This biography investigates the complex relationship between Malcolm Lowry's turbulent personal life and his singular contribution to twentieth-century literature. Douglas Day, a scholar and academic, utilizes extensive primary source material, including personal correspondence and interviews with Lowry's contemporaries, to construct a comprehensive portrait of the author. The text argues that Lowry's struggles with addiction and displacement were not merely obstacles to his creative output, but were the primary catalysts for the psychological depth found in his work.

Critics and scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the life of Malcolm Lowry. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a thorough, if demanding, examination of the author's psyche.