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Mr Jones, a quiet unprepossessing man who works as a translator in a Swiss chocolate factory, meets and falls in love with Anna-Luise, many years his junior and the daughter of Doctor Fischer, the notorious toothpaste millionaire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Another Greene Gem
Like the much overlooked, "The Tenth Man," this short novel is a great fun read, with well-drawn characters who move through an interesting plot.Bought it in the dust bin of a local thrift store for a dollar.What a bargain!Greene's writing is exquisite and I am thankful to have finally found him.

An entertaining if improbable tale in novelette form (details)
I have the Simon and Schuster 1980 hardcover edition (which boasts an excellent red cloth binding and an attractive dust jacket) of this single-evening yarn. While it's not exemplary of Greene's finest work it still handily remains within the realm of worthwhile reading, perhaps best to pick up and consume on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

THE STORY: Doctor Fischer of Switzerland is a fabulously wealthy man, a toothpaste magnate, who exhibits and practices the ethics of Emperor Nero combined with the dubious and cruel humor of Papa Doc Chevalier. Fischer's wife has been long dead but he has a twenty year-old daughter, Anna-Luise, who is striking in appearance and to whom he pays not the slightest level of attention. For love and to flee the hubristic activities of her mendacious father, the affable Anna-Luise marries the story's protagonist, Alfred Jones, a mid-level working-class employee of the local chocolate factory.

"Jones," as he is curtly addressed by his rascally father-in-law, is an Englishman of fifty-some who had years ago lost a hand while performing his duties as a fireman during Germany's ghastly World War Two bombing of London. And Jones can hardly believe his good fortune when a loving Anna-Luise accedes to marry him, which they immediately attend to in a low-key civil wedding, an event which was overtly disregarded by Doctor Fischer.

Fischer is renowned throughout the region for the peculiar and disturbing parties which he personally organizes and conducts. These private affairs provide a great deal of fodder for the rumor-mongers of Geneva and its environs. Fischer invites only a select few rich souls who collectively exhibit the commonality of flawed personal integrity, folks who Fischer effectively baits with incredibly expensive gifts. The singular purpose of these madcap get-togethers for the host is purely to humiliate and intimidate his victims at the supper table -- each must comply with his specific instructions in order to receive their gift at the evenings' conclusions, regardless of the level of groveling and embarrassment which prevails. Anna-Luise refers to the attendees as "Toads" and these high-class dupes are respectively at least as phony and superficial as the worst of Hollywood's current list of spoiled-brat actresses.

When Jones finds himself on the abbreviated guest list for one of these insalubrious festivities, (Anna-Luise refuses to be present and is never invited anyway), he attends with the intention of demonstrating to his new father-in-law that he is a man of high principles. But Doctor Fischer did not achieve his millions through buffoonery - he fosters an alternate means to exploit his unsuspecting son-in-law. Dark humor and tragedy ensues.

This story is yielded in First-Person delivery, (an approach which nearly always presents authors with unique and often difficult nuances), and in retrospect by the protagonist/hero/narrator, Alfred Jones. Greene retained complete and artful control of the story through Jones and, while this fictional narrative impresses one as somewhat improbable, it still manifests an acceptable level of plausibility thanks to the author's masterful writing and his undeniable literary skill.

One can only guess at Greene's inspiration for penning such an offbeat account but having now read the book, I'm gratified that he did. Greene was much a man of the world, somewhat opinionated, and one could speculate that he was attempting to say something stereotypically critical of Swiss culture. If this was an objective then I think he succeeded without coming across as being overly provocative.

While the content of this title carries no deep moral significance it still endures as a noteworthy psychological study of one unique aspect of human society: "Is there anything which individuals WON'T do when stimulated by greed?" The question is plainly answered here.

I'm a huge fan of Graham Greene, having read his profusion of books, plays, and essays -- so I feel assured in stating that this particular novelette is not nearly as profound as his The Power and the Glory (A Bantam Modern Classic), nor does it convey the notable level of humor-noir atmosphere as does The Comedians (Penguin Classics). But this story does tenon a palatable blend of those two fine works in a very abbreviated and readable form.

