[Subdue] The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene, edited and upgraded to 4 stars

[NancyJ]

I set a goal to read something by Graham Greene this year, and I picked this one based on the reviews - and I confess because of the audio narrator, Colin Firth, who did a fine job. The book is ostensibly about an extramarital affair, and has all the components of those stories that I dislike - betrayal, jealousy, religious guilt, hate, obsession, self-hatred, and a lot of pain all around. There is so much more to the story than the affair, and there is a lot to admire here. The characters were so well drawn they often felt real. The story provides deep insights about human behavior and emotions, which I always appreciate.

The writing was incredible. It was finely crafted, but very frank and honest. He wasn’t afraid to make the writer character unlikable, which felt daring, because the first person pov made the book feel autobiographical. I like internal dialogue but i think some people would find it excessive. Despite the fact that I wanted to DNF it a few times at the beginning, I am ultimately glad I read the book.

[NancyJ]

Added:
It’s been several hours and I’m still thinking about this book and review. (I love that Subdue encourages me to write reviews promptly, but I should have let this one stew for awhile.) I already increased my rating twice since my initial judgment. This is quite unlike any other novel I’ve read. I know that there are trends in writing, and every period of time has its own conventions, values and favorite topics. Religion is out of favor in literary writing now, but this book was written around 1950. I was turned off at first when the topic appeared, but it did not go in the direction I expected. It was thought provoking and made me think about it in a way I hadn’t before. I was saying last night how much I like it when a story provides new insights and points of view. I’m tired of the same themes and life lessons in so many books. That made me appreciate this book all the more.

[Joy D]

I read this one years ago. Your review makes me want to revisit it.