Review "Undeniably a major work of art...It remains from first to last an almost faultless display of craftsmanship and a wonderfully assured statement of ideas." —The New Yorker"Singularly moving and beautiful...the relationship of lover to husband with its crazy mutation of pity, hate, comradeship, jealousy, and contempt is superbly described...the heroine is consistently lovable." —Evelyn Waugh"An absorbing piece of work, passionately felt and strikingly written." —The Atlantic Monthly"Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, and The End of the Affair...all have claims to greatness; they are as intense and penetrating and disturbing as an inquisitor's gaze." —John Updike"Graham Greene was in class by himself.... He will be read and remembered as the ultimate twentieth-century chronicler of consciousness and anxiety." —William Golding  Read more About the Author Graham Greene (1904-1991), whose long life nearly spanned the length of the twentieth century, was one of its greatest novelists. Educated at Berkhamsted School and Balliol College, Oxford, he started his career as a sub-editor of The Times of London. He began to attract notice as a novelist with his fourth book, Orient Express, in 1932. In 1935, he trekked across northern Liberia, his first experience in Africa, recounted in A Journey Without Maps (1936). He converted to Catholicism in 1926, an edifying decision, and reported on religious persecution in Mexico in 1938 in The Lawless Roads, which served as a background for his famous The Power and the Glory, one of several “Catholic” novels (Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, The End of the Affair). During the war he worked for the British secret service in Sierra Leone; afterward, he began wide-ranging travels as a journalist, which were reflected in novels such as The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana, The Comedians, Travels with My Aunt, The Honorary Consul, The Human Factor, Monsignor Quixote, and The Captain and the Enemy. In addition to his many novels, Graham Greene wrote several collections of short stories, four travel books, six plays, two books of autobiography—A Sort of Life and Ways of Escape—two biographies, and four books for children. He also contributed hundreds of essays and film and book reviews to The Spectator and other journals, many of which appear in the late collection Reflections. Most of his novels have been filmed, including The Third Man, which the author first wrote as a film treatment. Graham Greene was named Companion of Honour and received the Order of Merit among numerous other awards.Michael Gorra is a professor of English at Smith College. His books include The Bells in Their Silence: Travels Through Germany and After Empire: Scott, Naipaul, Rushdie. Read more
J**O
"The Quiet American" and "Our Man in Havana" I have to admit that I was disappointed in "The End of the Affair
After recently finishing Mr. Greene's, "The Quiet American" and "Our Man in Havana" I have to admit that I was disappointed in "The End of the Affair." That is not to say, that there weren't parts of the book that I found engrossing and superbly written, but overall I found this novel to be quite tedious and, except for the minor characters, I found the main characters to be quite bothersome, egotistical, and not very likeable. They reminded me more of self-absorbed adolescents than of adults living in London through World War 11 and its aftermath.Nevertheless, I plan on reading much more of Mr. Greene's works. My negative reaction to this book has in no way discouraged me from exploring all of this marvelous writer's work.
K**E
Outstanding.
This is an excellent novel, and one that's even better as an audiobook. Colin Firth does an unbelievable job bringing this book to life. I was riveted through the entirety. This is a novel that will make you question the nature of love and religion, without giving you the answer.I listened to this book while driving cross-country, which wasn't ideal for two reasons. First, the novel had me openly weeping at several points, which isn't great while driving for obvious reasons. Second, I was so riveted that everything else I should have been paying attention to while driving was a nuisance. While this certainly made the hours fly by, be safe! This is one audiobook that will demand your full attention. I absolutely recommend.
J**R
Intelligent And satisfying read.
I like the intelligence and wittiness of the author,how well he tells the story, and how vividly he portrays the characters such that you feel as if you know them. The story is very layered and isnt a cheap read. Using the Kindle app helped me to immediately find definitions for unfamilar words or expressions.Even though not a religious book, i was surprised at the spiritual and philosophical questions raised or implied. It challenged some of my opinions about faith and how we see God. Striking comment that stood out is that we make God in our own image, the irony of what Scriptures say.The story has a very interesting and surpising end that invites discussion if one is in a book club.
R**O
Thank Goodness
I did not enjoy this book. I struggled to care about the characters and I was actually relieved when I finished the book.
B**K
Leaves the reader with much to think on
I really enjoyed this book. The explorations of love vs hate, morality and faith, fidelity vs lust are thought-provoking well balanced throughout.Somewhat spoiler-y below - - -- - -I found myself strangely rooting for the narrator by the end. Hoping that his stubborn hate would sustain him, though doubting it would last, truly, at the end. For he was crumbling, wasn’t he?A fine story. Something refreshing and different from a lot of books.
S**N
Love it hate
I can see how one could either love or hate this book...... which clearly is the subject matter here. I happen to love it for it’s complete honesty and reality of humanity. Because of this, it deeply touched me with the most human and real emotion.... love.
O**S
Every Word Counts and So Much More
I don't know how a novel can be better than Graham Greene's THE END OF THE AFFAIR. Not only does every word counts, but the resolution is so powerful that much like Bendrix, the reader comes to an end of himself. The story starts with the remembering of a love affair gone wrong. Little by little, however, it becomes apparent that the real story is that of a love affair beginning. Bendrix is Greene's mirror image, a novelist who doesn't want to believe but cannot escape God. Sarah is the great heroine of Greene's literary corpus, a fully developed enigma only explained in death. Henry is th e cuckolded husband who loves self and England more than anyone else. Parkis and son and Smythe start off as minor, but become the essential witnesses to the supernatural.A pleasure to read from the first word to the last. This is one of the great novels of the 20th century.
C**R
What did I miss this time?
I read this book as a teenager, and thought it was romantic. As a middle-aged woman, I re-read it, and thought "What self-centered, tiresome people!" It's on lists of 100 best books, etc., but just couldn't see it this time around. The writing itself is excellent, but I couldn't work up any sympathy for the characters,
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