156 pages -- highly recommended.

Intellectual, perceptive, and tight
Not having read Graham Greene other than The Power and the Glory, I was happy to read this short late work of the well-known and highly regarded author. From the opening sentence to the last, I felt enlightened by this literary gem. Rather brief, concise without any extraneous description or unnecessary rhetoric, Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party tells a love and hate story that is emotionally moving and thought provoking. The love is that of man for his younger wife, and theirs is an enviable love, comfortable companionship, and warm compassion. The hate is for her father.

The events in the book are simple enough--man marries younger woman whose mother died due to the manipulative antics of a wealthy but cold-hearted husband. The daughter's hatred of her father gets transferred to her husband who experiences the rude viciousness of the wealthy man through his abhorrent and insulting parties. These parties involve other wealthy people who receive presents if they are willing, and they are, to be verbally abused. The condition for the present is to accept whatever the antagonist dishes out to the individuals at the party. Rather than the acceptance being a lifting of integrity, the book strongly suggests a destruction of the soul at each party with the ultimate self-destruction occurring by Doctor Fischer.

The final party called The Bomb Party is especially gripping and rather frightening. The people make greedy decisions in a gamble for their lives, willing to sacrifice all for additional wealth, subjecting themselves to the ultimate degradation. Yet one man races to the goal, not for the reward, not out of greed, but rather out of his own despair. As he nears his personal goal he recognizes that his own destruction does not mean near as much as the methodical and deliberate destruction of the soul of Dr. Fischer. In this realization comes the gift, the gift of life.

As this marvelous book progresses, the sadness of the story gives way to an ironical victory. Integrity, values, and love somehow rise to the top whereas the despicable behavior of Doctor Fischer finally is demonstrated for what it is. Read as a cynical diatribe against the wealthy, this book is a rather depressing story lacking in redeeming value. Yet read as a kind of Dorian Gray story where evil receives its just reward, this is an energetic, emotional book with a paradoxical optimism. Tightly constructed, well-written, smooth style, and mostly intriguing, this is a powerful story by a master writer. I have to wonder if this book is allegorical for the causes of wars and the hatred that exists in the world. Highly recommended.

Bleak but moving
A man falls in love with the daughter of a cynical millionaire who hosts humiliating dinners for a select group of wealthy diners with the aim of finding out whether there is any limit to their greed.As always, Graham Greene's prose is elegant and insightful.Although the gluttonous rich characters are stereotypical figures, the primary character is a richly nuanced creation.Through him, Greene writes movingly of happiness, the joy of an unexpected romance, and the tragedy of loss.The author must have been in a rather dark period of his life when he wrote this bleak allegory.Those who are looking for an uplifting read should not choose this book, but if you can be moved by the plight of a decent man trying to make sense of the sad lives around him, you will find much of value here.

Dantesque, a new circle of hell - 3.5 stars
A quick read, not a great novel, but charmingly written -- the parts on happiness are worth reading.The rich people are caricatures, but as a story it's not unconvincing in this day of people risking danger and humiliation just to get on TV.It is difficult to end such a story, and I didn't find the ending believable, but it didn't ruin the book. ... Read more

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Twenty-seven years in the making, Norman Sherry’s magisterial biography of Graham Greene captures the life and character of one of the twentieth century’s most important literary figures. The final, eagerly anticipated volume follows Greene, still an agent for the British government, from pre-Revolutionary Cuba and the Belgian Congo to adulterous interludes in Capri and Antibes. Based on unparalleled access to letters, diaries, and Greene himself, this book gives us the writer at the height of his fame, in the company of such literary luminaries as T. S. Eliot, Evelyn Waugh, Ian Fleming, and Ernest Hemingway. With insight and eloquence, Sherry reveals Greene’s obsessions, feelings, and craft, bringing to a close what Margaret Atwood has called "the definitive biography." ... Read more

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Much has been written about Graham Greene's relationship to his Catholic faith and its privileged place within his texts. His early books are usually described as "Catholic Novels" - understood as a genre that not only uses Catholic belief to frame the issues of modernity, but also offers Catholicism's vision and doctrine as a remedy to the present crisis in Western civilization. Greene's later work, by contrast, is generally regarded as falling into political and detective genres. In this book, Mark Bosco argues that this is a false dichotomy created by a narrowly prescriptive understanding of the Catholic genre and obscures the impact of Greene's developing religious imagination on his literary art. ... Read more

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This collection of seventeen interviews covers fifty years. Here the eminent author of The Power and the Glory, The Third Man, and The Heart of the Matter speaks of himself, his life, and his works.

