Martin Amis' ninth novel has already aroused strong feelings in the media, some commentators denouncing it as unfocused and unpleasant while others hail it as a darkly satirical masterpiece. The truth is somewhere in between.

The book cuts back and forth between several converging stories, beginning with Xan Meo, 'Renaissance Man'. Meo lives in politically correct bliss until he is violently assaulted. The side effects of his head injuries result in his 'de-enlightenment', and his baser instincts come to the fore.

Next we encounter Henry IX, King of England. His indolent lifestyle is interrupted by threats of blackmail.

The third main strand revolves around Clint Smoker, a journalist at the Morning Lark. Sexually incapable, Clint writes aggressively about women as objects.

These threads are woven together by links to organised crime and scenes of graphic sex and violence abound.

Amis's use of language is superb, and his eye for comic detail is impeccable. But the story lacks focus and momentum.

Published in hardback by Jonathan Cape. Priced £16.99