He must be out of his mind to be talking to a girl like this like this. —

I like that line, and somehow it illustrates the awkward, quirky, funny dialogue and inner thoughts of the title character in Kingsley Amis’  Lucky Jim (1954), the quintessential English campus novel.  More than any other novel I’ve ever read, it had me wishing that I was the casting director for the movie adaptation.  I’m pretty sure that I would have cast Danny Kaye, who incidentally could do a better British accent than most Britons.  He would have been a spectacular Jim Dixon.   For a modern version, it would have to be Hugh Grant.

Anyone have any other suggestions for the role?