Review from a Transgressive Fiction Fan
Of the less than ten novels in the universe which can conceivably be called PERFECT* (that is, without a single flaw, with so much mastery over the daunting literary terrain that it leaves the reader panting, gives him goosebumps, makes him believe in the sphere of art all over again)—two of them undoubtedly are written by Graham Greene. I have lionized “The Quiet American” before. Now it’s “The End of the Affair” which left me wondering—why isn’t Graham Greene more widely read? The yarn told is truly a cause for heartache: the themes of adultery and death, and above all, religion, are uber-heavy but with great craft Greene manages to make them accessible to his flabbergasted readership (of which, as I’ve said, there must be more!). The lovers fall in love sharing a plate of onions… no poetry escapes this guy, unarguably the BEST WRITER OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
“Insightful” Review from a Mainstream Reader
I really didn’t like that. It was horribly depressing with an unsettling ending. I only managed to finish because it was so short.