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Inside Story

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Inside Story

By: Martin Amis
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This extraordinary novel gives the listener the heart-to-heart testimony of one of our finest writers - a wonder of literary invention and a boisterous modern classic.

His most intimate and epic work to date, Inside Story is the portrait of Martin Amis' extraordinary life, as a man and a writer. This novel had its birth in a death - that of the author's closest friend, Christopher Hitchens. We also encounter the vibrant characters who have helped define Martin Amis, from his father Kingsley, to his hero Saul Bellow, from Philip Larkin to Iris Murdoch and Elizabeth Jane Howard, and to the person who captivated his 20s, the alluringly amoral Phoebe Phelps.

What begins as a thrilling tale of romantic entanglements, family and friendship evolves into a tender, witty exploration of the hardest questions: how to live, how to grieve and how to die? In his search for answers, Amis surveys the great horrors of the 20th century and the still-unfolding impact of the 9/11 attacks on the 21st - and shares all he has learned on how to write.

The result is one of Amis' greatest achievements: a love letter to life that is at once exuberant, meditative, heartbreaking and ebullient, to be savoured and cherished for many years to come.

©2020 Martin Amis (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Biographical Fiction Fiction Heartfelt Witty

What listeners say about Inside Story

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Great story telling

A most enjoyable book, beautifully narrated by Alex Jennings. This has been the best book of the year for me, this year.

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As a lover of Amis...I loved it

I've noted some negative reviews and thought I'd spell it out: if you love Martin Amis' work – and if you love any of the several writers he spends time on (and with) – Christopher Hitchens, Saul Bellow, Philip Larkin, Kingsley Amis – you'll love the book.
If you don't, you might not. So read or listen to some of the work first to decide.

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Extraordinary

And better consumed as an audio book as the masterful Alex Jennings read all the footnotes, where the heartbeat lies. Just finished and I am ready to start all over again. Rosemary February 2021

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2 people found this helpful

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Great narration. Terrible narrator on other books

I loved this book and the narration. SO, why does Amis/Audible use that terrible American narrator Steven Pacey on 3 of Amis' most brilliant and quintessentially English novels? Unbearable.

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Amis at his best

Intimate, charming, thoughtful, and deeply personal, with the occasional piece of writing advice thrown in. This is a much warmer Amis than we see in his novels. Inside Story confirms that Amis is generous and lyrical when writing about his own life. (Experience is equally good.)
Jennings is a perfect narrator, his feel for language, rhythm, and pacing were flawless.

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A self-satisfied writer

Amis seems to revel in his virtuosity with words and his superior knowledge in all things. Even his self-deprecatory remarks seem to smack of smugness.

I enjoyed his thumbnails of people like Elizabeth Jane Howard but at times I had to skip his lessons in grammar and word placement. By the end I was skipping rather large tracts.

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