A review by jackroche
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

A passionate case that not InCels but VolCels are the true psychos.

Greene has been the author I’ve been most excited to try for over a year, so disappointment was somewhat inevitable. As a crime thriller it’s not that riveting, possibly a product of “inflation”. The tightening of the noose around Pinkie’s neck is a little too slow for my taste; there’s some escalation, but very few changes in direction, and not all that much incident. Better as a piece of Catholic literature. Greene’s prose style sells the damnation his characters are constantly considering. And most of the characters are great - his goons all have distinct flavors, between Spicer’s cowardly rationalizing, Cubitt’s wallowing self-pity, Dallow’s gruff groundedness, Drewitt’s pretentious entitlement. It’s no wonder they fall into the orbit of a 17 year-old. Pinkie’s youth is also delicately handled - his insecurity and self-loathing MAKE him the monster he is. And poor Rose… I’m a sucker for characters of her type, soft-hearted fools too sweet for the world, wounded animals who will follow the first person to throw them a scrap. It’s Ida who has aged the worst, her “bawdy vitality” feeling one note by the end.

I was starting to get more pulled in by the end, with all the talk of choosing damnation because it’s all you’ve ever known and shunning a heaven that won’t take the one you love. I know Greene considered this one of his “entertainments”, so I’ll probably give him one more shot.