0 s ▁as ▁an ▁artist , ▁novel ist ▁and ▁play w right . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁years ▁which ▁saw ▁ar dent ▁affairs ▁with ▁both ▁women ▁and ▁men , ▁a ▁storm y ▁marriage , ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁a ▁son , ▁and ▁a ▁tra um atic ▁divor ce . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁“ full ▁of ▁clear - ey ed ▁observation ▁and ▁thought ful ▁reflection , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁com ic ▁incident ▁… ▁un fl inch ingly ▁honest ▁and ▁ex uber antly ▁entertain ing ,” ▁while ▁The ▁Spect ator ▁finds ▁it ▁“ a ▁remarkable ▁aut obi ography ▁which ▁sub ver ts ▁everything ▁you ▁thought ▁you ▁knew ▁about ▁love ▁and ▁life .” ▁ ▁F iction ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁Col in ▁Sp encer ▁has ▁had ▁nine ▁nov els ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁numerous ▁short ▁stories ▁published ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁and ▁abroad . ▁ ▁His ▁work ▁can ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁the ▁ 4 ▁semi - aut obi ographical ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁Generation ▁sequence ; ▁the ▁two ▁sat ir ical ▁black ▁com ed ies ▁Po ppy , ▁Mand rag ora ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Sex , ▁and ▁How ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁Kid n apped ▁Mrs ▁N ixon ▁( rep ub lished ▁in ▁paper back ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁C ock - Up ); ▁the ▁sexual ▁real ist ▁drama ▁Pan ic , ▁a ▁comp ass ion ate ▁exam ination ▁of ▁the ▁ment ality ▁of ▁a ▁child ▁murder er ; ▁the ▁experimental ▁As yl um , ▁mer ging ▁the ▁myth s ▁of ▁O ed ip us