to like him. As in a paradox I tell people: “I hate Amis! But I really like him too, of course.” As with his memoir, Experience, some of these essays showed the gooey side to the otherwise cold Nabokov-esque figure in the literary world, right-wing, cynical. The best of these were the literary ones but the collection falls with countless sport-related essays which I didn’t care for: “Watford in China”, “Tennis: the Woman’s Game”, “Chess: Kasparov v. Karpov”, “Darts: Gutted for Keith”. Amis’ voice has that cynical charm to it but it feels lesser than elsewhere. Some of these essays are very short, some are 20 pages long, etc. One a lengthy essay about nuclear war (which despite dreading, I found human and astute), another lengthy essay (gush) about a Bellow novel, More Die of Heartbreak.
His memoir Experience is far more consistently entertaining and warm. Other than its highlights, a lot of these were mostly forgettable. Highlights include the opener on Greene, a portrait of the novelist at eighty-years-old and their interview (Greene still sharp, Amis sharper), with an interesting postscript (post-Greene’s death) that lets on about the woman who joined them for lunch and Amis’ view on Greene’s work as being adolescent, but important for readers in their adolescence. His essay on Updike is humorous, presenting the novelist as open and warm. Ballard was a brilliant insight into ‘England’s least conventional writer’, and Amis writes in the very first paragraph: ‘He has always been a vivid exponent of Flaubert’s Law: orderly and regular in his life, savage and original in his art.’ They talk briefly of Empire of the Sun and Ballard answers Amis about how much of it is fact, and how much of it is fiction. Amis was a strong supporter of Rushdie during the fatwa and this a strong essay about the period of Rushdie’s hiding. There are a good few quotes from Rushdie himself, my favourite being this,
‘An average day? I don’t have average days, because there’s always the possibility of having to move. I read a lot. I talk on the telephone a lot—two or three hours a day. I play computer games. Chess. Supermario. I am a master of Supermarios I and II.’
Asimov is portrayed as arrogant but charming, like a mad professor; Pritchett's essay is full of quotes from his works, and I joined Amis in his awe; Burgess drank Amis effortlessly under the table and probably get up the next day and wrote three novels and composed seven musical works, whilst Amis was hungover for half a week; Naipaul is more a reflection on India, or rather "his" India; Nicholson Baker is a strange figure, the essay made wonderful by Amis' description of him: 'Baker's physical appearance: a balding, four-eyed, pin-headed drink of water'; Larkin is drawn with tender nostalgia, a figure from Amis' childhood.
Other essays were of varying interest on the Rolling Stones, Madonna, John Braine, various locations like St Lucia, Cannes, and quite a lot about nuclear warheads and Reagan, as most of these essays were coming out of the 70s and 80s.
The titular essay was one of the best and most interesting for me, a fellow Nabokov fan. Martin Amis has been open about his love for VN his entire life. He discovers that even his wife, Véra, calls him V.N. They talked in a hotel and were joined by VN's son, Dimitri, who had recently had a motorsports crash and had burns up his arms. Amis describes him as being remarkably talented on many fronts, his sports, his music, and of course, translating his father's novels. The most striking thing about the essay is how unwavering dedicated they are to VN and his work still. The essay ends with this touching exchange:
As our conversation went on, and remained pretty cautious and general, I felt a mild unease growing in Mrs Nabokov—as if she would inevitably have to repulse some grossly personal query ('Mrs Nabokov, did you ever meet the real Lolita?'). Eventually, she said, 'These questions you will ask. Where are these questions?'
'Well, there were one or two things,' I said. 'Your husband dedicated all his books to you, every one. That's very unusual, isn't it?'
'It is? . . . What should I answer? We had a very unusual relationship. But that you knew before you asked. Anything else?'
'Was he—was he great fun?' I asked helplessly. 'Were there lots of jokes? Did you laugh a lot?'
'Oh, yes. His humour was delightful. He was delightful,' said Mrs Nabokov. 'But you knew that too.'
