‘I would prefer not to be English’: how Martin Amis fell out of love with his homeland
Telegraph
23-05-21 14:40
The late author Martin Amis, who left the UK for America in 2011, was known for his sharp views on English life and society. In his novels, he frequently depicted debased culture and class consciousness, such as the “rampant and… laughably undiscriminating enthusiasm” of the American audience. Amis saw the decline of civilisation as a result of losing the Empire and regretted the contraction in English literature. At a talk held in 2006, he asked an audience whether they felt morally superior to the Taliban – only around a third put their hands up. Before Amis’s death in September, he won planning permission to build a two-bedroom house and underground swimming pool at his London home amid opposition from “Nimby” neighbours who drew up a petition against him.