Synopses & Reviews
-- Outlines his life, cultural background and explores important places and people in Greene's life and their effect on his writings.
-- Looks at his writing techniques, recurring themes and imaginative preoccupations
-- Examines three of his works: Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory and the film the Third Man
Graham Greene's works are both grippingly readable and revealingly intelligent. During a seventy year writing career, Greene produced novels, plays, poems, film-scripts, travel books, autobiographical works and biographical studies. In this fascinating book, Cedric watts outlines the life and cultural background of Graham Greene and looks at the effect they had on his writing. Starting with a biographical account and looking in detail at several famous works, the book sets Greene firmly in the context of his times. Cedric Watts A Preface to Greene is an excellent introduction to one of the greatest and most popular writers of the twentieth century.
Synopsis
Lively, informed and thorough, this survey of the life and works of Graham Greene opens with a biographical account setting the writer in context of his times and describing and exploring the influences, tensions and contradictions that occur throughout his work. The second half of the book devotes itself to the 'art of Greene' discussing his writing techniques, recurring themes, and imaginative preoccupations. Within this section thorough critical analyses are given of three works: Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, and the film, The Third Man. The book concludes with a reference section which comprises a gazeteer, a biographical list and a bibliography. Suggestions for further reading and a list of films encourage the student to explore the works of Greene more widely.