In all the interviews Greene granted over the years, the reader hears very clearly the voice of a man whose conversation is as painfully honest and unpretentious as is his written prose. The interviews here are divided chronologically into four periods, loosely related to his subject matter or to his reputation at the time of the interview. Thus the reader sees the development of the writer from a callow but gifted young man into one of the foremost men of letters in the English-speaking world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a wise man talking wisely
Graham Greene is a rarity among contemporary intellectuals.He is a believing committed English Roman Catholic full of understanding of men and their situations in that mess we call present life.Anyone who wishes to get a flavor of how remarkable a man he was, would do well to read "Conversations with Graham Greene".charles gorodess ... Read more

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Graham Greene's novels of suspense are imbued with a distinctive religious sensibility, and an awareness of an uncertain theodicy. Among the works examined here are A BurntOut Case, The Quiet American, The Honorary Consul, and The Human Factor.

This title, Graham Greene, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Views series, examines the major works of Graham Greene through full-length critical essays by expert literary critics. In addition, this title features a short biography on Graham Greene, a chronology of the author’s life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University. ... Read more

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This marvelous debut novel by former New York Times correspondent and National Book Award--winner Gloria Emerson is a witty and deeply affecting portrait of the stubborn hopes and disillusionment of a privileged woman who dreams of making a difference in the world.

The polite correspondence she shares with the novelist Graham Greene inspires Molly Benson to see him as her moral guiding light. After his death in 1991, Molly sets out to honor his memory by going on a mission with two friends to Algeria at the start of that nation's brutal civil war, intending to save intellectuals from Islamic fundamentalist hit squads. But nothing in her genteel existence has prepared her for the perilous journey on which she and her humble delegation are about to embark.
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Customer Reviews (3)

doing good by greene
This short book packs much more of a whallop than all the self-indulgent, over-written books all too prevalent these days. I had just finished Atwood's The Blind Assasin (a book three times longer than it needed to be--assuming it needed to be at all) when I read this. What refreshment it was! It's not too short, but perfect in its economy.

It's the story of a wealthy, earnest woman seeking to do good in this troubled world by taking as her model the life and works of Graham Greene, who she met briefly and corresponded with excessively. (The aging author must have questioned the outcome of his life's work and resulting fame by this exhausting and passionate fan.) Gloria Emerson tells her story in a way that is funny, precise, and wise. A group of well-intentioned meddlars with lofty aims muddle through Algeria, attempting to liberate a politically incorrect writer. All are presented with clear eyed irony, precise and telling characterization. It's sufficient to say that their misguided innocence makes an even greater mess of things in Algeria. Read it and find more.

Loving Graham Greene made me want to return to the novels of themaster. He would have been proud.

A Lovely Interlude
I really enjoyed this well-written, brief story.The tale of Molly Benson, the spacey Graham Greene-obsessed do-gooder and her ill-advised trip to Algeria is entertaining and amusing.Gloria Emerson has a knack of drawing characters with obvious and amusing flaws, without making her narrative or characterization seem obvious, contrived or hackneyed.This is a short novel, one that you can enjoy in a few gulps, but you won't get the sense of being cheated.Molly is quite a character.She met Graham Greene, briefly, once and from that meeting believed, in her own mind that she and Greene were quite close.After his death, she believes he would have wanted her to lead an expedition to Algeria and she drags a couple of her friends there.Molly lives in a world of delusion.You'll read about her and think, "This woman is a little nuts, the world is simply not as she imagines it".Her life is both funny and sad.Funny in that her delusions lead her to do amusing things, sad in that she has the delusions at all.I think, though, that most will find slivers of themselves in her, for who doesn't act believing in something that just is not true, or won't happen, out of sheer hopefulness.Emerson has given us an amusing character study and a very well-written novel. Enjoy.