October 2, 2014
Martin Amis writing jazzy, restrained, well-informed, and right-minded journalism about the titular Mrs. V.N., nuclear lunacy, the making of Robocop II, nude sunbathing at Cannes, darts, snooker, poker, getting expelled, John Updike, John Lennon, Elton John's soccer team's trip to China, in-flight turbulence, Nicholson Baker, Phillip Larkin, underhanded bouts of chess between Kasparov and Kaparov, Salman Rushdie, Saul Bellow, and the weird world of Republican primary buffoonery: what's not to love? Whether writing about being snubbed by Madonna or taking Roman Polanski to task for being a dirty, old pervert, Amis always makes for a compulsive voice to read.
July 14, 2014
My favorite passage:
Just before the 1978 Championship I interviewed Korchnoi in London, at the Savoy. At one point, twisting powerfully in his chair, he became silent, and then grew dreamy. With some wistfulness he confessed that he despaired of ever bringing home, to people in the West, the crawling sliminess, the full squidgy horror, of Anatoly Karpov. 'You know, in Russia we have a fish,' he said, 'called a karp. A disgusting, slimy fish. You wouldn't eat it. That's what Karpov is.' I said, 'We've got that fish too. Called a carp.' Korchnoi looked startled. 'You have?... Good! Good!'
November 22, 2013
What a brilliant title, so inspired and inciting, this book has got! The contents, however, were a little bit disappointing, a hurry-scurry of places, games, people whose only connection was, as the author himself says in the Introduction, “getting out of the house.”
And these “excursions” outdoors imply not only visits to some famous widows, but also going to concerts, flying dangerously, accompanying sport teams, watching games and politics and of course, interviewing authors in order to write articles for British and American newspapers. And, given the specific characteristic of journalistic genre it is expected that some be extraordinary, some of limited interest and others simply outdated.
I glean randomly some clever impressions gathered during these trips. Most of them concern of course, writers, since these were the articles I was most interested in:
“Never content just to be, America is also obliged to mean; America signifies, hence its constant and riveting vulnerability to illusion.”
“…you cannot read writers like Saul Bellow; you can only reread them. I have read the new one — and you haven't. Not even Saul Bellow has read it. Oh, he has peered at the typescript, he has agonised over the proofs. He has written it. But he has not read it, as I have.”
“On the way I bought an evening paper. Its banner headline read: EXECUTE RUSHDIE ORDERS THE AYATOLLAH, Salman had disappeared into the world of block caps. He had vanished into the front page.”
“Preferring Paul (McCartney n.m.) to John (Lennon n.m.) was like preferring Cliff Richard to Elvis Presley, or Donovan to Dylan.”
“His Englishness (Philip Larkin’s n.m.) was so desolate and inhospitable that even the English were scandalised by it.”
“It is said that Evelyn Waugh died of snobbery. Philip Larkin died of shame: mortal, corporeal shame.”
“When Burgess met Borges, they chatted in Anglo-Saxon.”
“…even Humbert Humbert realised that young girls don't really know whether they are willing or not. The active paedophile is stealing childhoods. Polanski, you sense, has never even tried to understand this.”
But the icing on the cake is this:
“Writing journalism never feels like writing in the proper sense.”
Never a sentence rang truer, and that’s why I totally agree with a (good)reader’s advice: do not begin reading Martin Amis with this book, not because it is not worth reading, (in fact it is quite interesting) but because it betrays little of the writer. It only shows a gifted journalist.
And these “excursions” outdoors imply not only visits to some famous widows, but also going to concerts, flying dangerously, accompanying sport teams, watching games and politics and of course, interviewing authors in order to write articles for British and American newspapers. And, given the specific characteristic of journalistic genre it is expected that some be extraordinary, some of limited interest and others simply outdated.
I glean randomly some clever impressions gathered during these trips. Most of them concern of course, writers, since these were the articles I was most interested in:
“Never content just to be, America is also obliged to mean; America signifies, hence its constant and riveting vulnerability to illusion.”
“…you cannot read writers like Saul Bellow; you can only reread them. I have read the new one — and you haven't. Not even Saul Bellow has read it. Oh, he has peered at the typescript, he has agonised over the proofs. He has written it. But he has not read it, as I have.”
“On the way I bought an evening paper. Its banner headline read: EXECUTE RUSHDIE ORDERS THE AYATOLLAH, Salman had disappeared into the world of block caps. He had vanished into the front page.”
