The Green Man

The Green Man by Kingsley Amis

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Maurice Allington has a problem: How is he going to get his wife and his friend's wife to agree to a “three way”?

Also, his home/restaurant is haunted.

This is a good if eccentric book. Maurice is, to put it nicely, a cad. He is an alcoholic who probably runs a 2.0 BAC before lunch. He has recently been saddled with his daughter after her mother died. He has a new young wife that he ignores. And he has that obsession with having an orgy, which is just creepy and weird and doesn't turn out anything like what he imagines.

His restaurant/pub/home also has a reputation for being haunted. As the story goes on, the reputation slowly moves from myth to reality.

The story works. As a literary writer, Amis is more interested in character than plot. The characters are well-drawn. This could be a decent movie/mini-series. The ghost story initially takes up little space in the story, being crowded out by Maurice's life problems and his caddishness. Over time, as the ghost element becomes more real and threatening, it naturally becomes more pressing.

The oddness of the book was underscored when God - I think - made an appearance to Maurice - because no one would ever believe Maurice had a visit from the Almighty.

This is a quick read. It's odd but enjoyable.