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Product Description
Product Description
Penetrating biography of a fascinatingly contradictory writer who, despite a privileged background and early and sustained success, became increasingly embittered with the world. Doris Lessing calls him ""a marvellous novelist"", Keith Waterhouse ""A riveting dissector of English life"" and Nigel Jones makes excellent use of Hamilton's own letters and notes as well as his own highly perceptive insights. The Literary Review called Through a Glass Darkly ""One of the most stimualting biographies for years"".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This well written, excellent, biography by Nigel Jones covers all aspects of the complicated and self-destructive life of the novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton. It tracks his early life in Hove and the contrasting relationship he had with his bullying, drunk, father and his over-close mother. Jones is able to demonstrate very clearly how Hamilton's life and interests were reflected in his novels and plays. The book tracks the clear arc of creativity from Hamilton's immature early work, through his most gifted and perceptive period of 'Twenty Thousand Streets' to 'Slaves of Solitude' and the plays 'Rope' and 'Gaslight', to his decline and the unsatisfactory 'Gorse' novels. Money and success enabled Hamilton to indulge in his two self destructive pastimes of drink and adulterous relationships and Jones expertly guides us through this sad decline. This superbly crafted work by Jones must stand as the definitive biography of Hamilton and will, undoubtedly, aid appreciation of this somewhat neglected author for many years to come. An excellent work recommended from all points of view.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a wonderful biography of a writer who deserves to better known. The author had done some wonderful research and writes in a lucid style, showing a fully mastery of his subject. His analysis of both Hamilton's character and his work is superb, and the saga has an unbearable poignancy as Hamilton sinks into whisky-soaked decline. Magnificent.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As someone who had not read the novels but had seen Hitchcock's "Rope" (an unliked version of the play) and read Nick Hornby's recommendation in one of his books, I found Nigel Jones's biography of Patick Hamilton fascinating ( even though sometimes like watching a car crash - of which there are two in the book!). This was a life that started with a troubled childhood, went on through a drink addled adult life and ended in an alcoholic, tragic and depressed death. This was a writer that in his time came close to matching Greene and Isherwood in terms of reputation. Throughout all this though you get an idea of the writer's development through his theatre and novels. Most touching is the devotion to this egocentric and politically and emotionally troubled person by his brother Bruce right to the end. I'll now read the novels with interest.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Hamilton seen through his brother's eyes
I only discovered Patrick Hamilton about a year ago and have since read several of his best novels with great admiration. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John Fitzpatrick
Amazing author!
I have only just discovered this author - brilliant - read his 20,000 Streets Under the Sky.
Published on 11 Aug 2009 by Enid Irving
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