“Preferring Paul (McCartney n.m.) to John (Lennon n.m.) was like preferring Cliff Richard to Elvis Presley, or Donovan to Dylan.”
“His Englishness (Philip Larkin’s n.m.) was so desolate and inhospitable that even the English were scandalised by it.”
“It is said that Evelyn Waugh died of snobbery. Philip Larkin died of shame: mortal, corporeal shame.”
“When Burgess met Borges, they chatted in Anglo-Saxon.”
“…even Humbert Humbert realised that young girls don't really know whether they are willing or not. The active paedophile is stealing childhoods. Polanski, you sense, has never even tried to understand this.”
But the icing on the cake is this:
“Writing journalism never feels like writing in the proper sense.”
Never a sentence rang truer, and that’s why I totally agree with a (good)reader’s advice: do not begin reading Martin Amis with this book, not because it is not worth reading, (in fact it is quite interesting) but because it betrays little of the writer. It only shows a gifted journalist.
August 22, 2007
Martin Amis is one of my favorite writers, but this collection of non-fiction just kind of sucks. I don't give a fuck about nukes.
October 7, 2016
Enjoyable pieces written by Amis in the 1980s and 1990s. The best articles were the ones about Salman Rushdie, Saul Bellow, Issac Assimov, and Martin's visit to Vera Nabokov.
May 19, 2025
Reading Amis’ essays are a joy. Mainly because, when you open each essay and see its topic, be it Chess, Darts or, I’m not joking, RoboCop II, you think to yourself, I am and will be so uninterested in this. Until, of course, you read it. Amis would have been able to write about paint drying and make it interesting. This collection is less literary than his most notable collection, The War Against Cliché: Essays and Reviews 1971-2000, which I think is better; more fulsome. Regardless, pick up Amis and micro-dose him in your life; you will find yourself interested in things you wouldn’t have otherwise cared about.
April 11, 2024
Martin Amis is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors; of late I've read three of his works (two novels, one non-fiction collection), and now this delightful assemblage of reporter's work joins the list of completed reads. It is a worthwhile journey.
"Visiting Mrs. Nabokov" is a collection of various pieces that Amis wrote from the late Seventies up to the early Nineties, for various magazines or newspapers, and it is a grab-bag of observations, profiles, remembrances, and assorted other odds and ends. I found myself particularly enjoying his essays about John Lennon and Philip Larkin on the occasion of each's passing, and the Frankfurt book fair and the topless beaches of Cannes as exotic, gimlet-eyed travel pieces. Also good is a record of his snooker-playing contest with Julian Barnes, his visit to the set of "Robo-Cop 2," and his review of the hubbub surrounding Madonna's "Sex" book. But best of all are the conversations with fellow writers (Anthony Burgess, John Updike, Salman Rushdie) and the autobiographical pieces that show up throughout.
I read "The Moronic Inferno" a while back, which gave me a taste of Amis' caustic wit and inability to suffer Fool's, but I really like this collection even better. I don't know if there are any other non-fiction collections of his work around, but I'd be in the market for any that I come across. And I also feel more inclined to seek out his novels. Martin Amis has become a writer whose work is something that I seek out now, and "Visiting Mrs. Nabokov" was delightful.
"Visiting Mrs. Nabokov" is a collection of various pieces that Amis wrote from the late Seventies up to the early Nineties, for various magazines or newspapers, and it is a grab-bag of observations, profiles, remembrances, and assorted other odds and ends. I found myself particularly enjoying his essays about John Lennon and Philip Larkin on the occasion of each's passing, and the Frankfurt book fair and the topless beaches of Cannes as exotic, gimlet-eyed travel pieces. Also good is a record of his snooker-playing contest with Julian Barnes, his visit to the set of "Robo-Cop 2," and his review of the hubbub surrounding Madonna's "Sex" book. But best of all are the conversations with fellow writers (Anthony Burgess, John Updike, Salman Rushdie) and the autobiographical pieces that show up throughout.
