Kingsley Amis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingsley Amis
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Kingsley William Amis 16 April 1922 Clapham, London, England |
| Died | 22 October 1995 (aged 73) London, England |
| Occupation |
|
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford |
| Period | 1947–1995 |
| Genre | Fiction, fictional prose |
| Literary movement | Angry Young Men |
| Spouse |
|
| Children | Philip Amis Martin Amis Sally Amis |
Sir Kingsley William Amis (born April 16, 1922 – died October 22, 1995) was a famous English novelist, poet, and critic. He also worked as a teacher. He wrote over 20 novels, many poems, short stories, and scripts for radio and TV.
Kingsley Amis is best known for his funny, satirical novels. Some of his most popular books include Lucky Jim (1954) and The Old Devils (1986). A writer named Zachary Leader called him "the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century." He was also the father of another well-known novelist, Martin Amis. In 2008, The Times newspaper listed him as one of the top British writers since 1945.
Contents
Kingsley Amis: Early Life and Education
Kingsley Amis was born in Clapham, south London, on April 16, 1922. He was the only child of William Robert Amis and Rosa Annie Lucas. His father worked as a clerk for a mustard company.
Kingsley grew up in Norbury, London. He later joked that he came from "Norbury station" because it was not a very exciting place. In 1940, his family moved to Berkhamsted.
He attended the City of London School on a scholarship. In April 1941, he went to St John's College, Oxford, also on a scholarship. There, he studied English. At Oxford, he met Philip Larkin, who became his lifelong friend.
While at Oxford, Amis joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1941. However, he left the party in 1956. This was after the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev criticized Joseph Stalin.
In July 1942, Amis joined the army for national service. He served in the Royal Corps of Signals. He returned to Oxford in October 1945 to finish his degree. He worked hard and earned a top grade in English in 1947. By then, he had decided to focus most of his time on writing.
Kingsley Amis: Career and Achievements
In 1946, Kingsley Amis met Hilary Bardwell. They got married in 1948. Their first child, Philip, was born soon after.
From 1949 to 1961, Amis worked as an English lecturer at the University College of Swansea. His other children, Martin and Sally, were born during this time.
Days after Sally's birth, Amis's first novel, Lucky Jim, was published. It was very popular. Critics felt it captured the feeling of Britain in the 1950s. It also brought a new style of writing. By 1972, over a million copies were sold in the United States. The book was translated into 20 languages.
Lucky Jim won the Somerset Maugham Award. Amis became known as one of the "Angry Young Men" writers. These writers often questioned traditional British life. Lucky Jim was also one of the first British "campus novels." These are stories set in universities.
In 1958 and 1959, Amis visited the United States. He was a visiting writer at Princeton University. After returning to Britain, he looked for a new job. In 1961, he became a fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge. But he did not like Cambridge and resigned in 1963. He then moved to London.
Hilary and Amis separated. He later married the novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard in 1965. They divorced in 1983. In his later years, Amis shared a house with his first wife, Hilary, and her third husband.
Kingsley Amis was made a knight in 1990. This means he received the title "Sir." He died on October 22, 1995, in London.
Kingsley Amis: Literary Works and Writing Style
Kingsley Amis is famous for his funny novels about British life in the mid to late 20th century. But he wrote in many different styles. He wrote poetry, essays, short stories, and even science fiction and mystery novels.
Amis first wanted to be a poet. He published several poetry books before writing novels. He continued to write poetry throughout his life. His poems were usually clear and easy to understand.
His first novel, Lucky Jim (1954), makes fun of serious university professors. It tells the story through the eyes of a young history teacher. Many people saw it as part of the Angry Young Men movement. This movement reacted against boring, traditional British life.
Amis's other early novels also showed everyday situations. That Uncertain Feeling (1955) is about a librarian. I Like It Here (1958) shares his dislike for traveling abroad. Take a Girl Like You (1960) explores love in modern life.
Later, Amis started experimenting with his writing. His novel The Anti-Death League (1966) played with reality. He had always loved science fiction. He even wrote a book about it called New Maps of Hell (1958). In this book, he talked about "comic inferno," which is a funny, dark future world.
Other novels like The Green Man (1969) (a mystery/horror story) and The Alteration (1976) (an alternative history novel) also showed his interest in different genres. In these books, Amis often questioned why there was so much unfairness in the world. He believed in finding happiness in family, friends, and simple pleasures.
Amis also wrote many essays and critical pieces. These were often published in magazines. Some were collected in his book What Became of Jane Austen? and Other Essays (1968). In these essays, he shared his witty opinions on books and society.
He also became involved with the James Bond novels. He admired them greatly. In 1965, he wrote James Bond Dossier, a book about the spy. He also wrote a guide called The Book of Bond under a fake name. In 1968, he wrote a James Bond novel himself, called Colonel Sun, using the name "Robert Markham".
Later in his career, some critics found his writing style to be old-fashioned. However, his novel The Old Devils (1986) won the important Booker Prize.
Amis also edited poetry collections. The New Oxford Book of Light Verse (1978) was a collection of funny or light-hearted poems. The Amis Anthology (1988) was his personal selection of his favorite poems.
Kingsley Amis was nominated for the Booker Prize three times. He won it for The Old Devils in 1986. In 2008, The Times newspaper ranked him as one of the greatest British writers since 1945.
Kingsley Amis: Family Life
Kingsley Amis was married twice. His first marriage was to Hilary Bardwell. They were married for 15 years. They had two sons and one daughter: Philip Amis, Martin Amis, and Sally Amis. Sally passed away in 2000.
Amis's second marriage was to the novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard. They were married from 1965 to 1983. They did not have any children together.
After his second marriage ended, Kingsley Amis went to live with his first wife, Hilary, and her third husband. His sons, Philip and Martin, helped arrange this so he would be cared for in his later years.
See also
In Spanish: Kingsley Amis para niños
