Room at the Top door John Braine

1. Short summary.

The story happens shortly after the Second World War.
Joe Lampton has lived in Dufton for 25 years, a little town where nothing happens. He wants to make career, so he moves to Warley and stays by The Thompsons. He works as an accountant, but wants to get rich as fast as possible, although he hates rich people. He’s very happy in ‘his new town’ and makes a lot of new friends. He meets a woman, Alice. She’s ten years older and has been married for ages, but that’s no obstacle to begin a secret relationship with her. They are very happy with each other, but if Alice should leave her husband, she won’t have any money.
One day he meets the 19 years old Suzan, she is really beautiful, but comes from a higher social class than Joe. He doesn’t care and dates Suzan, although her family distrust him. Joe can’t choose between his two mistresses, so he keeps on meeting both of them, but with Alice it’s true love.
Suzan gets pregnant, so he is obliged to marry her. When Alice hears this news, she commits suicide. Joe feels terrible and tries to forget her death by drinking liters of beer and rum. Fortunately he is found by his friends and they comfort him as possible as they can. Life goes on for him and Suzan…

2. Meaning of the title.

‘Room at the top’ Joe is obsessed by money and success. He wants to stand at the top. The author may also refer to the room that Joe Lampton rents. He rents a room from the Thompsons. It’s a room in a house at the top of a hill. Many people who live on the hill are rich.

3. Theme(s) of the book. (in a few key-words)

It’s a novel, the book can be described as a mix of a love story and social story. A love story, because of Joe’s two relationships with Alice and Suzan. A social story because it refers to the problem of money and fame. Joe is obsessed by these things.

4. Who are the main characters? Describe their character in a few words.

Joseph Lampton: Everybody calls him Joe, he’s 25 years old, he is the main character in the book. He’s very ambitious, because he wants to get rich as fast as
possible. He’s a real ladies’ man. He’s handsome and nice, but after all his flirtations
you see that it all goes about money and fame. Rich people are his enemies, because they have what he aims.

Susan Brown: She’s 19 years old and very rich. That’s the reason why Joe falls in love with her. She has a very strict father, he strongly disapproves that Joe dates his daughter. Joe does a lot to court Suzan. She’s very shy and doesn’t work. She prefers reading books all day.

Alice Aisgall: She is a 35 years old woman who is married to George Aisgall. They don’t love each other, that’s the reason why she becomes Joe’s mistress. She’s very insecure and has a lot of doubts about Joe, she isn’t really sure that Joe will stay with her because of her age. It’s true love between her and Joe, but when Joe marries Suzan because of the money and her pregnancy, she commits suicide.

5. Select an important extract from the book. Write it down and explain why you think it’s important.

Page 217:

(…) He gave me the folder of accounts and a cigarette. ‘I’ll expect a box of Havanas in return.’ He frowned at me. ‘You don’t seem bothered about Alice Aisgill,’ he said. ‘Or hadn’t you heard?’
‘What about her?’
‘She’s dead.’
O merciful God, I thought, she’s committed suicide and left a blaming me. That’s finished it. That’s finished me in every possible way. Teddy’s eyes were a pale blue, as if all the colour had been drained from them; they were probing my fac now;
‘She was a friend of yours, wasn’t she?’
‘A very good friend,’ I said. ‘How did she die?’
‘Ran her car into a wall on Warley Moor. She’d been drinking all night at the Clarendon and the St Clair. They wouldn’t serve her any more at the St Clair. (…)

That’s a very important extract. He had promised Alice to stay with her until the end of his life. He was very important and a good support for her. When she heard he’d marry Suzan because of her money, Alice has committed suicide. After he heard the news, he took the bus and went to several pubs and drunk liters beer and rum in the hope forgetting Alice’s death. When he wanted to go home, he fell on the ground. Later he was found by his friends. While he was driven home he was crying, because he had killed Alice. He wasn’t with her, but if he had done what he had promised her, she should be still alive. He realized that Alice really loved him and that she was a good woman. He also knew that he has chosen for Suzan only for her money.

6. Your own critical opinion. Did you enjoy reading the book? Why? Why not?

I find it a really good book. It’s written in the first person, so I could imagine myself in the main character. Before this, I’ve never read a book about the social-problem of money and fame. The scenes are very well described and not long-winded. I should advise this book to my friends!

7. What do you know about the author.

John Braine lived from 1922 to 1986. He was an English novelist in Yorkshire. His first novel, ‘Room at the top’ (1957) was his only world-bestseller.
Other works of John Brain:
- Life at the Top
- The Jealous God
- Writing A Novel
- Finger of Fire
- One and Last Love