I read "The Moronic Inferno" a while back, which gave me a taste of Amis' caustic wit and inability to suffer Fool's, but I really like this collection even better. I don't know if there are any other non-fiction collections of his work around, but I'd be in the market for any that I come across. And I also feel more inclined to seek out his novels. Martin Amis has become a writer whose work is something that I seek out now, and "Visiting Mrs. Nabokov" was delightful.
August 11, 2016
Astonishingly well-written, always insightful, by turns hilarious and deadly serious, and with an admirable variation of topics, Amis's essays are the best I've read since the peak of Vidal's career. In other words, he vies with his late friend Christopher Hitchens as the best essayist of the last twenty or so years. This collection is a superb introduction to Amis's body of work, and the pleasures it provides are constant and surprising.
March 26, 2008
He's at his best when he writes about other writers and their writings: Greene, Updike, Ballard, Naipaul, Bellow, Rushdie, Larkin, Burgess and of course, Nabokov. But there is no worst in this collection, only less than best. These are the pieces like RoboCop II, Expelled and Cannes, which though well-done, seem a bit too ephemeral to be put between the covers of a book.
June 8, 2009
Amis is amusing, but not nearly as funny or original as I wish he was. The best stuff is all about authors and their lives: Graham Greene, V.S. Pritchett, John Braine, Isaac Asimov, the Nabokovs. The worst is all about sports.
March 27, 2008
i feel sad that mrs. nabokov had to put up with this guy in her old age.
May 11, 2023
"Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" is an intriguing compilation of Martin Amis's journalistic writings, presenting a masterful blend of sharp social commentary, insightful literary criticism, and engaging personal reflections. The collection fully merits a five-star rating for its intellectual rigor, witty prose, and the unique perspective it offers on a wide range of topics.
From the titular essay, an intriguing account of his meeting with the widow of famous Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov, to insightful profiles of figures as diverse as Madonna, John Updike, and J.G. Ballard, Amis proves himself to be an astute and engaging observer of both literary and pop culture. Each essay provides a fresh perspective on its subject, making the collection a captivating read from beginning to end.
Amis's prose is sharp, witty, and insightful. Whether he's discussing the intricacies of Nabokov's prose, the peculiarities of Hollywood, or the intricacies of professional poker, his writing is always engaging and thought-provoking. His personal reflections on these varied experiences and characters add a layer of depth to his observations, making each essay as much about his perspective as it is about the subject at hand.
In addition to his engaging writing style, Amis's broad range of interests and his ability to distill complex ideas into accessible prose make this collection a joy to read. The essays cover a diverse range of topics, from literature and film to politics and sports, showcasing Amis's versatility as a writer and thinker.
"Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" also displays Amis's trademark humor, which is often self-deprecating and always razor-sharp. Whether he's poking fun at himself, his subjects, or society at large, his wit adds an extra layer of enjoyment to his essays.
In conclusion, "Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" is a stellar collection of essays that showcases Martin Amis's talent as a writer, critic, and observer of human nature. Its engaging prose, sharp insights, and broad range of subjects make it a must-read for fans of Amis and newcomers alike. This collection not only illuminates the subjects of its essays but also offers a glimpse into Amis's own mind, making it a truly captivating read worthy of a five-star rating.
From the titular essay, an intriguing account of his meeting with the widow of famous Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov, to insightful profiles of figures as diverse as Madonna, John Updike, and J.G. Ballard, Amis proves himself to be an astute and engaging observer of both literary and pop culture. Each essay provides a fresh perspective on its subject, making the collection a captivating read from beginning to end.
Amis's prose is sharp, witty, and insightful. Whether he's discussing the intricacies of Nabokov's prose, the peculiarities of Hollywood, or the intricacies of professional poker, his writing is always engaging and thought-provoking. His personal reflections on these varied experiences and characters add a layer of depth to his observations, making each essay as much about his perspective as it is about the subject at hand.
In addition to his engaging writing style, Amis's broad range of interests and his ability to distill complex ideas into accessible prose make this collection a joy to read. The essays cover a diverse range of topics, from literature and film to politics and sports, showcasing Amis's versatility as a writer and thinker.
"Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" also displays Amis's trademark humor, which is often self-deprecating and always razor-sharp. Whether he's poking fun at himself, his subjects, or society at large, his wit adds an extra layer of enjoyment to his essays.
