Time's Arrow - Martin Amis

I am not particularly a fan of Martin Amis, I think he has enough admirers already, but I do appreciate his ability as a writer. When I first read this book I did so with a kind of dismissive attitude because for me the idea of writing or describing a life backwards had already been done on numerous occasions. I remember reading in particular a short story by J.G. Ballard from one of his collections about the events surrounding an individual's life - from the grave to the cradle so to speak. I also believe Harold Pinter used the technique to the same effect in his 1970's stage play "Betrayal". Time's Arrow is another such exercise in backward fiction, it is ...  Read the complete review

You know those stories that start at the end, and then go back to the start and fill in how the character got there to start at the end, if you see what I mean? Clever aren't they? Well, in comparison to Time's Arrow, no, they're not clever at all. They're the baby version, playing around the feet of the great master - Amis. Here, in his typically smart-arse clever way, he tells a story backwards the whole way through, with a conscious inner 'soul' being born at the death of an old man, and travelling with him as his wrinkles tighten up, his back straightens, and he heads towards his inevitable birth. The story is one of Tod Friendly - an old man who ...  Read the complete review

Can you imagine how confusing it would be if I wrote this review backwards? You know, started at the end and told you my conclusion first? You wouldn't know what I was concluding about would you? And then, once you'd read the conclusion, the rest of the opinion would become steadily more anti-climactic wouldn't it? Or would it? Perhaps it would make a change and you'd think it was great. Er.......or then, perhaps you wouldn't. Perhaps you'd find it boring. Perhaps you'd just get all confused by the odd narrative and run away, far far away - that's probably what I'd do. And now you're wondering what on earth I'm ...  Read the complete review