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The Rachel Papers (Vintage Blue) by: Martin Amis

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Rating: - Did I miss something?

I found this to be little more than a typical story about a young adult. The central character is unlikeable but I suspected this was done on purpose so didn't have too many issues with that. The main issue is that everyone around the central figure is almost ignored, especially Rachel. What do we know about her at the end of the story that we did not know when she was introduced? Hardly anything. So it was hard for me to relate to his growing feelings for her. You would think that for such a diligent diarist this would become clear.

The one moment I really enjoyed was during his Oxford interview when he was finally exposed as someone lacking any real substance or feeling towards his chosen area of study. Apart from that I found it pretty average.

Rating: - 4 and a half stars really!

It's a great book, Martin Amis has an amazing style I dont wanna say too much but yeh, it's definitly worth the read if youre not a total prude about language! xxx

Rating: - Not completely convincing, but very funny

Martin Amis' fisrt novel, published when he was just 24, describes a few months in the life of Charles Highway, a sex-driven and highly intelligent nineteen-year-old preparing for Oxford Entrance exams in the 1970s. I've read a few Amis novels now, and to my mind he is not at his best here, but the book does showcase his unique use of prose, and is certainly a rollicking good read.

Narrated in the first person, the book is supposedly written in five hours on the eve of Highway's twentieth birthday. He tells the story of the preceding few months of his life with reference to written accounts he kept at the time (though it's not clear wheather or not he is quoting verbatim from these records). In particular, he describes his relationship with a girl he meets at a party - Rachel - using 'the Rachel Papers'. Thus there are two narratives to follow, the writing of the book, and the course of the Charles/Rachel relationship. Interspersed with this are a few flashbacks and digressions, and while this relatively complicated structure is usually handled competently, it sometimes becomes a little confused, and at times seems unnecessary.

Highway is not a desperately appealing hero on the face of it: arrogant, self-obsessed, lascivious and physically repulsive. He shows off a lot about how intelligent and well-read he is, and you can't help but feel that Amis is using him as a vehicle to display indirectly his own brilliance, which is mildly irritating. However, I began to feel some sympathy for him (Highway) when he stopped talking about classical literature and started describing some of the defining moments of his teenage life. The descriptions of his sexual inner-life in particular are very accute, and very, very funny. Some of the mental-monologues in sex scenes had me giggling away out loud, something books rarely do for me. You end up feeling feel that though this character is unconvincing taken as a whole, there are certainly parts of it that resonate very strongly, for me (a male twenty something) anyway.

Other characters are not really described in detail, even Rachel (although you get a vague feeling that she's a bit wet), and this is one of the novel's major weaknesses. I kept waiting for more detail on Highway's family and best friend, but it never came, despite the fact that there seemed a lot of potential in the sketches we were given. In particular, a lot of hints are dropped about Highway's relationship with his father, but this potentially fascinating interaction was more or less ignored, despite many references to the 'Letter To My Father'.

The writing is typical of what I have read of Amis up until now: very funny, fast-paced, intelligent and unmistakeably late-twentieth century, though a little inconsistent in places. A minor (anal?) complaint is that Highway uses a few Americanisms which an anti-american teenager brought up in Oxford would certainly not use; this serves to undermine things a bit. For my money, Amis is the best writer around at the moment, with the possible exception of J G Ballard, though to be honest I don't bother much with anything written in the last twenty years or so.

To summarise, this is an enjoyable book supplying some irreverent insight into teenage life, given in Amis' wonderful and inimitable style, though it does have significant shortcomings. If you're an Amis fan or a young male, then definitely give it a try. However if you're new to Amis then I would sooner recommend the excellent 'Money' which I think is far more accomplished.

Rating: - I Beg To Differ

Bought book on strength of previous reviews. Got through it with a few laughs but would not recommend it.
The central character; Highway (and as it is in the first person he is the book), has no redeeming features. He is an unlikable, unhappy, pretentious slob. OK so was Hancock but you still loved him. Here he just did not work for me.
The book style was a little annoying, with the story jumping around in time unnecessarily. The supporting characters were mere sketches; all we knew of Rachel was that she had a bit of a big nose! For a writer and poet Highway seemed to be unable to convey any sense of infatuation for the girl, his world was very two dimensional.
For a ripping tale of youth sex and emotion with a billion times the humour get Frank Skinner's Biog instead.

Rating: - Brilliant book. Very, very funny.

Of the three Amis books that I have read this is the most light of tone and subject, and is also the one I enjoyed the most.

The book is very, very funny and the story easy to relate to even though is was written in some time ago. The subject and language is in places a little crude, but this adds to the authenticity and humor.

The story reminded me of ‘The Diary of Adrian Mole’, except it is much more adult, mature and a far better book.

If you want to read Martin Amis without feeling depressed then try this: one of the most enjoyable novels I have read for a long time.

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