The End of the Affair by Graham Greene was first published in 1951 and was the fifteenth novel Green wrote. It is considered the fourth novel in his so-called Catholic tetralogy. As such, it can certainly be considered a pivotal novel in his career as a novelist, especially since his reputation as one of the most important English writers of the twentieth century is centered on his Catholic novels.
A Compelling and Fast Read
Greene’s novel is not a carefree read. While it is a short novel (just under 200 pages), it compels you to sit until it is finished. Do not expect to pick it up and come back to it again later. By the time you’ve read 30 pages, curiosity forces you to continue. By the time, the issues of curiosity are resolved; you are drawn into the moral and spiritual dilemma of the narrator and his obsession. Before you know it, it is 2:00 a.m. and you are lying in bed wondering and thinking. By the time you sleep, you find yourself dreaming about the novel.
A Study in Love and Hate
The narrator of the story is a writer named Maurice Bendrix and he introduces the story to us by saying, “this is a record of hate far more than of love” (7) and he tells us of his hate for Henry and Sarah. Yet quite soon, we discover that he had once had an affair with Sarah. However, it should not surprise the reader to discover that Bendrix passionately hates the person he once held dear. Many people have experienced their most passionate hatred for those closest to their heart.
However, Bendrix puts a finer point on his hate than most people are comfortable with when he says “Hatred seems to work on the same glands as love: it even produces the same actions. If we had not been taught how to interpret the story of the Passion, would we have been able to say from their actions alone whether it was the jealous Judas or the cowardly Peter who loved Christ?” (27)
Not for the Spiritually Squeamish
The thin line between love and hate that Bendrix portrays is not the only challenging emotional or spiritual moment in the book. The book is chock full of sentences, paragraphs, and incidents that will make the reader uncomfortable and challenge them to look closely at life.
When a Story isn’t Enough
However, just because the themes in the novel are challenging doesn’t mean that Greene neglected his craftsmanship. Critics have often praised the writing and technique in the novel. In fact, when the novel first came out, William Faulkner wrote “For me one of the most true and moving novels of my time. In anybody’s language.”
If a well-written compelling novel that challenges you emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually interests you. You must read The End of the Affair.
Greene, Graham. The End of the Affair. Penguin Books, 1999. ISBN 0-14-029109-1
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