Martin Amis Talks to Charlie Rose

[Smoochy44]

As I write this, there have been 17,894 views of this clip... I think about 8,000 of those are mine.

[robgee9]

Indeed art is a war against cliches -- Amis has got right to the core of what makes literature separate from popular fiction or any art; the way an artist makes his art is what Makes His Art. Cliches induce you to accept, not to think or feel about something in any new way; it's cookie cutter creation; what he's getting at is to take a reader on an unfamiliar path -- maybe tougher to walk at first, but when you've done it, the reward and satisfaction is more: he's made you see in a new way.

[mbostrom]

Please, you native speakers of the Anglosaxon tongue, explain to a curious swede where and how this mans enfuriating but charming dialect was formed? Is he a form of brit with a curious dental affliction or an upperclass american?

[redfiredragonslayer]

@mbostrom Bohemian upper middle-class of Britain. It's a very atypical British accent

[Smoochy44]

@oooISPYooo At no point does Amis ever say "This is all there is to writing." He does indeed say that weight of voice is something that is essential to good literature (he's insinuating this, anyway), and he couldn't be more right. To declare he's summed up all writing into a narrow definition by stating that avoiding cliches is a necessity is a sign that your powers of observation (a cliche right there) need some tweaking

[towneslives]

"rumble and wow and fuzzbox" mmm

[artistsandbox]

literature is a war against cliches--great! Love it lol

[iLoveSalami]

"The heat was stifling as she rummaged in her purse." That's the first line of my debut novel.

[apexxxx10]

Please not how Rose says literature @ 0:14 : "li-tte-ra tueeree"

Charlie is funky! Charlie Rose is that is rela name?

Dr John

CarSanook!

Bangkok

[spd13062]

Very much enjoyed London Fields. Martin is starting to look more like his Father as he ages. As for Cormac McCarthy, The Road was one of the worst novels I've ever read. I can think of two dozen writers I'd rather read ahead of him.

[Smoochy44]

@spd13062 I'm curious, what was it about "The Road" that you found made it one of the worst novels you've ever read?

[Boudosaved]

@Smoochy44 I enjoyed "The Road" very much. It is one of the few books I had to read all in one day. It introduced me to the author and led me to read his "Blood Meridian" which might be his masterpiece.

[MarshCountryErrant]

Amis said about Saul Bellow once that you can't read him, you have to reread him, and I think that's true for Amis as well, especially for something like 'Money' or 'London Fields.' The only book of his I've reread is 'Time's Arrow.'

[septip123]

many authors are like this: Mailer, Austin, Bellow...

[ElectricSexPants]

I'll never really forgive Amis for "Yellow Dog". : (

[gilbertgodlyddd]

I'll never forgive you for thinknig he cares.

[paccy894]

I'm impressed. Doing some research on him because of my English literature classes at University and planning to read Money, as a start...

[hatc9723]

i had to read money for a british lit class and it blew my mind, its a very very good book

[ribiniho]

it is a very very good book indeed. Sadly the only Amis book I've read, but am willing to read others, any suggestions?

[stmburg]

To those who posted these past comments-and are still checking in periodically- please do not sing praises to brilliant practioners of prose, verbiage, lyricism, symbolism.. or any other virtue of compositon.. without mentioning Cormac McCarthy first and foremost. He is without rival, living or dead. And I do appreciate the gravity of that claim. If he is to ranked among other literary names, those name should be Melville and Faulkener. With all due respect to Amis, Pynchon, DeLillo;

[trumpetuk111]

I'm more a 'Peanuts' man myself - but each to their own eh?

[cp1492]

Codders - read Homicide by David Simon for proof US police refer to themselves as 'a police'. That's where Amis got the idea from. It's a non-fiction book by a journalist. It's right. You're wrong.

[darkshines99]

I agree that it's strange seeing this guy in the flesh!

[dirtycelinefrenchman]

...digitalized flesh that is

[djnross]

Each page of his 'London Fields'is a veritable symposium on how lyrical the horizons of the English language can be made to sprawl and ripple.Second only to Thomas Pynchon,perhaps the sharpest literary mogul on the planet!

[tale103108]

I agree ... but I would also add Don DeLillo in with this group (Amis, Pynchon).

[djnross]

Amis would certainly agree!---Marisha Pessl may be the next big thing,on the wordsmith mogul forefront,too...

[liv04r]

almost finished London Fields and I can't believe how simply wonderfully Amis writes. A marvelous book.

[Smoochy44]

@liv04r Amen.

[drieaz]

lose the cliche leather...

[alexlambden]

It's great to hear Martin Amis's tips on writing. I've nearly finished money now - and it's brilliant. I'm definitely gonna read more of his books. Be good to attend his lectures in Manchester - shame I'm so in debt already.

[ShiningPie]

Yeah money's a great book. slightly disturbing though. Martin Amis is so fantastic, but weird to see him talking in the flesh, so to speak

[codders80]

Martin Amis who wrote the howler, "I am a police." Yes, Martin that's how police refer to themselves. Wanker.

[cantab98]

A good opening salvo in the war against cliche' would be to avoid the Charlie Rose Show. This man is an utter dolt.

[tonireed1]

true but unfortunately he gets the guests. yes he does not get the sublime in art, or the subtext of most meanings but in between his cutting people off an artistic guest may supply me with a moment of the unutterable-x-factor/zone call it what you will and it all will have been worth it.and not many mystics will be interviewers!

[saintignatiusreilly]

tl;dr

[hillarymary]

Seen it.

Done it.

Got the t-shirt.

He went ballistic.

I don't think so.

Hello.

[99bj88]

rabbits