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tonycostin's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gesch's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up for the mere reason that it was on the sale table at the bookstore where I used to work. The book begins following Raven, a hare-lipped assassin, as he sets out to kill a foreign Minister of War in hopes of setting off a war. When he returns from accomplishing this task he gets paid by his employer, a sweet-toothed man, with recently stolen bills. Being tracked by the police, who assume his involvement in the theft of the bank notes, Raven sets off to find the man who’s betrayed him.
The style in which this story, or entertainment as Greene himself would call this work, permits a very interesting perspective of the events that occur in this story. The psychological aspects and the motivations of each character allow the reader to enjoy a depth of the story that the story sets up and the reader compliments with his own knowledge.
I liked this book, it kept me gripped and I had a great difficulty letting it down. Who knows how long it will be before I pick up another work by Greene but I’m sure it will happen sooner or later.
The style in which this story, or entertainment as Greene himself would call this work, permits a very interesting perspective of the events that occur in this story. The psychological aspects and the motivations of each character allow the reader to enjoy a depth of the story that the story sets up and the reader compliments with his own knowledge.
I liked this book, it kept me gripped and I had a great difficulty letting it down. Who knows how long it will be before I pick up another work by Greene but I’m sure it will happen sooner or later.
tatireads88's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
andrewacashner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
edboies's review against another edition
3.0
A little shaky as a book but Anne is such a charming character.
geemont235's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
astrangerhere's review against another edition
3.0
I've just recently gotten a complete set of Graham Greene's novels, and this is the first one i plowed into. It was a pleasing read, and I plan to read more.
iniyan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
2.75
msand3's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. I don’t know how Greene manages to do it. He gives us another dark, violent, highly entertaining crime tale that also provides the reader with much to ponder: can one have empathy for a murderer even while abhorring his actions? Is there a difference between killing for passion and murdering for hire? (And, by extension, a soldier blindly following orders by refusing to think about the personal act of killing or the political implications of the action?) What are the societal restraints (social, economic, familial, and even physical) that entrap certain people in their lives to the point where it impacts their psychological state and leads to criminal behavior? What exactly are the psychological underpinnings of criminality? Can psychoanalysis really be a salve, or at the very least a possible point of entry to begin healing, or is this just metaphorically bailing out the Titanic with a bucket? How are white collar criminals shielded by their class status and wealth, and in what way are the police and the entire justice system blinded to the inequality of the system and their place within it (at best) or complicit and bought off by the upper classes (at worst)?
In the end, this is a novel of failure. Anne’s failure, Mather’s failure, and society’s failure: they all fail Raven because they go about their business as if these questions don’t exist, or as if men like Raven are only minor hiccups in an otherwise lawful existence. Their failure is a reflection of our own.
In the end, this is a novel of failure. Anne’s failure, Mather’s failure, and society’s failure: they all fail Raven because they go about their business as if these questions don’t exist, or as if men like Raven are only minor hiccups in an otherwise lawful existence. Their failure is a reflection of our own.