Perhaps the most apt descriptor of the life and times of Arthur Koestler is the term extraordinary. Koestler would author scores of works of literature, including one relatively early on in his career which enable him to remain financially secure for the rest of his life (Menand). He was also a Jewish person who lived through both World Wars and endured firsthand persecution during the Spanish Civil War--an event which helped presage the Second World War. A man of both political and religious conviction, Koestler remained active on both fronts for the duration of his life. Moreover, his early literary success and activism rendered him a celebrity for the vast majority of his life. As such, he was able to meet and socialize with some of the more notable figures of the 20th centuries, including fellow authors, political proponents, and celebrities. He led a full, rich life until he killed himself by committing suicide with his wife. As such, even a cursory review of his life implies that it was extraordinary—both for Koestler\'s many achievements as well as the company with which he kept himself.Popular culture largely contends that Koestler is most notable for his authorship of Darkness at Noon, a work which is emblematic of his life in many ways. Firstly, it was the singular literary work which went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies (Menand) internationally which both procured his professional and public reputation as well as the security of his financial future. Secondly, it was indicative of Koestler\'s political views in a way which would remain eminent for the duration of his existence. The book details the vicissitudes of a political prisoner who is one of the many victims of a totalitarian, fascist government. In that respect it was symbolic of the growing power of Hitler and other fascists during the midway point of the 20th century, including others such as Mussolini and Franco. Furthermore, this work or literature was a thinly veiled recollection of Koestler\'s own experience as such a political prisoner of Franco\'s fascist regime during the Spanish Civil War. Thus, the events which led to the book\'s...

Koestler was a reporter covering the Spanish Civil War for a British newspaper when he was captured by Franco’s men. The Spaniards had already heard of the writer’s fledgling literary reputation, and were bent on punishing him on the more for it. Koestler was transferred between a couple of prisons in the country and endured as many as three months in solitary confinement (McCrum). The experience was both demoralizing and morbid—some of the more prominent observations Koestler made during this period was the habitual murdering of fellow prisoners each morning. He endured such captivity under the distinct impression that one of those mornings, he, too, would be led before the shooters and killed. These events are acutely detailed in Darkness at Noon in a fictionalized version, although Koestler also wrote about them in a biographic form as well.
In this regard, the defining experience of Koestler’s life was his imprisonment in Spain for two pivotal reasons. The first is that it gave his fodder for what many regard as his magnum opus. The second, and perhaps the more immediate of the two, is the fact that it enabled him to become a celebrity. There were a number of salient personages involved in the Koestler’s liberation, including William Randolph Hearst (Menand). A minor liberation movement spawned in the United Kingdom, spearheaded by efforts from Koestler’s first wife and Parliamentary assistance. The very drama of his circumstances, the dire nature of his imprisonment in solitary confinement, made him a media darling. Then, he was able to capitalize even further on this experience by drafting Darkness at Noon to further solidify his status as a celebrity. The resulting fame enabled the author to expand his circle of associates beyond others of political conviction to those…