A review by msand3
In Search of a Character by Graham Greene

3.0

Continuing my annual spring excursion to Greeneland. This one is solely for Greene fans, and only if you have read [b:A Burnt-Out Case|347629|A Burnt-Out Case|Graham Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266530537l/347629._SY75_.jpg|1107771] and [b:The Heart of the Matter|3692|The Heart of the Matter|Graham Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385263150l/3692._SY75_.jpg|3266950]. (Indeed, I am surprised these brief journal accounts aren't included as appendices in modern editions those two novels.) Greene offers his keen observations of a leper colony and a convoy during WWII while he gathered material for his two novels. Although these journals obviously weren’t meant to be published, Greene offers some helpful clarifying footnotes for context, often correcting minor details that he inaccurately recorded years ago or pointing to ways in which his initial thoughts would shift as he began the process of arranging ideas in his head before writing. It’s fascinating to see how he took snippets of conversations, observations, and overhead remarks to fashion into dialogue, characters, and passages; and his voice is lively, witty, and funny throughout, with wonderful asides on literary topics ranging from Dickens to Gertrude Stein. But the short length and very specific target audience make this really just for Greene completists.