Reviews

Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

jimbowen0306's review against another edition

3.0

The recent developments in television (The Wire for example) meant I really couldn't get into this book I think.

This book watches a 17 year old (Pinkie) as he attempts to maintain (his newly found) control of his group of thugs-cum-"protection agents" (that live off the bookies in Brighton), after the death of their leader. This resulted in the death of the reporter who commented on their nefarious wrong doings, and a member of the gang who starts to panic in light of the recent deaths. In addition to these deaths he marries a 16 year old to stop her from blabbing, and is just generally menacing all round town.

Therein lies the the problem. Pinkie isn't that scary, when compared to modern thugs. If anything he seems more like a petulently prudish teenager who's scared so sex, smoking, and drinking. The worst he seems to have done was get into fights at school, and generally act as though you hit before you get hit. Certainly any pre-teen thug from The Wire could teach Pinkie a thing or two about being menacing.

I know that times were different back then, but I'm still unclear why grown men would do his bidding, even back then.

The other thing that grated was the references to good and evil. I'm aware there there was a subtext of Roman Catholicism going on, but I found the discussions of good and evil somewhat wearing after a while.

So all in all, I don't think it's a bad book, just not up there with the greats either.

hungry0uroboros's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

francesca_ellen's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

knittingchaos's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this book. It was very modern for a book written in 1938. There have always been people like Pinkie and it seems like there always will.

weejman33's review against another edition

3.0

At times boring, at other times riveting, the dated story presented is an odd love narrative saved by a strong first chapter and an interesting approach to point of view.

dmfw's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bookishbrighton's review against another edition

4.0

Great story, gritty and well written - kept me guessing and interested right up the end. Only lost a star because I found some of the dialogue between the characters quite repetitive and a few of the characters merged into one for me as they felt quite similar, but that was entirely forgivable with such a good story.

ridex's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

may_epub's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

e_m_f_reads's review against another edition

BORINGGGG