55:. While confined to bed 24 hours a day, he meditates on various events from his earlier life, his friendship with Tom, his relationships with women, especially his brief engagement with Lois who abandoned him when his virtually hopeless condition had become apparent. A recurring theme is that of the Vodi, a malevolent race of small creatures invented by Tom when at school. The chief concern of the Vodi is to persecute and destroy the unlucky: the good and harmless people who invite the wrath of the Vodi by these very qualities (while the undeserving minority can enjoy good fortune and all life's comforts unhampered). Among others, Dick is tended by Nurse Evelyn Mallaton, whose sympathy and strong sexual attraction eventually give him the energy to rally against the disease and recover. However, while attracted to Dick, Evelyn understands his lack of prospects in the world and becomes engaged to a local businessman. Here emerges the main theme of the book: what Dick perceived as the distinction between the undeserved good and bad luck may in fact be the difference between a strong will and the lack of it. The novel ends with Dick bravely leaving the sanitarium where he has been offered a safe nursing job, to try to establish himself in the world on his own and perhaps get Evelyn back.
254:
19:
301:
63:
The novel appears to have been unsuccessful on publication and rarely reprinted. Nevertheless, the book was Braine's own favourite, and the critic
325:
143:
271:
330:
294:
215:
320:
335:
287:
207:
136:
199:
167:
69:
106:
36:
97:
Martin
Seymour-Smith ed. Novels and Novelists: A guide to the world of fiction. Windward, London, 1980
129:
64:
231:
261:
253:
74:
223:
191:
183:
81:
as one of his favourite books of all time, defining its genre as "kitchen sink gothic".
18:
314:
275:
111:
48:
152:
32:
52:
17:
125:
67:
described it as a "more interesting and imaginative work" than
121:
265:
274:. Further suggestions might be found on the article's
159:
35:, first published in the United Kingdom in 1959 by
295:
137:
8:
39:. A revised version was published in 1978.
302:
288:
144:
130:
122:
272:See guidelines for writing about novels
90:
47:Dick Corvey is suffering from advanced
260:This article about a 1950s novel is a
7:
250:
248:
59:Literary significance and criticism
264:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
14:
252:
216:The Queen of a Distant Country
1:
326:Eyre & Spottiswoode books
115:. Retrieved on 2008-12-14.
352:
247:
208:Stay with Me Till Morning
37:Eyre & Spottiswoode
23:
331:Novels by John Braine
21:
65:Martin Seymour-Smith
321:1959 British novels
232:Waiting for Sheila
107:"M. John Harrison"
24:
336:1950s novel stubs
283:
282:
242:
241:
343:
304:
297:
290:
256:
249:
146:
139:
132:
123:
116:
104:
98:
95:
75:M. John Harrison
51:in a provincial
351:
350:
346:
345:
344:
342:
341:
340:
311:
310:
309:
308:
245:
243:
238:
224:The Pious Agent
200:The Crying Game
192:The Jealous God
184:Life at the Top
168:Room at the Top
155:
150:
120:
119:
105:
101:
96:
92:
87:
73:. The novelist
70:Room at the Top
61:
45:
12:
11:
5:
349:
347:
339:
338:
333:
328:
323:
313:
312:
307:
306:
299:
292:
284:
281:
280:
257:
240:
239:
237:
236:
228:
220:
212:
204:
196:
188:
180:
172:
163:
161:
157:
156:
151:
149:
148:
141:
134:
126:
118:
117:
99:
89:
88:
86:
83:
60:
57:
44:
41:
31:is a novel by
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
348:
337:
334:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
318:
316:
305:
300:
298:
293:
291:
286:
285:
279:
277:
273:
269:
267:
263:
258:
255:
251:
246:
234:
233:
229:
226:
225:
221:
218:
217:
213:
210:
209:
205:
202:
201:
197:
194:
193:
189:
186:
185:
181:
178:
177:
173:
170:
169:
165:
164:
162:
158:
154:
147:
142:
140:
135:
133:
128:
127:
124:
114:
113:
108:
103:
100:
94:
91:
84:
82:
80:
76:
72:
71:
66:
58:
56:
54:
50:
42:
40:
38:
34:
30:
29:
22:First edition
20:
16:
270:
266:expanding it
259:
244:
230:
222:
214:
206:
198:
190:
182:
175:
174:
166:
112:The Guardian
110:
102:
93:
78:
68:
62:
49:tuberculosis
46:
43:Plot summary
27:
26:
25:
15:
153:John Braine
33:John Braine
315:Categories
53:sanitarium
276:talk page
176:The Vodi
79:The Vodi
28:The Vodi
235:(1976)
227:(1975)
219:(1972)
211:(1970)
203:(1968)
195:(1964)
187:(1962)
179:(1959)
171:(1957)
160:Novels
77:names
85:Notes
262:stub
317::
109:,
303:e
296:t
289:v
278:.
268:.
145:e
138:t
131:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.