The Rub of Time

The Rub of Time is a collection of essays and journalistic pieces written by Martin Amis between 1986 and 2016. The book spans topics from literature and politics to celebrity culture and Las Vegas poker rooms. Amis examines fellow writers including Saul Bellow, Vladimir Nabokov, and Philip Larkin through both critical analysis and personal recollection. The collection includes reportage on Donald Trump from the 1980s, observations about pornography and cinema, and reflections on the state of modern literature. Through pieces on sports, aging, and mortality, Amis documents both cultural shifts and personal transformations across three decades of writing. His coverage ranges from the intimate to the global, moving between autobiography and broader social commentary. The essays reveal Amis's preoccupation with time's passage and its effects on art, politics, and human consciousness. His perspective on cultural change emerges through precise observation and intellectual rigor rather than nostalgia or sentiment.

Readers note Amis's sharp wit and cultural commentary, with particular appreciation for his essays on politics, literature, and Trump. Many point to his pieces on Nabokov and Bellow as standouts. Readers liked: - Precise, memorable writing style - Range of topics from poker to politics - Literary analysis and author profiles - Dark humor throughout Readers disliked: - Repetitive themes and arguments - Focus on aging and mortality some found tiresome - Style can be dense and overly complex - Some essays feel dated or irrelevant years later One reader said "His observations about American culture are spot-on, even when unflattering." Another noted "The literary essays shine, but the political pieces already feel like old news." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (324 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (76 reviews) The Guardian readers: 4/5 (based on comments) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (41 ratings)

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🔖 The collection includes essays spanning 1994-2017, covering everything from Donald Trump to John Travolta, showcasing Amis's sharp cultural commentary across two decades. 📚 Martin Amis wrote several pieces in this book about his literary hero Saul Bellow, with whom he developed a close friendship in Bellow's final years. ✍️ The book's title "The Rub of Time" references Shakespeare's Hamlet, specifically the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy where "the rub" refers to an obstacle or difficulty. 🎯 Many essays in the collection were originally published in prestigious publications like The Guardian, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, before being compiled into this book. 🌟 The book demonstrates Amis's evolution as a critic - from his earlier, more combative style to a more measured approach in his later years, particularly evident in his pieces about American politics and culture.