The End of the Affair [Paperback]

However, like in "Till We Have Faces," I found the second half of the book more than justified the first half's wanderings. Greene uses much of the first half of the book to set the stage; he introduces the main characters, their incredibly complex relations, and their current miseries. In light of the second half of the book, I have a heightened appreciation of the first half.

This understood, the thing I truly admire in the first part is Greene's ability and willingness to capture how multi-faceted our feelings towards others often are. Novelists often tritely portray a woman's husband and her lover as bitter enemies; Greene does no such thing. Love and hate are always shown as polar opposites, but Greene shows how they are two sides of the same coin. Bendrix (and thus Greene) dwells on the characters' glaring flaws of jealousy, passivity, hypocrisy, infidelity, and vast emptiness, and yet a careful reader is able to discern that these characters are truly good. I have no idea how he does this except for the sympathy that comes from extreme transparency.

I don't want to give away what happens towards the end; indeed, it is so complex that I don't know that I could relate it if I tried. However, as mentioned in other reviews, there is essentially a gravitational pull towards God despite the fact that none of the characters really believe in God. This book is in no way preachy as nothing - and I mean NOTHING - is preached to the reader as to how he should think, feel or believe. The author simply shows that through all the swirl of action and emotion, the one thing that continues to make sense is the existence and love of God. And the presence of this God suddenly hallows the characters that you instinctively knew were good all along.

Greene's exploration and approach to such faith are completely brand new to me. He might have a distinct Catholic perspective or he might just revel in God's love for the realistically sinful man. Either way, I was left at the end with a strong sense that Greene was a master craftsman. He was such a craftsman that I didn't catch on to how he pulled off all he was able to pull off by the end. It's been awhile since I've read such a truly well-written masterpiece, and I am thankful to have read this one.

Unfolding in greater intimacy through
the use of the first person, THE END OF THE AFFAIR is not written in strict chronological order. We bounce between the present and war-torn London, with little literary help as to the time frame. The author even presents one scene from the perspective of both characters. Also several chapters consist of diary entries, which serve to clarify--or further confuse--the past for the tormented novelist.

Bendrix is somewhat passive, though he can be goaded into action, especially when it comes to playing the sleuth about Sarah's latest affair. It is naive, trusting Henry, however, who seems content to suffer in silence. Through curious twists of fate the two men--once rivals--bond over Sarah against the true common enemy: God. While not overtly religious this novel reflects a strong undercurrent of the Man versus God conflict. What did Sarah really want in the end? How best can her adoring men respect her wishes?

After having made a desperate vow to God to spare Maurice's life, Sarah is torn between resentment
of God (for denying her feminine fulfillment in the desert of her life), and a secret desire for spiritual intimacy with her creator. Can a childhood baptism into Catholicism suddenly "take" decades later? Why was she seeing both a priest and an atheist on the sly? How long can Bendrix maintin his disgust for the greatest passion of his life, whom he has never gotten over? The battle for Sarah's heart is pursued vehemently
by the two former rivals--who are adamant about what they consider best for her. Is this a novel about revenge or religious vindication, with its love-hate motif, inextricably interwoven between illicit courtship and foiled schemes? Just what are the limits of our responsibility to those whom we profess to love until death? This modern classic proves a captivating, thought-provoking read.