John Braine emerged as a prominent voice, capturing immediate fame with a debut novel that powerfully critiqued the British class system and became a global bestseller. His works often delve into the frustrations and disillusionment of individuals trapped within rigid social structures. Associated with the 'Angry Young Men' movement, Braine's writing is characterized by its stark realism and its focus on characters grappling with their societal circumstances.
A reissue of a classic work published in 1934 on writing and the creative process, Becoming a Writer recaptures the excitement of Dorothea Brande's creative writing classroom of the 1920s. Decades before brain research "discovered" the role of the right and left brain in all human endeavor, Dorothea Brande was teaching students how to see again, how to hold their minds still, and how to call forth the inner writer.
In John Braine's remarkable first novel, Room at the Top (1957), he introduced readers to Joe Lampton, a ruthlessly ambitious young working-class man determined to reach the top at any cost. The book became a defining novel of the decade, selling over a million copies and being adapted for an Oscar-winning film. In Life at the Top (1962), we meet Joe again ten years later, after he has gotten everything he thought he wanted: an upper-class wife, a nice house, a sports car, two children, and a job at the premier firm in town. But despite all his material possessions, Joe's life is strangely empty. His boss treats him with disrespect, his son despises him, and his wife is having an affair. Consumed with a growing anger and discontentment, Joe becomes desperate to escape the life he has created for himself. When he falls in love with the pretty Norah Hauxley, is it a chance to break free and start a new life, or will it prove to be just one more illusory promise of happiness?
The Angry Young Men movement, featuring such stars as Kingsley Amis, is perfectly illustrated through the iconic figure of Joe Lampton. The ruthlessly ambitious Joe Lampton rises swiftly from the petty bureaucracy of local government into the unfamiliar world of inherited wealth, fast cars and glamorous women. But the price of success is high, and betrayal and tragedy strike as Joe pursues his goals.