Graham Greene - Travels with my Aunt
Let’s go travelling again in October with Graham Greene’s hilarious Travels with my Aunt. Retired bank manager, Henry Pulling, is forced into crazy adventures with his eccentric and amoral Aunt Augusta. What crimes does she commit? What role does her black lover Wordsworth play? Share the enormous fun of this novel with me!
Madcap humour and sheer unexpectedness
There are many memorable aunts in fiction – you find some fabulous examples in the novels of Jane Austen, PG Wodehouse, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens and George Eliot – but one of the very best has to be Aunt Augusta in Graham Greene’s delightful 1969 novel. Red-haired and impulsive, and a woman who has gone through lovers as others might go through changes of clothes, Aunt Augusta drags her ‘nephew’, retired bank manager Henry Pulling, away from his quiet suburban existence growing dahlias and out into a world of crime, travel and mad adventure. From Brighton to Paris, on the Orient Express to Istanbul, and finally to the seedier parts of Paraguay, Henry gets pulled from his conservative mindset and his life changes irrevocably.
I love the madcap humour and the sheer unexpectedness of Travels with My Aunt. Aunt Augusta is everything you do NOT expect in a septuagenarian, and is one of literature’s most finely drawn amoral characters. I love Wordsworth, her black lover, and the range of other characters who swing in and out of the criminal world and Aunt Augusta’s orbit.
“Brighton was the first real journey I undertook in my aunt’s company and proved a bizarre foretaste of much that was to follow.”
― Graham Greene
Get the book, watch the movie and more
Here is where to buy the book in print, ebook or audio. Find the books on my recommended reading list, watch a movie version, enjoy related videos, websites and much more. Have anything to add here? Let me know.
PURCHASE
Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
Russian Roulette: The Life and Times of Graham Greene by Richard Greene
The Life of Graham Greene by Norman Sherry
The Quest for Graham Greene: A Biography by W.J. West
The Third Woman: The Secret Passion that Inspired The End of the Affair by William Cash (this book has been extremely controversial and is not entirely accurate).
The Complete Book of Aunts by Rupert Christiansen
FREE DOWNLOAD
Not available
FIND IN A LIBRARY (You will need to create an account and hold a library card.)
Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene National Library of Australia free public access to books in Australian libraries.
MOVIES
Streaming Guide from JustWatch: Travels with My Aunt 1972 MGM movie adaptation
LINKS
Purchase the complete Literary Readers Guide (just $5)
This Literary Readers’ Guide is a real treat! In it I reveal intriguing stories about the author to help you understand what prompted this book to be written. I identify the main characters and their roles, analyse the themes behind the story, and describe the influence that the era, lifestyle and circumstances have on the book’s setting. Included are 8 thought-provoking discussion points, perfect for books clubs or just to get you thinking a bit harder yourself.
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Discuss it with me
I’m interested to hear what you think, so please tell me in a comment.
Melvyn Dickson
Hello Susannah,
Though I was tardy reading “A Town Like Alice” and “Jane Eyre” I found them both so worthwhile = thanks for listing them. “Travels With My Aunt” was more than worthwhile, it was a real pleasure with many a laugh. I was so absorbed, the abrupt end caught me quite by surprise and disappointment that there were no more adventures to amuse me. I suspect Greene became bored with the characters and could not invent more plot. And your notes on Greene were very interesting. He did not live a boring life. “Barry Lyndon” sounds lively, so I will begin that right away.
Susannah Fullerton
I am delighted you enjoyed it so much, Mel. It’s my favourite Graham Greene novel, and such fun. I agree that you do feel slightly bereft when it all ends and you can no longer enjoy the company of those eccentric characters.
I will not be running the Readers’ Guides programme next year but have a different plan, with some fabulous book recommendations. I hope you will join it.
Gaby Meares
I didn’t know what to expect with this book. I’ve enjoyed several of Greene’s books, but Travels is nothing like anything else he has written!
What a romp! I listened to the book narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith who was just amazing. Perhaps I wouldn’t have enjoyed this as much if I’d just read it. Pigott-Smith brought all the characters to life.
We all need an Aunt Augusta in our lives to shake us out of our complacency!
My only disappointment with the book occurs at the very last, with the quite shocking reveal that Henry is going to marry that very young girl. And the cavalier response by Aunt Augusta to Wordsworth’s murder seemed very hard – for me, she lost some of her appeal.
I’m glad I read the book before reading your guide, as I didn’t realise Augusta was in fact his mother until it is revealed at the end of the book!
Thanks again for introducing me to a novel I would not have otherwise read.
Susannah Fullerton
I have also listened to Tim Piggot-Smith reading it – doesn’t he do a wonderful job.
I agree with all your comments – a fabulous romp until that disturbing ending.
Heather Smith
Hi Susannah: I was able to borrow this book from my local Library. I had never read it before. Thanks again for your newsletter : it is great to have new suggestions. Hope to see you at the October Jane Austen meeting. Kind regards, Heather Dmith
Susannah Fullerton
Isn’t it a fun book! I am glad I introduced you to something new that you enjoyed. Yes, hope to see you at JASA.