Book Review: "Room at the Top" by John Braine

I am not going to lie but I didn't want to read this book at all when I picked it up. It's this sort of hyper-masculine book that teeters on the lines of the novel High-Rise by JG Ballard or anything by Tom Wolfe - if both of those writers were perhaps writing their very first novel in their teens.

However, I did pick it up in my rummage of orange Penguin Classics in my mother's house. However, when I read it - it was more ironic than anything else. There was something kind of fun about it at some points and though it is not the perfect novel, I am going to show you why perhaps, if it is not the normal thing you would read - you should still give it a chance. But please buyer beware, it is simply a good attempt at someone writing a novel rather than anything deep and meaningful. Though it has some Ballard and Wolfe notes, please don't think Braine compares to either of them in this respect.

The story begins with Joe’s arrival in Warley, a fictional northern town, where he has taken up a civil service job in the local treasury. Joe is determined to escape the poverty and limited prospects of his upbringing in Dufton, a decaying mill town. His every thought and action are driven by his aspiration to reach "the top"—a life of luxury, power, and social prestige symbolised by the affluent residents of Warley’s upper-class Hill district. Now this is great, even though it sort of sounds like the same thing we've seen before in many different novels. I think that what makes this book a little different though is because it is short - this whole exposition doesn't actually take as long as you think it would.

From the outset, Joe exudes confidence and a sharp wit, traits that set him apart from his colleagues. He quickly identifies Susan Brown, the naïve and beautiful daughter of a wealthy industrialist, as a means to his goal. Susan represents everything Joe desires: status, financial security, and acceptance into the upper echelons of society. Joe methodically plots his seduction of Susan, deploying charm and guile to win her over while also ingratiating himself with her parents. Yes, it is witty - but I feel like this story again, has already been told. The main issue here is that the other stories that give us this plot are somewhat better than Room at the Top. Its main advantage is that the main idea is that it is making fun of its main character.

However, Joe’s ambition is complicated by his relationship with Alice Aisgill, a married woman ten years his senior. Alice is trapped in an unhappy marriage and finds solace in Joe’s attentions. Their affair begins with Joe’s cynical intention of using her to satisfy his physical desires, but it soon evolves into a genuine and passionate connection. Alice’s sophistication, emotional depth, and vulnerability awaken feelings in Joe that challenge his calculated pursuit of Susan and the wealth she represents. This is where the book fell apart for me somewhat. I could've done without the affair sub-plot not because it is an affair, but because it is a cliché. From then on, I could practically guess what was going to happen where he would be mentally dragged between the two women he liked. These women unfortunately, serve as only there to add dimension to the male character. You can tell this book is a little out of date. It was published in the 1950s - you can't blame the author.

Joe’s ambition leads him to a series of moral compromises. He manipulates Susan’s feelings, enduring her immature tantrums and the hostility of her father, Mr Brown, who sees Joe as an unworthy suitor. Joe’s desperation to secure his place in the Hill district pushes him to acts of deceit and cruelty, particularly towards Alice, whom he begins to view as a hindrance to his upward mobility. Again, we have heard it before. But at least this novel is shorter and so, gets on with it. The second half of the book is perhaps better than the first. However the ending could've been better as it leaves the reader with practically no take-away thoughts. It was a bit here and there. I found it troubling to end the book the way it ended.

All in all, there are some advantages to this book, it's story is genuinely interesting as a story even though I didn't think it would be. But this is at a base level. As we get deeper into the book, we notice that it is nowhere near the best of its kind, the supporting cast are sloppily written and the women are hollow shells of human beings - only there to be attractive to the male character. When we get down to the second half of the novel, there is something better in its story as it becomes more mentally compelling, however the ending lets it down. As a conclusion, there is a blah quality to this book which is a shame really. It is good, but definitely not perfect. However, you should still give it a chance for the sake of reading something that is at its base, a good attempt at a novel.