The Old Devils
Kingsley Amis · 1922–1995 · England
Why it matters
A celebrity 'professional Welshman' retires home to Wales, upending the drinking circle of old friends (and old lovers) he left behind. Amis's Booker winner: late-life comedy with real cruelty and, more surprisingly, real tenderness.
At a glance
comedysatire
Difficulty 4/10medium pace384 pagesA large cast of bibulous pensioners to keep straight; the prose is impeccably clear.
Deep dive
Why the funniest thing in a novel about aging drunks turns out to be how badly, underneath the cruelty, they need each other.
Where to go next
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