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"".