The end of the affair by Graham Greene

People can love without seeing each other, can't they, they love You all their lives without seeing You...

I almost did not read this book. I had the intention to read "The Power and The Glory" to start my acquaintance with Greene. But the library that I frequently visit does not seem to have it. Instead, I picked up "The End of the Affair" thinking it was Sebastian Japriscot "A Very Long Engagement" in mind (i kept seeing the theatrical poster in my mind).

I regretted picking up this book from the library. I wish dearly that this is my copy. The book that I first became acquainted with Sarah Miles and Maurice Bendrix. It is one book that I know I'll buy at a later time. One book that I know I'll come to love and hate. For is it not what Greene said, you cannot hate something without loving it?

The plot doesn't leave much to do imagination as it is blatantly announced in it's title. An affair that ended. The beauty however lies in how brilliantly and how real Greene described the characters (himself in this case? Right down to the limp). The turbulent emotions. The jealousy, the hatred, the love all so brilliantly described. It haunted me. And I suspect like Kawabata's A Thousand Cranes, I'll still be thinking about it for a while. There are shades of Endo here. And of course like Endo, there is the spirituality aspect of it that added a new dimension to this tale, to take it to another level as cliche as that sound.

But God, even it is good, it is just too depressing and dreary. But I will admit here, it is this depressing and dreary tone of Greene that I found almost seductive. And most likely making this one of the best books I've read this year.