Braine, John (1922-1986), was a British novelist best known for his first novel, Room at the Top (1957). Like Braine’s other novels, Room at the Top is traditional in its careful plotting, simple style, and concrete detail. The book gained attention because of its working-class hero, Joe Lampton, who energetically and often ruthlessly pursues money and advancement. Braine continued the story of Joe Lampton in Life at the Top (1962). During the 1950’s, Braine was often classified as one of England’s Angry Young Men, a group of writers who expressed their discontent with traditional English education, literature, and politics.
John Gerard Braine was born on April 13, 1922, in Bradford, England. He drew on his own life in his realistic use of the Yorkshire area in his books. His Roman Catholic background is reflected in The Jealous God (1964), a novel that concerns a Catholic man in love with a Protestant woman. Braine also wrote a spy novel, The Pious Agent (1975). He died on Oct. 28, 1986.
