Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis
by Kingsley Amis
Everyday Drinking (Collections and Selections — Omnibus 1-3)
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Description
A collection of hilarious and deeply informed writings about drink from one of the all-time authorities. Kingsley Amis was one of the great masters of comic prose, and no subject was dearer to him than the art and practice of imbibing. This new volume brings together the best of his three out-of-print works on the subject. Along with a series of well-tested recipes (including a cocktail called the Lucky Jim) the book includes Amis's musings on The Hangover, The Boozing Man's Diet, What to show more Drink with What, and (presumably as a matter of speculation) How Not to Get Drunk-all leavened with quizzes on the making and drinking of alcohol all over the world. Mixing practical know-how and hilarious opinionation, this is a cocktail of wry humor and distilled knowledge, served by one of our great gimlet wits.--From publisher description. show lessTags
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sturlington Food and drink go together.
Member Reviews
One of the things I do part time is write humor pieces – primarily about business and about Disney. I think they are funny. Others think they are funny. So, I consider myself at least an amateur with some understanding of humor. I preface the following, not to toot my own horn, but to lay out a few bona fides before stating the following.
In spite of blurbs which indicated Amis “was one of the great maters of comic prose”, that the book gathered “the master’s riotous…thoughts”, and it was filled with “hilarious opinionation”, this book was not funny. It was not humorous. It was not a riot. At best it was wry, somewhat witty, and very occasionally smile-inducing.
Which means that the articles collected herein became a bit show more tiring. Oh, there okay. And I will say that I picked up a few things about drinks, alcohol, and all things fermented. But, to make things worse, many times it feels like what he expresses as fact is merely opinion. (Is gin really good for gout? Could be. But in the context, I can’t be sure if it’s fact or opinion.)
And then there is the weird third section where, rather than lecture/write about drinks, he sets up a series of quizzes. Some of this is good. But too much is not. And much of it is of no particular interest.
For a few interesting facts, the book may be worth picking up. But there are better places to spend one’s time. (The pub comes to mind.) show less
In spite of blurbs which indicated Amis “was one of the great maters of comic prose”, that the book gathered “the master’s riotous…thoughts”, and it was filled with “hilarious opinionation”, this book was not funny. It was not humorous. It was not a riot. At best it was wry, somewhat witty, and very occasionally smile-inducing.
Which means that the articles collected herein became a bit show more tiring. Oh, there okay. And I will say that I picked up a few things about drinks, alcohol, and all things fermented. But, to make things worse, many times it feels like what he expresses as fact is merely opinion. (Is gin really good for gout? Could be. But in the context, I can’t be sure if it’s fact or opinion.)
And then there is the weird third section where, rather than lecture/write about drinks, he sets up a series of quizzes. Some of this is good. But too much is not. And much of it is of no particular interest.
For a few interesting facts, the book may be worth picking up. But there are better places to spend one’s time. (The pub comes to mind.) show less
Reading this book is like inviting an evil angel to sit on your shoulder. You think "I shouldn't like this" but you can't help yourself.
Here's Kingsley Amis being Kingsley Amis. Bibulous, bilious, and quite funny. His essays display an amazing knowledge of drink -- and not a purely academic knowledge. He also shows a great deal of self knowledge; Amis knows his own charms, and his flaws, and makes the best of both sides of his character.
Read this: you'll want a drink, or a better one.
Here's Kingsley Amis being Kingsley Amis. Bibulous, bilious, and quite funny. His essays display an amazing knowledge of drink -- and not a purely academic knowledge. He also shows a great deal of self knowledge; Amis knows his own charms, and his flaws, and makes the best of both sides of his character.
Read this: you'll want a drink, or a better one.
This is not a book for reading straight through as much as tippling from at odd times. But if you are at all fond of alcohol, it is a must-read.
There are actually three short books in this volume. The first, and best, section is Amis's treatise on drink. It is quite funny, and some practical tips are scattered here and there. The second section reprints Amis's newspaper columns on the subject of drink, and there is some repetition here. The final section contains several alcohol-related quizzes, which might be fun after having a few.
Keep this book by your bar, and remember to nip from it every now and then. It's probably the only book on the subject you'll need.
There are actually three short books in this volume. The first, and best, section is Amis's treatise on drink. It is quite funny, and some practical tips are scattered here and there. The second section reprints Amis's newspaper columns on the subject of drink, and there is some repetition here. The final section contains several alcohol-related quizzes, which might be fun after having a few.
Keep this book by your bar, and remember to nip from it every now and then. It's probably the only book on the subject you'll need.
Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis
Kingsley Amis
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
This volume collects "On Drink", an extended essay on cocktails, wine and wine snobs, and parties; "Everyday Drinking", a collection of short articles written originally for a magazine, and "How's your Glass" a series of mock-serious quizzes about drink, also written for a magazine. Amis is a very good comic writer. He is more of a "spirits" man than a wine or beer connoisseur. His comments on the hangover are priceless for the distinction between the physical and the moral parts of the feeling. Light but fun.
