Born September 19, 1911 in Cornwall, England, William Golding descended from a distinguished line of schoolmasters. His father, Alec, was a man of exceptional learning who wrote textbooks on diverse subjects, and played several musical instruments. His relationship with his mother was extraordinary because "she and I were very like each other. We even looked like each other--poor woman--... facially we resembled each other, you see. I gave her a hell of a time, because I had a certain crude wit which I was not beyond using, I'm ashamed to say, on my own parents.... She was a woman of very strong emotions, interests ... I define her situation as being fond of me, but not able to stand me. I think this is quite understandable, because ... as a boy I must have been--I can't think how anybody could stand me. I certainly couldn't have stood myself. I remember my father's...