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Illustrated portrait of Harold Edison Hope

A character in The Swimming-Pool Library

Harold Edison Hope

Arthur’s brother, whose criminal network belongs to a London Will can enter but not understand.

What they want

Money and survival within his own network.

The book

Cover of The Swimming-Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst
The Swimming-Pool LibraryAlan Hollinghurst, 1988

Queer freedom in 1980s London meets class, power, loneliness, and the lives that came before it.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Harold is Arthur’s older brother and is involved in drugs and criminal activity.

His world shapes Arthur’s fear and choices.

Will can enter this environment erotically but does not belong to it.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • ToughHe carries himself with defensive authority.
  • Criminally connectedThe dispute with Tony grows from his orbit.
  • Family influenceArthur remains pulled back toward him.
  • Outside Will’s classHis risks are unlike the leisure Will knows.

If you like The Swimming-Pool Library

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