In Martin Amis's Money, the main character is hard for me to relate to. I'm sure some people are able to relate to him, but probably not most. To him, everything is about girls (one in particular, but also less specifically), drinking, and money. Especially money. Though one might suspect the importance of money in this book because of the title, I was nevertheless surprised by just how much it showed up. He isn't a terribly likable man - he has bad habits and problems. It's hard to understand him and why he is the way he is and why he does the things he does.
Amis is sort of a dark cloud over the whole book. He makes the places and characters what they are, and gives them the dingy, slightly ominous feeling they have. This is New York, but it isn't the New York I know. Amis makes the book into John Self's New York - a place very distinct from the real New York, but New York nonetheless. These aren't the parts of New York you see unless you're looking for them.
"In the end I had ample time for my farewell to New York. First off, I gave Felix a fifty. He seemed strangely agitated or concerned and for some reason kept trying to make me lie down on the bed. But he was pleased, I hope, by the dough. I love giving money away. If you were here now, I'd probably slip you some cash, twenty, thirty, maybe more. How much do you want? What are you having? What would you give me, sister, brother? Would you put an arm round my shoulder and tell me I as your kind of guy? I'd pay. I'd give you good money for it." Pg 48
In this passage, Amis does something strange and off putting. John Self goes from narrating to immediately addressing the audience. It puts the reader in a strange position, going from simply being told and comprehending what is happening to having to actually think about and potentially produce an answer. This passage also demonstrates both Self's and Amis' casual tone. Words like "dough" and "cash" give the narration a particular feel, as does addressing the audience directly. This feeling quite clearly defines Amis' work.
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