In conclusion, "Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" is a stellar collection of essays that showcases Martin Amis's talent as a writer, critic, and observer of human nature. Its engaging prose, sharp insights, and broad range of subjects make it a must-read for fans of Amis and newcomers alike. This collection not only illuminates the subjects of its essays but also offers a glimpse into Amis's own mind, making it a truly captivating read worthy of a five-star rating.
January 13, 2025
A collection of essays, columns etc. written throughout the 70s and 80s. Perfect book for this time of year, it brightens the day: I love Amis's style and reading this reminded me how much I missed him, and his ilk. Spitting out hard criticisms and grown-up observations with a devil-may-care assurance, and making you laugh along the way. I enjoy these collections of non-fiction, other good ones from contemporaries of Amis's are Junk Mail by Will Self and Arguably: Selected Essays by Christopher Hitchens.
Of the 33 essays I marked out my favorite's with a * against the titles in the contents page, those being:
Nuclear City: the Magadeath Individuals - the great and useless paradox
Watford in China - Graeme Taylor & Elton John take Watford FC to China
JG Ballard
Chess: Kasparov v. Karpov - who knew the chess world was so fucked up!?
The Republicans in 1988
Salman Rushdie
Isaac Asimov
Darts: Gutted for Keith - special mention for the hilarity of this piece and for the love of darts
Anthony Burgess - Burgess drinks Amis under the table, then gets up the next morning to compose a concerto
Roman Polanski - incredible background story of the disgraced French film director
Of the 33 essays I marked out my favorite's with a * against the titles in the contents page, those being:
Nuclear City: the Magadeath Individuals - the great and useless paradox
Watford in China - Graeme Taylor & Elton John take Watford FC to China
JG Ballard
Chess: Kasparov v. Karpov - who knew the chess world was so fucked up!?
The Republicans in 1988
Salman Rushdie
Isaac Asimov
Darts: Gutted for Keith - special mention for the hilarity of this piece and for the love of darts
Anthony Burgess - Burgess drinks Amis under the table, then gets up the next morning to compose a concerto
Roman Polanski - incredible background story of the disgraced French film director
July 22, 2025
The centrepieces here are the interviews, bulked out with essays in which Amis evokes a place (Notting Hill Carnival, a Stones concert at Earls Court) or world (professional darts, women's tennis). I liked his combination of empathy and unsentimentality, particularly on show in the obituary of Philip Larkin.
Amis has the knack of telling us what it is like to be in someone's presence. Of Asimov: "I expected cheerful volubility, but [he] gives off an air of irritated preoccupation, as if silently completing a stint of mental arithmetic." Polanski: "He is one of those people who can shout for service without giving offence: if he hollers for a beer it is because he must have that beer, and must have it now."
The book is hard to get, but it's available online (eg here and here).
Amis has the knack of telling us what it is like to be in someone's presence. Of Asimov: "I expected cheerful volubility, but [he] gives off an air of irritated preoccupation, as if silently completing a stint of mental arithmetic." Polanski: "He is one of those people who can shout for service without giving offence: if he hollers for a beer it is because he must have that beer, and must have it now."
The book is hard to get, but it's available online (eg here and here).
June 14, 2019
Anything with "Nabokov" in the title will get my attention, and this collection of interviews doesn't disappoint. The Nabokov essay is wonderful, as are other literary meetings: John Updike, J.G Ballard, Salman Rushdie, Anthony Burgess, Phillip Larkin. (In the next collection, Martin Amis, how about some women? Surely you could find something to say about Hilary Mantel? Or Ferrante or Marilyn Robinson?) Amis is shrewd, kind, funny, perceptive, sometimes mean, other times kind -- on all of them. He's not bad on Roman Polanski or Madona, either. The perfect collection to keep on your nightstand and to read when you only have half an hour or so... or are in need of nibbling while in between books.
