Lionel Asbo: State of England

Description

A new reissue series of Martin Amis's novels to mark his 70th birthday Lionel Asbo has just won e139,999,999.50 on the Lottery. A horribly violent, but horribly unsuccessful criminal, Lionel's attentions up to now have all been on his nephew, Desmond Pepperdine. He showers him with fatherly advice ('carry a knife') and introduces Des to the joys of internet porn. Meanwhile, Des desires nothing more than books, a girl to love and to steer clear Uncle Li's psychotic pitbulls, Joe and Jeff. But Lionel's winnings are not necessarily all good news. For Des has a secret, and its discovery could unleash his uncle's implacable vengeance. 'One of Amis's funniest novels' New Yorker 'A book that looks at us, laughs at us, looks at us harder, closer, and laughs at us harder and still more savagely' Observer

Martin Amis is the author of fourteen novels, two collections of stories and eight works of non-fiction. His novel Time's Arrow was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, for which his subsequent novel Yellow Dog was also longlisted, and his memoir Experience won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. In 2008, The Times named him one of the 50 greatest writers since 1945. He lives in New York.

Terrific... Both funny and serious, and (as always wth Amis) very very on-the-money' * Richard Ford * This is classic Amis * Sunday Herald * The novel is something of a joy...he makes the dreadful funny, the grotesque poetic * The Times * It's a Big Mac made from filet mignon... It is a book of lovehate. It is a powershake... A book that looks at us, laughs at us, looks at us harder, closer, and laughs at us harder and still more savagely. It is every inch the novel that we all deserve. * Observer * The broadest comedy he has ever published... Lionel is a fantastic brute... I laughed a lot. Amis's delight in the incorrigible is genuinely Dickensian... This is a verbally inventive comedy...to be enjoyed in the same spirit as Little Britain... It's a hoot * Evening Standard *