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Graham Greene (1904-1991)
Who?
A true master of portraying insoluble, dramatic moral dilemmas, he pursued danger himself and brought beautifully seedy hinterlands vividly to life in short stories, plays and novels, some of which he called serious and others he branded 'entertainments'. He also wrote biography, criticism and travel books.
Must reads
Stamboul Train (1932), England Made Me (1935), Brighton Rock (1938), The Confidential Agent (1939), The Power and the Glory (1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The Third Man (1950), The End of the Affair (1951), The Quiet American (1955), Our Man In Havana (1958), A Burnt Out Case (1961), The Comedians (1966), Travels With My Aunt (1969), The Honorary Consul (1973), The Human Factor (1978), Monsignor Quixote (1982) and The Last Word (1990).
Darkest hour
He had a manic depressive temperament and was tempted to end his life with Russian roulette or deadly nightshade. He was partly blamed for the closure of the publication Night and Day, for which he was film critic, when Twentieth Century Fox successfully sued over an article he wrote accusing it of procuring Shirley Temple for immoral purposes.
Greatest triumph
He has been frequently referred to by other writers as the greatest novelist of his time.
Essential quotes
'There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.' (The Power and the Glory)
'Hail Mary, quite contrary!' (Our Man In Havana)
'Perhaps we are all fictions, father, in the minds of God.' (Monsignor Quixote)
Gossip
He joined the Roman Catholic church in 1926, married in the following year and worked on the staff of The Times until 1930.
Did u know?
He disclaimed his first three novels, which failed to make an impression.
Film versions
Numerous, the most memorable probably being Carol Reed's 1950 version of The Third Man, starring Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard.
What to say
His variety, power and tense, tight plotting brought him both critical and popular success.
Don't say
Modern writers must be Greene with envy.
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