The End of the Affair (End of the Affair, The - Graham Greene)

Member Name: RussellsReviews

Product:	End of the Affair, The - Graham Greene
Date:	26/07/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliantly moving, eerily real characters, surprisingly truthful narration.

Disadvantages: None

The End of the Affair is a book by Graham Greene chronicalling our main character, Maurice, the time after his affair with close friend Henry's wife Sarah through his own eyes. What starts as merely a continued love for Sarah after the end of the affair ends in utter obsession which leads him to the hire of a private detective, albeit an amicable one.

I was recommended this book by a friend and having already read Brighton Rock by Graham Greene and enjoyed it I thought it was worthy of a read. I suppose by reading Brighton Rock before this book I had already built up some kind of expectations for the book and thought I had sussed Greene's style. And of course how wrong I was. The End of the Affair is a thousand miles from Brighton Rock in terms of writing style.

Greene plays Maurice Bendrix's monologue styled format perfectly. His introspective and often shockingly truthful narrations really hit me and I couldn't help but feel akin to Greene's portrayal of the scorned and jealous lover. I suppose that's the measure of a good book, the way in which it impacts upon us and I feel that this novel hit the nail on the head.

I can't help but wonder what the effect of some of the content might have been at the time in which it was first published, 1951. Some of the views which are raised on religion especially are particuarly powerful. Whilst religion may not hold such a poignance in 21st century Britain the way in which the public perceived the content must have been entirely different to the way in which I have today.

Greene's storytelling really feels genuine and the characters seem eerily real, this is a novel which has truely stood the test of time and I truely enjoyed. A terrific book that I would recommend to anyone.

Summary: Great book about love of an ultimate betrayal.