Dead Babies by Martin Amis
Martin Amis is a clever writer, capable of vivid descriptions, intriguing comparisons, and clever turns of phrase. But those gifts are not enough to redeem Dead Babies, which I found to be a dreadful book. It tells of ten people spending a weekend in a house in the English countryside. They fill their time with alcohol, drugs, sex, and violence. None of the characters struck me as attractive or interesting, and I could discover no reason to take them seriously or to care what happened to them. In addition to graphic accounts of unappealing or disgusting behavior, binge drinking, kinky sex, and senseless violence, there are occasional unsuccessful attempts at humor. For example, the description of the Whiteheads, the fattest family on the planet, trying squeeze into their car was intended, I believe, to be funny; instead it struck me as heavy handed and childish: humor for third graders. I can think of no reason why anyone should read this book.