October 28, 2019
This is an easy fast read covering sports from poker to darts and many pieces on various writers. It is these writer pieces that I felt the most interesting. They range from Saul Bellow (about More Die of Heartbreak), Madonna (Sex), Asimov, Salman Rushdie in the wake of The Satanic Verses controversy, the title piece, etc,
Read
July 28, 2017"Nuclear City: The Megadeath Intellectuals," page 16:
"A train carrying the Hiroshima yield in TNT form would take up four miles of track. A train carrying the equivalent of the Soviet H-bomb would put a girdle round the earth at the latitude of London with a three-thousand-mile overlap. Military strategists, of course, have a special contempt for such Believe-It-or-Not formulations. And that contempt is understandable. For at moments like these, nuclear weapons edge out of their shadowland; they edge out of nothing and start heading for everything."
"A train carrying the Hiroshima yield in TNT form would take up four miles of track. A train carrying the equivalent of the Soviet H-bomb would put a girdle round the earth at the latitude of London with a three-thousand-mile overlap. Military strategists, of course, have a special contempt for such Believe-It-or-Not formulations. And that contempt is understandable. For at moments like these, nuclear weapons edge out of their shadowland; they edge out of nothing and start heading for everything."
September 5, 2024
The Moronic Inferno, another Amis essay collection, was a howler. This one feels tamer, more subdued. The title essay fails to do justice to one of his great heroes, the other being Bellow. Poet Philip Larkin is critiqued but an English friend described him as a miserabilist which may explain why his work doesn't travel well like Guinness. Besides, who knows Hull? For a time, Amis was obsessed with nukes and the essay is nearly unbearable as apocalypse in the voices of nuclear scientists becomes normalized. Read it at your peril.
January 29, 2023
I've always enjoyed Amis's nonfiction excursions - in many ways they are the equal, if not the superior (I'm looking at you, Yellow Dog), of his literary adventures. Here we find some criticism, some travel writing of a sort, and some cultural examinations; never less than interesting and engaging, they are sometimes superlative, and certainly the sort of thing that any lover of David Foster Wallace's nonfiction would appreciate.
December 27, 2017
Strong voice, and a college level vocabulary. These are mostly commissioned magazine articles by Amis, often where he’s put into a strange situation, like playing poker with other authors or interviewing Mrs. Nabokov. OK for a bit of heavy light reading.
June 11, 2021
This series of magazine articles Amis wrote, mostly from the late 80’s, had a few absolute gems. Unfortunately there were too many duds that had more attitude than substance. I’ve loved his fiction, but this was ultimately disappointing.
February 27, 2018
Rozhovory se spisovateli jsem tolik neocenil, neboť jsem spoustu z nich neznal, naopak mě velmi potěšily sportovní repky (tenis, šipky atd.). Funguje to taky jako dobrá zásobárna tipů na čtení :)
September 21, 2022
Saw this in the bookstore when I was stoned and thought it was calling me to read?? But was actually a good short story collection hehe
September 10, 2024
Desparejo pero encantador. A veces muy radical en sus cometarios (especialmente los políticos), un poco esnob en otros aspectos, es un buen manual de crónica periodística.
February 24, 2025
This is the second time I’ve read this book. Originally about 10 years ago. It’s a gem. The energy and variety of these journalistic pieces are breathtaking. We have lost a great writer.
July 27, 2025
Dated but I so adore his writing.
October 18, 2018
A selection of journalistic articles from Amis, written for the likes of Esquire, the Observer and The New Statesman, back in the days before he became a tiresome bore.
Most of the thirty three pieces are very short and can be split into two main categories: writing about places, or writing about other writers. Only one article distinguished itself in both length and subject.
This article was named 'Nuclear City: The Megadeath Intellectuals'. The title tells you that it's about a place -Washington, to be exact- but really the subject was nuclear weapons and the lunatics that lobby for and against them at policy level.
During the piece he inevitably attempted to coin some big capitalized phrases and failed rather badly (how could be ever have thought that 'Recruiters and Pressed Men' would say it better than 'Hawks and Doves'?), but it's still a theme he knows well, recognizing it as the only theme:
'Everything and nothing. If they become everything, we become nothing. If they become nothing, we become everything, all over again. So which way is it going to be?'
The travelogues took in Cannes, Frankfurt (the Book Fair, boring), Notting Hill (the Carnival) and St Lucia. The best piece followed Watford FC on tour of China, where John Barnes couldn't even be bothered to visit the Great Wall and Elton John bought everything he saw.
