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mlautchi's review
There were times when he did seem to share to her intuition, to catch directly the sharp glitter of her meaning. 7
"Wasn't I right?"
"Oh yes," he said, "of course you were right," and turned towards her eyes so blank that she wondered whether he had heard her question. They were as blank as the end pages of a book hurriedly turned to hide something too tragic or too questionable on the last leaf. 9
"Yes. But you know when you lose sight of a girl like that, she's gone. You never see her again. It's odd when you've known a girl so well, been fond of each other, seen her only a month ago, not to know where she is, whether she's alive or dead or dying." 10
heritage's review against another edition
3.0
Anthony, a habitual down-on-his-luck wanderer, is persuaded by his twin sister to move to Sweden and accept a job working for her wealthy employer, which he accepts. However, questionable as his character is, there are some things that even Anthony just won't be a part of.
While this was an earlier novel by Graham Greene, he had already found his voice by the time it was written. The narrative is smooth and thoughtful, and the characters are well-developed for the most part. It's not a thriller in the sense of some of his other works, but there is a fair bit of wondering going on by the reader.
The highlight of the novel is the relationship between the twin siblings. Even though they came from the same background, their lives and opinions have diverged greatly. And, while one appears respectable and the other one not so, the novel forces the reader to look more closely. There are parallels between the two, yet there are contrasts as well, and the situation they face is very relevant for our day.
The plot revolves around some financial dealings of the wealthy employer, who just also happens to be the sister's lover. The framework of the story is a little unusual as there seems to be no noticeable initial incident to launch the story. The conflict is mainly between the past and personalities of the twins, yet it's only at the end when the dilemma presents itself. It's an interesting setup, and it works, yet I think many readers may be put off by the seemingly slow beginning. Be patient and stick with it.
The only drawbacks to me were the underdeveloped character of Krogh, the wealthy businessman, and one or two small sections of what I can only term as quasi-stream-of-consciousness writing. Neither inhibit the novel, but they do take away from the overall quality of it.
I recommend this book, especially to fans of John le Carré's more recent activist novels. Even though I may not completely agree with Greene's conclusions, I am still impressed with his ability to write a complete story in ~200 pages.
[Aug. 30, 2015]
Here's a very good write-up in The Guardian about this novel:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/29/greeneland-sweden-when-graham-greene-let-himself-go
While this was an earlier novel by Graham Greene, he had already found his voice by the time it was written. The narrative is smooth and thoughtful, and the characters are well-developed for the most part. It's not a thriller in the sense of some of his other works, but there is a fair bit of wondering going on by the reader.
The highlight of the novel is the relationship between the twin siblings. Even though they came from the same background, their lives and opinions have diverged greatly. And, while one appears respectable and the other one not so, the novel forces the reader to look more closely. There are parallels between the two, yet there are contrasts as well, and the situation they face is very relevant for our day.
The plot revolves around some financial dealings of the wealthy employer, who just also happens to be the sister's lover. The framework of the story is a little unusual as there seems to be no noticeable initial incident to launch the story. The conflict is mainly between the past and personalities of the twins, yet it's only at the end when the dilemma presents itself. It's an interesting setup, and it works, yet I think many readers may be put off by the seemingly slow beginning. Be patient and stick with it.
The only drawbacks to me were the underdeveloped character of Krogh, the wealthy businessman, and one or two small sections of what I can only term as quasi-stream-of-consciousness writing. Neither inhibit the novel, but they do take away from the overall quality of it.
I recommend this book, especially to fans of John le Carré's more recent activist novels. Even though I may not completely agree with Greene's conclusions, I am still impressed with his ability to write a complete story in ~200 pages.
[Aug. 30, 2015]
Here's a very good write-up in The Guardian about this novel:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/29/greeneland-sweden-when-graham-greene-let-himself-go
neil_denham's review against another edition
4.0
An unusual thing - a Greene book without one priest in it.
sophronisba's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was my first Graham Greene and I have to be honest, I wasn't into it. I thought the plot was dull and obvious and I wasn't interested in the characters. Perhaps another Greene some day -- I've heard great things.
anastazjav32's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
blakeisgreene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
kingfan30's review against another edition
2.0
I really don't know what to say about this book. I never really got into the story and still can't really tell you what it was all about. I have no idea what Krogh was involved in, I think I must have drifted off at some point and missed something. None of the characters were particularly likeable and some seemed to come and go without any point to them. At least it was a short read and hey its another one ticked off the list.
sethlynch's review against another edition
5.0
Where many of Greene's novels look at dictators and./or their regimes, this novel looks instead at the head of a large multi-national company and his realm. The novel shows the world on the cusp between the national and multinational - the meaningless of the nation state within the world of multinational business. It shows the company CEO as equally ruthless as and Papa Doc Duvalier.
Although published in the mid-1930s the themes provide a very modern feel.
Although published in the mid-1930s the themes provide a very modern feel.
nadia_g's review against another edition
5.0
I was so shaken by this novel. It was a strange read, and reminded me of The Evenings by Gerard Reve in that it built a formidable tension in a seemingly static setting.
England made me is introspective, slow in action although I now know it was a false sense of slowness, Greene had caught me so intensely into the internal dialogues & tragedies of each character that I failed to hear the ticking of fate's clock. So when the clock did strike, I was caught totally unawares, and as in life, with hindsight I can see that Greene had given all the clues. Not one of this novel's character was flat or neglected, each was beautifully studied, particularly the relationship that binds twins, whether they like it or not. .
If you prefer action packed and fast-paced stories you might feel a little impatient with this story but if you can handle slow for 200 pages, then a deeply affecting novel awaits.
Warning: if like me the weather in novels really affects you, be warned that this story in set in Sweden under the rain, so prepare to read it somewhere warm!
England made me is introspective, slow in action although I now know it was a false sense of slowness, Greene had caught me so intensely into the internal dialogues & tragedies of each character that I failed to hear the ticking of fate's clock. So when the clock did strike, I was caught totally unawares, and as in life, with hindsight I can see that Greene had given all the clues. Not one of this novel's character was flat or neglected, each was beautifully studied, particularly the relationship that binds twins, whether they like it or not. .
If you prefer action packed and fast-paced stories you might feel a little impatient with this story but if you can handle slow for 200 pages, then a deeply affecting novel awaits.
Warning: if like me the weather in novels really affects you, be warned that this story in set in Sweden under the rain, so prepare to read it somewhere warm!
encharro's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest