The End of the Affair

One of my favorite books was written by the author whose book I just finished, Graham Greene, and this book was called The End of the Affair. The setting of the book occurs right after the end of World War II in London.  The story has some to believe it is taken from Graham’s own life and struggles of love with a woman whom he could not have.  In this book the lead character, Maurice Bendix, is a writer who falls in love with a married woman, Sarah Miles.  Sarah is married to Henry who works in a civil servant type position and is described as ordinary and an impotent man.  He is unaware of the affair that is going on between Bendix and his wife.  The book is rich in description with very strong character development.  When I read Greene’s works I am drawn to the human emotions that grip his characters.  After a near fatal bomb nearly kills Maurice Bendix, when he and Sarah are having an intimate meeting at his flat, Sarah determines not to see him again, in the hopes that God will keep him alive.  A few years pass with Maurice still yearning for Sarah, he even dreams of taking her away, and asking her to leave her husband, but she does not give in.  It appears she has slowly turned to God, unbeknownst to Maurice or her husband.  Eventually Sarah has another affair, which Maurice finds out through a private investigator, still unknown to her husband.  Maurice does share the affair with Henry, though he is too weak and willing to forgive his wife because of his own inadequacies.  One day, some time later, Maurice learns suddenly that Sarah has died when he goes over to finally see her again.  She died the night before from the flu (staying out walking in the rain).  Maurice reaches out to Henry.  He learns later that Sarah has had some interaction with a priest and from a meeting with Sarah’s mother learns that she may have been trying to connect to her Catholic church baptism at age two.  Maurice is left with the feeling of loss and uncertainty that he may not have known Sarah as well as he thought.  He also faces the issue of God or not for himself.  A griping story of a man, insecure, with a lost love.  Greene always presents characters who speak to the reader.  Depth and human emotions… a short read packed with lots of questions and challenge for the unanswered questions that one faces in life.  A keeper!