This is a dark book illuminated by fire. The struggle
between good and evil is set in a modern context mixing terrorism
with naïve saintliness, sexuality, and incessant attempts to escape
from the mundane. The picaresque hero, dreadfully maimed by fire,
suffers and survives in a cruel world. He and the twins Sophie and
Toni, who are equally maimed spiritually, move towards a climactic
reckoning amid another fire.
John Carey's new biography of William Golding
Drawing almost entirely on materials that have never before been
made public, John Carey, the distinguished writer and critic, sheds
new light on Golding. Through hundreds of letters, unpublished
works and Golding's intimate journals, Carey draws a revelatory and
definitive portrait of an extraordinary man. In an absorbing and
compelling narrative, he reveals a many-sided figure: a war-hero, a
reclusive depressive who considered himself a 'monster', a family
man, a victim of fears and phobias who battled against alcoholism,
and a writer who trusted the imagination above all things.
Follow the link below to hear 'audio snippets' where Carey reads
from his highly praised new biography.
William Golding: The Man Who Wrote Lord of the Flies