Of the appreciations, interviews and obituaries of his literary friends and heroes (drinks with Anthony Burgess, drinks with Graham Greene, drinks with JG Ballard), I enjoyed the article on Isaac Asimov the most, a prolific yet atrocious writer who was also an extraordinary egotist:
Earlier that day, Asimov had accidentally jumped a coffee queue in the radio-station canteen.
'A girl turned to me and said, "Just because you're so famous doesn't mean you can go to the head of the line." I turned to her and nearly said, "Just because you're so insignificant doesn't mean..." I shut myself up that time. But I got to keep trying about things like that.'
Amis may still play snooker for all I know but I strongly doubt that Julian Barnes is still his cue-buddy after their falling out. I wonder if he's still chummy with Salman Rushdie? The interview here, conducted a year after the 'fatwa', was very touching.
The ideas in his article on darts were incorporated into one of his duller novels, the one in which he lost me forever as an enthusiastic fan. Come to think of it the bits about darts were the best bits of that book.
As you might expect, through necessity his humour was more sprightly here than it tends to be in his bludgeoning novels. I think the best line came in his adroit skewering of the politicians at the 1988 Republican Convention:
'Candidates can't keep their hands of their little ones when they're in public, perhaps because it's the only time they ever see them.'
Most of the thirty three pieces are very short and can be split into two main categories: writing about places, or writing about other writers. Only one article distinguished itself in both length and subject.
This article was named 'Nuclear City: The Megadeath Intellectuals'. The title tells you that it's about a place -Washington, to be exact- but really the subject was nuclear weapons and the lunatics that lobby for and against them at policy level.
During the piece he inevitably attempted to coin some big capitalized phrases and failed rather badly (how could be ever have thought that 'Recruiters and Pressed Men' would say it better than 'Hawks and Doves'?), but it's still a theme he knows well, recognizing it as the only theme:
'Everything and nothing. If they become everything, we become nothing. If they become nothing, we become everything, all over again. So which way is it going to be?'
The travelogues took in Cannes, Frankfurt (the Book Fair, boring), Notting Hill (the Carnival) and St Lucia. The best piece followed Watford FC on tour of China, where John Barnes couldn't even be bothered to visit the Great Wall and Elton John bought everything he saw.
Of the appreciations, interviews and obituaries of his literary friends and heroes (drinks with Anthony Burgess, drinks with Graham Greene, drinks with JG Ballard), I enjoyed the article on Isaac Asimov the most, a prolific yet atrocious writer who was also an extraordinary egotist:
Earlier that day, Asimov had accidentally jumped a coffee queue in the radio-station canteen.
'A girl turned to me and said, "Just because you're so famous doesn't mean you can go to the head of the line." I turned to her and nearly said, "Just because you're so insignificant doesn't mean..." I shut myself up that time. But I got to keep trying about things like that.'
Amis may still play snooker for all I know but I strongly doubt that Julian Barnes is still his cue-buddy after their falling out. I wonder if he's still chummy with Salman Rushdie? The interview here, conducted a year after the 'fatwa', was very touching.
The ideas in his article on darts were incorporated into one of his duller novels, the one in which he lost me forever as an enthusiastic fan. Come to think of it the bits about darts were the best bits of that book.
As you might expect, through necessity his humour was more sprightly here than it tends to be in his bludgeoning novels. I think the best line came in his adroit skewering of the politicians at the 1988 Republican Convention:
'Candidates can't keep their hands of their little ones when they're in public, perhaps because it's the only time they ever see them.'
April 21, 2016
"Visually, though, one got some point of [...] Mick. This well-put-together, vitamin-packed unit of a human being does not really dance any more: it's simply that his head, his shoulders, his pelvis, both his arms, both his legs, both his huge feet and both his buttocks are wriggling, at great speed, independently, all the time."
