Kingsley Amis – The Old Devils

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Description

The Old Devils is a novel by Kingsley Amis, published in 1986. It won the Booker Prize. Alun Weaver, a writer of modest celebrity, returns to his native Wales with his wife, Rhiannon, sometime girlfriend of Weaver's old acquaintance Peter Thomas. Wikipedia

Originally published: 1986

Author: Kingsley Amis

Genres: Novel, Humor, Humorous Fiction

Kingsley Amis’s The Old Devils (1986) is a darkly comic and sharply satirical novel that explores themes of aging, friendship, memory, and the complexities of growing old. It is one of Amis's later works and won the Booker Prize in 1986. Set in Wales, it follows a group of old friends who have come to terms with the fact that they are no longer young, but are struggling to find meaning and purpose in the twilight years of their lives.

Plot Overview:

The novel centers around Alun Weaver, a former novelist who is back in Wales after a long absence. Alun returns to reconnect with his old friends, all of whom are now in their sixties or seventies. The group includes several men and women who had been close to him in their youth, and the novel traces their interactions as they attempt to rekindle the friendships and relationships that defined their earlier lives.

Among these characters is Ruth, Alun’s wife, who also plays a significant role in the dynamics of the group. Ruth and Alun have a strained relationship, with Ruth being critical and dismissive of her husband’s recent lack of literary success. The group of friends’ relationships are often fraught with tension, jealousy, resentment, and desire, and much of the novel’s drama revolves around these complicated emotional dynamics.

As Alun interacts with the other members of the group, including his former close friend Glyn, and several of their spouses, the novel delves into the themes of growing old, coping with mortality, and reflecting on the choices made in life. The characters are forced to confront their past, including lost opportunities, unfulfilled desires, and the realities of aging.

Key Themes:

1. Aging and Mortality: One of the central themes of The Old Devils is the inevitability of aging and the way that it impacts the characters' physical and emotional lives. Amis examines the difficulties and frustrations that come with growing old—declining health, lost vitality, and the sense of time running out. The characters are acutely aware of their mortality, which brings both humor and sadness to the narrative.

2. Friendship and the Passage of Time: The novel’s exploration of friendship is marked by the passage of time and the changing nature of relationships. The bonds between Alun and his friends are complicated by the years that have passed, as well as by the weight of old grudges, betrayals, and unresolved feelings. The novel captures how friendships can shift over time—sometimes deepening, sometimes eroding, depending on the emotional baggage that accompanies them.

3. Regret and Reflection: As the characters reflect on their pasts, they grapple with feelings of regret, especially concerning their careers, relationships, and unfulfilled potential. Alun, in particular, is a character who looks back at his life as a writer and wonders if he could have done more or made different choices. The novel presents aging as a time of reckoning, where characters are forced to assess their lives, their accomplishments, and their failures.

4. Sexuality and Desire in Old Age: Another major theme of the novel is the persistence of desire and sexuality even as the characters age. While many of them are physically diminished, they still experience desires, passions, and fantasies. Amis doesn’t shy away from depicting the sexual lives of the elderly in a frank and often comic way, showing that sexual attraction and desire do not necessarily diminish with age. This theme is explored with both humor and pathos.

5. The Irony of Aging: Throughout the novel, Amis uses irony to emphasize the gap between the characters' self-perceptions and the realities of their lives. For example, Alun’s expectations for his return to Wales are filled with idealism, but he is soon confronted with the limitations and absurdities of his former friendships. This irony extends to the characters’ attitudes toward their own aging—they may joke about it, but their anxiety and frustration with it are evident.

6. Humor and Satire: As in many of Amis's works, The Old Devils is infused with biting humor and sharp satire. The novel humorously critiques the attitudes of the elderly, the absurdity of societal expectations around aging, and the pretensions of intellectuals and artists. The satire is often pointed, targeting both the characters’ self-deceptions and the way society views aging.

Narrative Style:

Amis's narrative style in The Old Devils is witty, irreverent, and often cynical. His sharp dialogue and dry humor are central to the book’s tone, and he uses the interplay between the characters to expose their foibles, vulnerabilities, and contradictions. While the novel deals with serious themes, it is often very funny, with moments of dark comedy that serve to highlight the absurdity of life as the characters grow older.

The novel is told from multiple perspectives, primarily that of Alun, but also through the voices of other characters. This allows Amis to present a range of viewpoints on the challenges of aging and the emotional complexities of friendship and family. The shifting perspectives also add layers to the narrative, providing different insights into the characters' internal struggles and the ways they perceive one another.

Reception:

The Old Devils was widely acclaimed for its portrayal of aging and its exploration of the emotional landscape of old age. It was praised for its depth of character development, its insight into human nature, and its humor. Many critics also appreciated how the novel treated its elderly characters with respect and complexity, refusing to reduce them to mere stereotypes of the elderly.

However, some readers have found Amis's portrayal of aging to be unflattering or even harsh, with the characters' flaws often magnified to an uncomfortable degree. Still, the novel’s wit and humor have made it an enduring favorite among readers.

Legacy:

The Old Devils remains one of Kingsley Amis’s most important works. It is celebrated for its nuanced exploration of the realities of aging and its unflinching examination of the emotional and psychological challenges faced by the elderly. The novel is a significant contribution to literary depictions of later life, and it continues to be studied for its treatment of friendship, regret, and the human condition.

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The Old Devils is a deeply human exploration of aging, love, friendship, and the passage of time. Through humor, irony, and sharp character study, Kingsley Amis crafts a memorable and thought-provoking narrative about the complexities of growing old.

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