HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Graham Greene, born 2 October 1904
“Most things disappoint until you look deeper.”
Graham Greene
Graham Greene was born in Berkhamsted School where his father was a housemaster. He was encouraged to spy on his fellow students so as to report misdemeanours, and the habit of spying became early ingrained. His life would always be full of secrets when he got involved in espionage and he seems to have been a very unhappy man.
I am not a great fan of Graham Greene – there’s too much Catholic angst about sin and sex in his writings. However, I do love Travels with My Aunt about the redoubtable Aunt Augusta, and can strongly recommend listening to that on audio. Brighton Rock simply depresses me – the characters all seem so full of hatred for each other and for life generally. William Golding has remarked that Greene recorded much of 20thC man’s anxiety and consciousness – if that is true, then both men have a far bleaker view of the world than I have!
Graham Greene died on 3 April 1991, aged 86.
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Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
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