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A review by chaydgc
Complete Short Stories by Graham Greene, Pico Iyer
3.0
Studying literature in the US 20 plus years ago, I gathered that Greene had figured in the education of my Chinese colleagues-- had he been assigned as part of the state curriculum for his cold war insights?? Neither I nor any of my US friends had ever encountered him.
I just picked up in the past year or so, and had to mark the short stories as 'read' at some point-- I have dipped in and out for a while but lately feel as if I'm just retracing my steps. It's been uneven-- as are the novels; but my provisional assessment is that he's a slow burn and curious; and the novels are a better bet than the stories. Glad he was as prolific on that front and so many more to sample in future. I suspect by the time I get around I will find it all new again. Which reminds me (short stories and all) to look into Maupessant again, after well over a quarter century. I have found Cheever better (brilliant) with short stories, and as-- but also less consistent than-- Greene on the novels, but maybe that is also a function of the volume, my exposure, or the mls.
I just picked up in the past year or so, and had to mark the short stories as 'read' at some point-- I have dipped in and out for a while but lately feel as if I'm just retracing my steps. It's been uneven-- as are the novels; but my provisional assessment is that he's a slow burn and curious; and the novels are a better bet than the stories. Glad he was as prolific on that front and so many more to sample in future. I suspect by the time I get around I will find it all new again. Which reminds me (short stories and all) to look into Maupessant again, after well over a quarter century. I have found Cheever better (brilliant) with short stories, and as-- but also less consistent than-- Greene on the novels, but maybe that is also a function of the volume, my exposure, or the mls.