The hilarious quote is, of course, about Mick Jagger, whose stage performance during the 1976 Rolling Stones concert at Earls Court did not impress Martin Amis much; I wonder what the author would write about twerking, were he inclined to watch such a highly sophisticated dance performance. The quote also provides a general sense of what the reader might expect from Martin Amis' collection Visiting Mrs. Nabokov and Other Excursions (1993). The author himself provides a dead-on description of his work: "a book of this kind [might be] described by a reviewer as 'a garage sale': the writer [is] selling his junk, in informal surroundings."
Visiting Mrs. Nabokov is a collection of 33 short journalistic pieces that were published in various newspapers and magazines, such as Observer, Vanity Fair, Premiere, Vogue, etc., between mid-1970s and the early 1990s. The topics range from entertainment, through sports, to politics, and - of course - literature. Most of the material here is pure journalistic fluff - topical, gossipy, and lightweight - but this fluff is extremely well-written, as usual for Mr. Amis, and occasionally hilarious. So even if the material is not quite relevant after so many years, it is hard not to laugh out loud when reading, for example, the following characterization of Isaac Asimov's autobiography: "[...] the book's most persistent theme is Asimov's inexhaustible, all-conquering self-love." Not only is the piece about Madonna's (that is Ms. Ciccone's) book Sex outrageously funny - my natural modesty prevents me from quoting numerous juicy bits that involve Ms. Ciccone's love of her certain body parts - but it is also quite astute about the essence of the post-modern culture and entertainment.
Few pieces are more serious: I particularly like the vitriolic essay about the British writer, John Braine, and the portrayal of his evolution from the idiotic left-wing stance when he was praising civil freedoms in the Soviet Union of the 1950s to equally cretinous right-wing pronouncements later in his life. I like the thoughtful piece on Roman Polanski, and to end with the timely topic of elections in the U.S., here's a great quote from a bit about the Republican Party convention in 1988, where Mr. Amis presents the main speakers thusly: "An actor, then an actress, then an ad, and then another actor - Reagan, with the Speech."
Yet - despite occasionally apparent wisdom, great writing, and frequently hilarious bits - it would be awkward in 2016 to recommend this somewhat dated collection.
Two and a half stars.
The hilarious quote is, of course, about Mick Jagger, whose stage performance during the 1976 Rolling Stones concert at Earls Court did not impress Martin Amis much; I wonder what the author would write about twerking, were he inclined to watch such a highly sophisticated dance performance. The quote also provides a general sense of what the reader might expect from Martin Amis' collection Visiting Mrs. Nabokov and Other Excursions (1993). The author himself provides a dead-on description of his work: "a book of this kind [might be] described by a reviewer as 'a garage sale': the writer [is] selling his junk, in informal surroundings."
Visiting Mrs. Nabokov is a collection of 33 short journalistic pieces that were published in various newspapers and magazines, such as Observer, Vanity Fair, Premiere, Vogue, etc., between mid-1970s and the early 1990s. The topics range from entertainment, through sports, to politics, and - of course - literature. Most of the material here is pure journalistic fluff - topical, gossipy, and lightweight - but this fluff is extremely well-written, as usual for Mr. Amis, and occasionally hilarious. So even if the material is not quite relevant after so many years, it is hard not to laugh out loud when reading, for example, the following characterization of Isaac Asimov's autobiography: "[...] the book's most persistent theme is Asimov's inexhaustible, all-conquering self-love." Not only is the piece about Madonna's (that is Ms. Ciccone's) book Sex outrageously funny - my natural modesty prevents me from quoting numerous juicy bits that involve Ms. Ciccone's love of her certain body parts - but it is also quite astute about the essence of the post-modern culture and entertainment.
Few pieces are more serious: I particularly like the vitriolic essay about the British writer, John Braine, and the portrayal of his evolution from the idiotic left-wing stance when he was praising civil freedoms in the Soviet Union of the 1950s to equally cretinous right-wing pronouncements later in his life. I like the thoughtful piece on Roman Polanski, and to end with the timely topic of elections in the U.S., here's a great quote from a bit about the Republican Party convention in 1988, where Mr. Amis presents the main speakers thusly: "An actor, then an actress, then an ad, and then another actor - Reagan, with the Speech."
Yet - despite occasionally apparent wisdom, great writing, and frequently hilarious bits - it would be awkward in 2016 to recommend this somewhat dated collection.
Two and a half stars.
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