The War Against Cliché

The War Against Cliché by Martin Amis is a collection of essays that delve into the intricacies of literature, focusing on the importance of originality and the pitfalls of cliché. Amis critiques the tendency of contemporary writers to rely on worn-out phrases and familiar tropes, arguing that such reliance undermines the power and clarity of their work. He advocates for a commitment to fresh expression, emphasizing that true literary artistry demands innovation and a willingness to challenge conventional norms.

In this collection of essays dating from the early 1970s through to 2000, Martin Amis offers several critiques of contemporary literature, including:

1. Cliché Usage: Amis emphasizes how overreliance on clichés dilutes the power of writing. He argues that writers should strive for originality and fresh expression rather than relying on tired phrases.
2. Postmodernism: He critiques certain aspects of postmodern literature for focusing too much on style at the expense of substance, leading to works that can feel fragmented or lacking in emotional depth.
3. Moral Ambiguity: Amis discusses the trend towards moral ambiguity in contemporary fiction, suggesting that it can sometimes lead to a lack of clear values or emotional engagement with characters.
4. Celebrity Culture: He reflects on how the rise of celebrity culture influences literature, often prioritizing fame over literary merit, which can affect the quality of storytelling.
5. Political Correctness: Amis critiques the constraints of political correctness, arguing that it can stifle honest and provocative discourse in literature.

Amis offers some instructive viewpoints, and his book reviews are full of barbs for the authors peppered with a nice sentence here and there. J.G. Ballard’s novels, for example, are dartboards for Amis’ acerbic wit and criticism.

To anyone unfamiliar with J.G. Ballard’s work, Concrete Island will seem ridiculously slight; for rather different reasons, it will seem ridiculously slight to aficionados, too.

Amis also has fun with politics in the UK, offering up this fine observation:

Mrs Thatcher is the only interesting thing about British power politics; and the only interesting thing about Mrs Thatcher is that she isn’t a man. Tricked out with the same achievements, the same style and ‘vision’ of a Marvin or a Marmaduke Thatcher would be as dull as rain, as dull as London traffic, as dull as the phosphorescent prosperity, the boutique of squalor of Thatcher’s England (or its southeastern quadrant).