I recently finished a prose driven novel by Martin Amis, where the narration was embellished with great 'terminal humor'. The novel I am scribbling about is 'Money' by Martin Amis. This has been the most critically acclaimed novel of Amis. Money is a satire on 'money' set in the background of 'market and money' driven London and New York. Amis seems to be quite critical of Margaret Thacher's free market philiosophy where values were sensed to be based on Money. The story revolves around the topsy turvy life of John Self who epitomizes the 'real consumer' in such a money driven world. John Self wallows in all sort of vices and believes that everything in the world can be brought with money. His 'real' business is consumption. Consumption of whiskey , cigarettes and porn defines his existence. He is portrayed as the archetypal 'incorrigible consumer'. But behind this escapist philosophy of 'money can buy everything' we see a John Self living a miserable life. The novel portrays the pschological collapse of a person with this philosophy. And then there is a twist where John Self losses everything and where his friends become foes. It is not the story that is brilliant rather it is the scintillating narrative and the penetrating satire that makes it a great novel. Amis is a master of prose and his ability to infuse 'terminal humor' is quite unique. I have just started his another fascinating novel 'The Information' which also is quite humorous and prose infused treat .
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