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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Not my favorite Graham Greene read, but still a good book. He is a great writer and I always enjoy reading his novels.
Where do your loyalties lie?
Greene addresses, quite directly, the myths of life in the secret service, illustrating that its daily grind and its high-stakes violence are both more banal and human than we like to believe. The reason that so many characters are disinterested in the word "traitor" is because the kind of moral confidence that makes treason possible is out of place in their line of work. This is a novel of the contrast between ambivalent warriors and their unambiguous supporters.
I appreciate the new narrative approaches that Greene takes here, drawing in more points of view than usual and removing his direct avatar who usually leads the commentary. It also departs from many of his works in that it gets going quite quickly, driven initially by the vague tension (don't read the description on the back of the book; it ruins half the fun), but then by a deeper question of who is actually in control of events. Many characters assert their knowledge of who is in control of events but it's up to the reader to decide which, if any, of those assertions are valid.
This is a book about identity. Which identities take precedence when you must choose? And are those really choices you can make or are they made for you?
Greene addresses, quite directly, the myths of life in the secret service, illustrating that its daily grind and its high-stakes violence are both more banal and human than we like to believe. The reason that so many characters are disinterested in the word "traitor" is because the kind of moral confidence that makes treason possible is out of place in their line of work. This is a novel of the contrast between ambivalent warriors and their unambiguous supporters.
I appreciate the new narrative approaches that Greene takes here, drawing in more points of view than usual and removing his direct avatar who usually leads the commentary. It also departs from many of his works in that it gets going quite quickly, driven initially by the vague tension (don't read the description on the back of the book; it ruins half the fun), but then by a deeper question of who is actually in control of events. Many characters assert their knowledge of who is in control of events but it's up to the reader to decide which, if any, of those assertions are valid.
This is a book about identity. Which identities take precedence when you must choose? And are those really choices you can make or are they made for you?
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
read for school, i’m depressed now
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good book, although the ending was predictable. Not entirely believable motivations.
This is one of those times when I wish I could give a half-star to make it 3.5. This was my first Graham Greene novel, and I was suprised to discover it was a spy mystery novel. But while the plot line was spy mystery, the story was all about the characters. Maurice Castle must wrestle with his life's decisions and how they impact his family and his colleagues. How much is too much when you are making life's "trade-offs"? Well done, but I really didn't like the bit about the dog. It didn't advance the plot and was unnecessary.
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very well written, as is to be expected by Greene, but ultimately nothing spectacular. The story was rather predictable, even for the time it was written, and there wasn't any of the spark to be found in his better works.