Kingsley Amis
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
This volume collects "On Drink", an extended essay on cocktails, wine and wine snobs, and parties; "Everyday Drinking", a collection of short articles written originally for a magazine, and "How's your Glass" a series of mock-serious quizzes about drink, also written for a magazine. Amis is a very good comic writer. He is more of a "spirits" man than a wine or beer connoisseur. His comments on the hangover are priceless for the distinction between the physical and the moral parts of the feeling. Light but fun.
In addition to his mastery of language, Kingsley Amis was apparently a master of spirits. I enjoyed this book not so much for that topic itself as his commentary about how we interact with it. This books includes a collection of a series of columns he wrote, plus several essay on such things as wine, beer, whisky, and pubs. He had the historical and cultural depth to provide a deeper assessment than most people could.
The book is a three part compilation. The first part is a guide to various types of alcohol, cocktails, wine a beer. If found this to be the most entertaining and informative part of the book.
The second part is a compilation of weekly (I assume) newspaper columns written by the author. Some of these deal with subject covered in the first part. This section is also entertaining, though not quite as much as the first part.
The third part is a quiz on wines, beer and cocktails. I did not read this section, as the quiz aspect did not appeal to me.
All in all, a very enjoyable read.
The second part is a compilation of weekly (I assume) newspaper columns written by the author. Some of these deal with subject covered in the first part. This section is also entertaining, though not quite as much as the first part.
The third part is a quiz on wines, beer and cocktails. I did not read this section, as the quiz aspect did not appeal to me.
All in all, a very enjoyable read.
Amis knew alot about drinking and his series of humorous articles serves up his collective wit and wisdom on the subject. Ultimately, however, Amis could not handle his drink. He did not care much for wine and that prejudice shines through. This book came close to being charming, but failed somehow.
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Before he was knighted in 1990, Amis published three books about the judicious but enthusiastic consumption of alcohol: “On Drink,” “Everyday Drinking” in 1983 and “How’s Your Glass?” in 1984. Long out of print, these volumes have finally been gathered together and reissued under a single cover, topped off with a fizzy introduction by Christopher Hitchens. These books are so show more delicious they impart a kind of contact high; they make you feel as if you’ve just had the first sip of the planet’s coldest, driest martini...
One essay collected here — it deserves to be rediscovered and widely anthologized — is “Mean Sod’s Guide,” a tongue-in-cheek tutorial about how to “stint your guests on quality and quantity” while seeming to have done them very well. Among his tips for a host determined not to pour too many drinks: “Sit in a specially deep easy-chair, and practice getting out of it with a mild effort and, later in the evening, a just-audible groan.” show less
One essay collected here — it deserves to be rediscovered and widely anthologized — is “Mean Sod’s Guide,” a tongue-in-cheek tutorial about how to “stint your guests on quality and quantity” while seeming to have done them very well. Among his tips for a host determined not to pour too many drinks: “Sit in a specially deep easy-chair, and practice getting out of it with a mild effort and, later in the evening, a just-audible groan.” show less
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Author Information
Kingsley Amis is generally considered one of the "angry young men" of the 1950s. He was born in London in 1922 and educated at the City of London School. He received a degree in English language and literature from St. John's College, Oxford, in 1947. Until 1961 Amis lectured in English at University College, Swansea, and for the following two show more years at Cambridge. In 1947 Amis published his first collection of poems, Bright November. Frame of Mind followed in 1953 and Poems: Fantasy Portraits in 1954. His first novel, Lucky Jim (1954), established his reputation as a writer. He followed with That Uncertain Feeling (1956), and I Like It Here (1958). A longtime James Bond devotee, Amis wrote a James Bond adventure after the death of Ian Fleming in 1964. Amis's study of the famous spy was titled The James Bond Dossier (1965). Amis received the Booker Prize for the Old Devils (1986). Amis's later works include Memoirs (1990), and The King's English, a collection of essays on the craft of writing well. Amis was knighted in 1990. He died in 1995. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1983
- First words*
- It is reasonably well known that the art of brewing and fermenting arose in nice time for the dawn of human civilization (there are ancient poems and mosaics and that sort of thing, dedicated to the celebration of the fact), ... (show all)but it's at least as notorious that an opened flask of alcohol is a mouth that can lead to hell as well as heaven.
- Disambiguation notice
- Please distinguish this LT Work, an omnibus titled Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis (2008), from Kingsley Amis' similarly-titled original Work, Every Day Drinking. The omnibus reprints three... (show all) of Amis' Works in one volume: On Drink (1972), Every Day Drinking (1983), and How's Your Glass?: Quizzical Look at Drinks and Drinking (1984). Thank you.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Food & Cooking, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 641.21 — Applied Science & Technology Home economics & family management Food, Cooking & Recipes / Meals, Picnics Drinks Alcoholic beverages
- LCC
- TP507 .A423 — Technology Chemical technology Chemical technology Fermentation industries. Beverages. Alcohol
- BISAC
Statistics
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- 486
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- 62,060
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (3.80)
- Languages
- English, Italian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 6
