John Braine (1922–1986)

Written in 1957, but set a little earlier, this is the story of a shameless social climber.

Orphaned Joe was raised by his working class aunt and uncle in a grim northern industrial town. Whilst a PoW, he studied for accountancy qualifications and after the war moves to a more prosperous town. He lodges with a well-to-do middle aged couple, gets involved with the local amateur dramatic group ands sets about bettering himself (whilst ensuring he gets plenty of sex too - it was probably pretty show more racy for its time).

He considers the cost, quality and availability of everything, including women, with disarming honesty to the reader, though rarely to those he meets in the story. He is very manipulative and aware of the fact, yet despite this, there is enough charm to draw the reader into collusion.

*** SPOILERS BELOW ****

It is only as all his plotting seems to be coming to fruition that there is a glimpse of any remorse, and the only inkling of any unselfishness is just before that, when it looks as if everything is hopeless.

I feel a little guilty for enjoying this book as much as I did. Perhaps it's just as well I've never met anyone like Joe in real life? show less

'Life at the Top' is the sequel to 'Room at the Top' in which we met local Government official and social climber Joe Lampton as he courted Susan Brown, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, whilst he has an affair with an older married woman. In this book time has moved along ten years and on the surface Joe has got everything that he thought he wanted, an upper-class wife, a nice house, a sports car, two children, and an executive job with the biggest firm in town. Yet despite his show more material possessions, Joe’s life is empty. His boss is his father-in-law who treats him like a lackey, his wife is having an affair and even his son dislikes him.

When Joe falls in love with the pretty Norah Hauxley, his discontentment with the life that he has built for himself only deepens. When Norah moves to London Joe sees it as an opportunity to escape Warley and start a new life. But soon realises that this new promise of happiness is as illusory as what he left behind.

Written in 1962 this like the previous book is something of a social commentary and gives an interesting insight into a man having a mid-life (35) crisis. I actually enjoyed the author's writing style more in this book, Braine had obviously learnt from experience, but whilst in RatT I found Joe a difficult character to like in this book I simply found him annoying. I found him a whining pain in the backside and wanted to shout at him to 'man up'. That said and done I still felt that the book an interesting read which had it's merits even if it is a little dated, I was glad to be able to read what had become of Joe and Susan. show less

"I was moving into the attack and no one had better try to stop me"
By sally tarbox on 8 December 2017
Format: Paperback
Grabs you from the first page: narrated by fiercely ambitious young Joe Lampton, an intelligent lad from a humble background. It's just after WW2 and accountant Joe has broken away from his grim northern hometown of Dufton for an accountancy position in the much more salubrious Warley. He appreciates his new, elegant lodgings,the middle class folk around him; he starts mixing show more with the select types who make up the local dramatic society; but he's constantly aware that he can never be the equal of the local bigwigs.
And while he begins a love affair with older, married Alice, he's also studiedly making up to wealthy, innocent young Susan Brown:
"A Grade A lovely...the daughter of a factory-owner...the means of obtaining the key to the Aladdin's cave of my ambitions."
Compelling reading. show less

Joe Lampton is one of the archetypal 'angry young men' who emerged in post war English novels and drama. A handsome, charismatic young man, imprisoned during the war, and working as an accountant in local government, he's sharp enough and canny enough to know that he can get what he wants - affluence, social respect, opportunities - through 'marrying up'. He's cynical enough to go for it, but not amoral enough to achieve it without causing pain and suffering to himself and, worse still, to show more the woman he really loves. Braine's portrait of post-war northern England is fascinating - the emergence of a 'bohemian' set of amateur thespians, alongside mill owners and local bureaucrats; women who are sexually active and powerful in their own right; the hidden impact of war experiences - all expertly narrated through a very flawed first person narrative. Romance, tragedy, comedy and social commentary - well worth reading show less