Bleakly brilliant

Greene is a proper writer. This is one of his bleakest but it is a marvel of fiction writing. Read just right too. 100% recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

Great storytelling.

I enjoyed the story and the characters, which Samuel West got just right. I will listen to another Graham Greene novel after this.

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A "just one more chapter" book.

This is one of those books that's been on my 'to read' list for years. I'm so glad I finally got around to it.

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Lost on me

Pinky is deplorable. I didn’t get many pleasures by spending time with that character. The overall meaning was lost on me. Much preferred The End of the Affair because I understood the theoretical questions Greene was grappling with. I didn’t find this as clear. Maybe that’s the point…

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Concentration needed

Overall I found this book a good listen but I did find at times I needed to rewind to clarify what was going on. This was in part down to many characters being involved in the storyline most of the time & if concentration dipped I did lose the plot a bit.
That said it was well written (vague in places) & had a good middle & end I did find the beginning a bit of a chore.
7/10 for me but glad I have listened.

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9 people found this helpful

Utterly brilliant...

Graham Greene has a way of transporting you into the past with a great eye for detail and believable characters. What made the book come to life was the brilliant narration from Samuel West. Absolutely loved it....Andrew R

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Well narrated, but....

I think Samuel West is one of the great audiobook readers and his performance here is good as ever.

But this famous and celebrated book left me a bit cold, personally. Before this, I listened to Greene's Quiet American, which felt full of truth. Brighton Rock, on the other hand, is kind of unconvincing. The characters don't feel real, more like vessels for lofty themes that never quite cohere. The writing is always beautiful. But this is a melancholy book. Every taste is sour, every look is one of horror. Despite the great narration, I'm glad Pinkie and Rose's bleak story is over.

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Thought provoking and amusing

Not my usual type of book but was one of these 'couldn't put it down' books. interesting, sad in places and very thought provoking

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Not a pulp thriller

A lovely controlled reading by Samuel West that captures the tone of this book. The synopsis sounds like a pulp novel but this is far from that with, as mentioned by other reviewers, an ending that stays with you. Well worth getting.

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Classic, brilliantly read by and large

Greene is economic and he uses allusions perfectly. Pinkie, Ida, and Rose are beautifully evoked characters from three balanced points in the moral sphere.

The question of morality lurks everywhere in this text, knocks on every door, leans on every railing and banister, sits in the perfumed booth.

My only criticism is West's female voice, at times, but that's just me being picky.

Anyone learning how to write should read this book.

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