From: Irving Zelnik
Category: Amis
Date: 7/28/99
Time: 7:58:22 PM
Remote Name: 129.219.247.97
In my opinion, I myself personally don't object to motivational mystery & narrative irresolution. What sets my teeth on edge is *authorial solipsism*. Which is a butt-lovely term that I got from Kingsley Amis. (So I suppose that Kingsley's life wasn't entirely in vain.) The trouble with *Night Train* is that there is too much of Martin Amis injected into Mike Hoolihan (if you'll forgive that penile double-entendre). Remember the bit where Mike mentions those limey nuke-protesters at Greenham Common? That's totally out of character. There's no way that an earthy peasant American cop would be talking about a bunch of effete crank foreigners. 99% of American cops don't know jack-squat about Greenham Common. And even if they did, 99% of American cops wouldn't give a rat's ass about Greenham Common. The Green Bay Packers---yes. Green beer on St. Paddy's Day---yes. But not Greenham Common. That's Amis indulging his nukophobia again. And it sticks out like a sore thumb. Amis didn't maintain characterological integrity. He didn't master the discipline of getting outside his own head and putting himself in Mike's head.