Lucky JimLucky Jim
Score Classic
What it's about
Jim Dixon is a junior history lecturer at a provincial English university in the 1950s, on probation and desperate to keep his job. To do it, he must please his absent-minded, pompous professor and give a public lecture on 'Merrie England'. Instead, he gets drunk, sets fire to his bedsheets, makes faces behind people's backs and falls for the wrong girl.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and is often called the funniest English novel of the 20th century.
You'll love it if you liked
Under the Net
Scoop
A Confederacy of DuncesGood to know
It's short. Some of its attitudes toward women are dated.
By the numbers
- Readers5 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #32 of the 35 humor books we rank
- #691 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2434 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Funny, Moving, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Breakfast of Champions
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Infinite Jest
Cold Comfort Farm
Money
The Diary of a NobodyExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Lucky Jim worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and is often called the funniest English novel of the 20th century. It ranks #2,434 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Lucky Jim about?
Jim Dixon is a junior history lecturer at a provincial English university in the 1950s, on probation and desperate to keep his job. To do it, he must please his absent-minded, pompous professor and give a public lecture on 'Merrie England'. Instead, he gets drunk, sets fire to his bedsheets, makes faces behind people's backs and falls for the wrong girl.
How long does it take to read Lucky Jim?
About 7 hours (272 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Lucky Jim?
If you liked it, try Under the Net by Iris Murdoch, Scoop by Evelyn Waugh or A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.