Loving "Loving Graham Greene"
In a tapestry of made-up minds, honest reporters live at risk.Gloria Emerson was such a reporter in Vietnam and in Gaza.She pays affectionate tribute to perhaps the greatest thriller writer in "Loving Graham Greene" by sending quirky heiress Molly Benson, the female protagonist Greene never attempted, to a doomed Algeria to hire bodyguards for honest journalists.Like many Greene characters, Benson is a decent person over her head amid evil, whose good works do harm. Her reporter's eye and ear won Emerson's "Winners and Losers" the National Book Award with telling details like the GI who looked in a mirror and said, "I had no idea who that was."Her writing skills turn a clever conceit into a brilliant novel.The determined Molly Benson and her companions are richly-drawn characters in a sparse world of countervailing menaces, the police state versus Islamic fundamentalism.The civil war in the shadows tightens its noose as the innocents look for ways to save the outspoken. The naïve, half-informed Pyle in Greene's "The Quiet American" was "impregnably armoured by his good intentions and his ignorance."Emerson's Benson has a capacity to understand there is a great deal she doesn't understand.She's an ironic, irritating heroine - a tall, middle-aged, ferociously liberal woman whose brother Harry was a reporter martyred in El Salvador.Molly knows every book Greene ever wrote, down to the names of the dogs, met him once by chance, pestered him with letters and undertakes her mission to carry on his spirit and Harry's after their deaths. Emerson writes with a scalpel dipped in ink, every detail as perfect as the story and characters. This funny, literate thriller is tribute to the power of the word to inspire action in the face of despair. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good, but not his best.
The "Three Entertainments" are exactly that, entertainments. They would be very suitable as movie scripts and to some extents are written as such. They are not Greene's best stuff, for the most part that came later. But they do exhibit most of the characteristics of his later, greater, works. Unheroic heroes, seedy surroundings, real villains. His characters have depth and insight into the human situation. The difference in these works is that the heroes pursue their goal relentlessly, the women are unquestionably attractive and intelligent, and the endings are mostly happy.

In his later works things become more ambiguous, more mature, more real. He does this without loosing the clarity, the sharpness of the dialogue, or the strength of his characters. He does not defocus the image but rather makes it even sharper so that we see more facets to the characters and the situations. Still these three works are highly enjoyable and a good introduction to Greeneland. ... Read more

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In August 1981 my bag was packed for my fifth visit to Panama when the news came to me over the telephone of the death of General Omar Torrijos Herrera, my friend and host. . . At that moment the idea came to me to write a short personal memoir. . . of a man I had grown to love over those five years' GETTING TO KNOW THE GENERAL is Graham Greene's account of a five-year personal involvement with Omar Torrijos, ruler of Panama from 1968-81 and Sergeant Chuchu, one of the few men in the National Guard whom the General trusted completely. It is a fascinating tribute to an inspirational politician in the vital period of his country's history, and to an unusual and enduring friendship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

History Lesson
Good lesson on a topic that American media routinely refuses to cover, and that is the United States' own crimes against Latin America.

An excellent book
A very interesting book. As always with Graham Greene, it is very well written, but it is also a very observant portrait of not only Omar Torrijos, but of Panama and Central America during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Well worth buying. ... Read more

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For more than thirty years, Yvonne Cloetta shared her life with Graham Greene. After years of tormented love affairs and dangerous exploits, the novelist found solace and understanding with this remarkable Frenchwoman, which assuaged his famously melancholic nature yet allowed him to create some of his greatest work. Greene knew that the time might come when Cloetta's privacy would be invaded, and his advice was to either refuse to speak or to tell the truth. This Cloetta has done, most eloquently, with the help of family friends and biographer Marie-Françoise Allain. What emerges is the most intimate and revelatory portrait of Greene that we have. ... Read more