Krishna
Hailed as a masterpiece in comic writing, this story follows the life of Jim Dixon and is written in 1959, in the same era as such comic geniuses like PG Wodehouse were at the peak of their powers. (PG Wodehouse biography, 
Wodehouse – A Life , was reviewed here earlier. )
This book comes nowhere near the creation of Wodehouse. In fact, much of it is extremely annoying. The main characteristic of Jim is shirking work, trying to get by in life without making any effort, and also making a number of faces appropriate to the occasion whenever annoyed, taking care to ensure that no one is watching when he does make these faces. He comes across as completely lazy and irresponsible.
The story also has Professor Welch, an absent minded principal of the college where Jim is a lecturer waiting for confirmation of his appointment, hating his work, well into drinks and pranks. His son Bertrand Welch is a painter, untalented but a social climber using his father’s contacts shamelessly. His new love is Christine Callaghan, a sophisticated and pretty girl. He is of course two timing her with an adulterous affair with Carol Goldsmith.
James is tied to Margaret who was in love with Catchpole and tried to kill herself when he did not return her commitment to a long, married life. Jim saves her and has an affair with her at the same time, all the while longing for Christine, who is unattainable, according to Margaret’s disparaging remark when she catches on to his dog like adoration of Christine.
Well, he just stumbles through life, burning the quilt by falling asleep with a burning cigarette in his mouth, and also staining the priceless wooden side table with cigarette left lit on it, and in the bargain, manages to burn the carpet too. He hides the table in a junk room, he turns the carper over and cuts off the burnt bits of the quilt, in an attempt at cover up until at least he has left the house of the Professor and hopes that the wife will not tell the professor before his confirmation in the post – wow, a picture of organized planning! (This is all supposed to be hilariously funny)
Gore-Urquhart, an uncle of Christine, a celebrity in his own right, is thrown into the mix.
Very few scenes are even interesting – Jim discovering Bertrand Welch’s infidelity or the scene where he escorts Christine back to the room or the final scene where he dashes off to meet her leaving on the train.
Most of it is excruciatingly boring or plain childish.
Would give this one a 2/10
— Krishna