Home
/
Fiction
/
You Can't Do Both
You Can't Do Both
Dec 31, 2025 5:52 AM

Author:Kingsley Amis

You Can't Do Both

Robin Davies knows how to look after number one. Raised in a bland suburb of South London in the 1930s, Robin longs for the freedom to do what he wants. When he escapes to study in Oxford, he meets Nancy Bennett, a young woman even less worldly than himself. As Robin stumbles through his rites of passage to adulthood, involving rebellion, self-discovery, sex, war, seduction and the threat of commitment, we come to realise just how far he will go to have his cake and eat it.

Reviews

Acutely and poignantly observed-there is still fire in the old devil's belly

—— Daily Telegraph

As finely judged, as exactly observed, as vividly conceived as anything he has written

—— The Times

Funny, touching, well-constructed, sharply evocative of time and place and written with characteristic Amisian aplomb. It is a first class addition to his oeuvre

—— Spectator

Will have you whooping with delight

—— John Osborne , Literary Review

An almost flawless story of love... Moran emerges as a true hero

—— Los Angeles Times

Tyler is not merely good, she is wickedly good

—— John Updike

Pure magic, a contemporary fairy tale that overflows with affection, mystery and laughter

—— Washington Star

Naqvi's fast-paced plot, foul-mouthed erudition and pitch-perfect dialogue make for a stellar debut

—— Publishers Weekly

Welsh performs the mysterious feat of making you think that his characters are real.

—— Theo Tait , Guardian

A brilliantly funny, scary, sweeping novel with all the energy of Welsh's debut, but imbued with a wider sense of political and social engagement.

—— Doug Johnstone , Independent on Sunday

It’s brilliant and even more thrilling than its predecessor.

—— Simon Humphreys , Mail on Sunday

Like Trainspotting, Skagboys thrusts along with the exuberance of its episodic stories. Welsh hasn't lost his flair for comic set pieces.

—— Robert Collins , Sunday Times

Quite simply a masterpiece…at least as assured and vibrant in its characterization as Trainspotting, Skagboys is even more on the money politically… This novel more than any other, (including its brilliant predecessor) stands as our spiritual and moral history.

—— Scotsman

It was never going to be light reading, but Welsh's vigour, wit and energy still make it compulsive.

—— Charlotte Sinclair , Vogue

Skagboys is a compelling tale…a seriously entertaining piece of work.

—— Peter Murphy , The Irish Times

If you too loved the colloquial tangle of Trainspotting, you'll find a similar rhythm in Skagboys.

—— Andrew Collins , Word Magazine

There is enough of what Welsh does well - needle-sharp dialogue, vivid characters and a certainty of place - to make Skagboys his best work in many years…an essential read.

—— Timothy Mo , Irish Examiner

A cracking read.

—— Time Out

Very good.

—— Sam Leith , Prospect

The prose flows easily, underpinned with a wry humour that counters the harsh, modern realism

—— Big Issue in the North

Totally awesome!

—— Edinburgh Evening News

I would recommend this book in a heartbeat...young or old - it's just brilliant!

—— Books4Teens.co.uk

In the safe hands of none other than Mr. Steven Spielberg, this is your last chance to read the book before the movie hype drowns out the written word. A mixed up dystopian fantasy adventure novel with more nods to 80’s pop culture than even the biggest John Hughes fan will be able to handle, it’s just a whole lot of fun to read

—— 'Best books of 2015’, All in London

This is one you need to read before EVERYONE knows about it!

—— So Feminine

Ultimately entertaining, enthusiastic and enjoyable. A real must-have for any collection…a beautifully constructed piece of escapism which will pull you in with such vigour that you miss your train stop.

—— Live Magazines

Powerful and very timely message

—— Guardian

This novel's great achievement is to capture the tensions and subtleties of a married life cut short… I read [it] virtually in one sitting, but that's a fairly common experience with Anne Tyler books… I didn't want it to end. Which is also a fairly common Tyler thing.

—— Viv Groskop , Independent on Sunday

The Beginner’s Goodbye is a very funny book … every incident is at once recognizably true to life and yet somehow utterly off-kilter.

—— Edmund Gordon , Times Literary Supplement

Brims with wry perceptiveness and rueful humour

—— Peter Kemp , Sunday Times (Books of the Year)

Tyler's playful humour imbues this unsentimental portrait of a mismatched marriage

—— Emma Hagestadt , Independent

A cleverly observed tale of an imperfect relationship and grief

—— Big Issue in the North

A bittersweet, utterly beguiling story of love and loss from a brilliant writer

—— John Koski , Mail on Sunday

Both compelling and deeply touching, once you start reading you won’t want The Beginner’s Goodbye to end

—— Hannah Britt , Daily Express

It begins with one of those sentences that impels you to read on…Tyler’s haunting tale of love and loss is intelligent, unsentimental and often wryly funny

—— The Lady

A lovely, stylish way to write a novel about marriage

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

A beautifully poignant portrait of marriage, loss and grief

—— Good Housekeeping

Exhibit[s] all the delicious readability that admirers of Tyler expect

—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on Sunday

Both compelling and deeply touching, once you start reading you won't want The Beginner's Goodbye to end

—— Hannah Britt , Scottish Daily Express

An emotionally satisfying book with wise and moving moments

—— Good Housekeeping

Cline [crafts] a fresh and imaginative world from our old toy box ... Cline strikes the nerves of nerd culture as expertly as Andy played that skeleton organ in The Goonies.

—— Entertainment Weekly
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved