A review by roe_
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

4.0

Strange, intense little book. The settings and the little personal moments of interaction are captivatingly realistic, beautifully drawn. Agreed with the introduction (by Monica Ali in my Vintage edition) that the touch of kindness in Bendrix -- the scar on his shoulder -- is perhaps misplaced, but overall Bendrix is brilliantly malicious and unkind and hurting and fearful. The Blitz setting (largely ignored by the characters) adds another fascinating level of depth. Searching for something among the oblivion. The prose is preaching, delirious, crying into the void (or the vapour). Sarah can't love someone who's turned to dust. Nor, it seems, can Bendrix.