Reviews

The Man Within by Graham Greene, Jonathan Yardley

jasonlaw77's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

darbystouffer's review against another edition

3.0

This book was not one of my favorites, and never will be. That said, I found it deeply, deeply fascinating. The protagonist seems to be profoundly aware of his own cowardice, which is not something I view as common. Furthermore, he fails to take note of his own courage, always downplaying it. It is almost like his own personal pity party, where he wallows in his own cowardice, to the point of almost enjoying it, while being unaware of how much he does. The love found within was deeply touching to me, and the woman he came to love, and the feelings that he exhibited, of feeling clean and alive and joyful and *new* when he was with her, cause me to think of her as a Jesus figure. So yes. Fascinating yet depressing story, I look forward to reading more of Mr. Greene. Also, one of my favorite quotes from the book was as follows: "Surely you know by this time that the feeling won't last. For a day we are disgusted and disappointed and disillusioned and feel dirty all over. But we are clean again in a very short time, clean enough to go back and soil ourselves all over again." This reminds me of the cycle that we and the Israelites constantly go through. We sin, we may at first be disgusted by our sin, than we grow into apathy over said sin, God brings us to repentance, and then we come once again to apathy, this time over our cleanliness, and anxiously and eagerly search out sin once again.

7 down, 97 to go! :D

greenrain's review against another edition

3.0

This is Greene's first published novel, and it shows. Don't get me wrong: it's well written, but many of Greene's signature themes aren't quite developed, as well as his style. It's not the greatest novel in the world, but it's short and interesting to read with the rest of Graham Greene's career in mind.

spiritualkungfu's review against another edition

3.0

Not his best book.

johntra44's review against another edition

4.0

The Man Within is a debut novel of Graham Greene. Still you can see the youth in his writing, compared to The End of the Affair and The Quiet American with cynical eyes. One would think a debut can't be compared to the great works, but I beg to differ. Still unpolished, but one can see the early talent underneath this writer Greene | A coward, betrayer, and deep in conscience, Andrews seems like a character one would read in Dostoevsky's

blumbergler's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

georgina_ainsley's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kim_hoag's review against another edition

4.0

This is the first book by an author I revere, so I was anxious to read it. It was not what I expected, although Greene's exquisite craftsmanship is all there. (Greene attempted to revise the book for a later edition, but he failed and so gave it up.) The main character is an anti-hero, Andrews, who self-admittedly doesn't have what it takes to be a hero. The antagonist is his friend who is trying to kill him for a betrayal. It is almost as if Greene set out to turn conventional fiction on it's ear, and perhaps he was. There is a simplicity to the triumvirate of characters and certain plot points that betray the first novel status, but all the themes he will later develop are here: struggling with God, bonding to others, the power of landscape, what is self, and a relationship with death. Andrews was hard for me to take. He was such a wimp with the hope of redemption determinedly thrust away by him. Most of the book consists of his inner dialogs and debates. One of the three characters, Elizabeth, I found the most fascinating but Greene doesn't dive into her so she is seen only as a foil for Andrews. The ending was not what I expected. It seemed almost lifted from The Tale of Two Cities. I admittedly don't understand the last page and I'm not sure I like it. I'll be pondering this for a while, which I often do with Greene.

eely225's review against another edition

3.0

A 3.5, rounded down for the sense that its conclusion was exciting but unearned. There's a lot that Greene is doing to foreshadow his future themes but it could lose 50 pages and not lose much. Pleasant, if rambly.

marathonreader's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

What to expect with The Man Within:
- trademark Greene irony (not at the level of Tenth Man, but still)
- a predominantly character-driven narrative that sparks your interest with sporadic sudden plot points
- trace the motifs of names and sleep/rest

Greene's prose is written to be read aloud, as you are wrapped in blankets and sat with a cup of tea. As your breath pushes along the steam rising from your mug. As you pause at his phrasing to stare contemplative out a window.