John Gerard Braine was born on April 13, 1922, and died on October 28, 1986. He was an English novelist. Braine is often grouped with the angry young men, a group that was not clearly defined but included English writers who became known in the world of writing during the 1950s.

Early life

John Braine was born in the Westgate area of central Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. His family later moved to the suburb of Thackley, which is on the north side of the city. Braine left St. Bede's Grammar School at the age of 16 and worked in a shop, a lab, and a factory before becoming a librarian in Bingley, a small town 5 miles (8 km) up the Aire Valley. In 1954, he worked in Darton, where locals believed his lack of focus was because he spent his time writing his first novel.

Works

Although he wrote 12 fiction books, Braine is most remembered today for his first novel, Room at the Top (1957). He began writing the novel while being treated for tuberculosis in a hospital near Grassington, a town in the Yorkshire Dales. He said his favorite author was Guy de Maupassant and that Room at the Top was inspired by Bel Ami, but critics did not notice this connection. The novel became a successful 1959 film, starring Laurence Harvey as Joe Lampton and featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Simone Signoret. In September 2012, BBC television aired a two-part dramatization of the story. The broadcast was delayed due to a copyright dispute, and Matthew McNulty played the lead role.

After his books became successful, Braine moved to southern England and lived in Woking from 1966 until his death. He wrote more novels, including Life at the Top, a follow-up to Room at the Top. His 1968 novel, The Crying Game, is set in London and shows the feel of the "Swinging Sixties" (it is not connected to the 1992 film with the same name). His 1974 book, Writing a Novel, was a guide for people who wanted to write stories.

Political views

Braine was slightly to the left in his early years, but later changed his political views and joined the right. Like his peers, including Kingsley Amis and John Wain, he supported the United States' actions in the Vietnam War. In 1967, Braine, Robert Conquest, Amis, and others signed a letter to The Times titled "Backing for U.S. Policies in Vietnam." The letter expressed support for the U.S. government's decisions in Vietnam.

Personal life

Braine was married to Patricia Wood and had four children. They separated in the early 1980s, and Patricia moved to Shropshire with the two youngest children. He died from stomach bleeding in 1986 at the age of 64.