My Life To Ruin My Own Way

[dotinthesky]

Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

No wonder Morrissey loves this novel and quotes from it in many songs: it's pure English misery from cover to cover, with no redemption or ray of light. Brighton is the setting and just like the doomed seaside town in "Everyday Is Like Sunday"; the young teenage couple at its centre are like the loved and lost in "Unhappy Birthday"; and the gang of small time crooks - Dallow, Spicer, Pinky and Cubitt - are the rain-coated puny brothers in "Now My Heart is Full".

The novel is full of atmosphere and brilliant writing. You have to read it slowly to appreciate Greene's use of punctuation and the images he conjures in castway sentences. I loved the ray of light landing on a Woolworth's ring, and the Boots store not too far from the empty pier where drunks go at night to feel sentimental. I loved the various dark basements and the characters stuck in them: the mole-like wife of a corrupt lawyer, the blind dressmaker cuckold by his wife and a tenant, the cold stove never lit because breakfast is often beer and a purchased sausage roll.

The small-time gang get embroiled in the murder of a journalist which slowly spirals out of their control, especially when a busty lady called Ida decides to make it her mission to figure out the truth. Ida loves life and won't mind a quick shag with any man before her pint of Guinness while Pinky, the leader of the gang, is all virginal, Catholic guilt (a prototype to Morrissey's asexuality?) Caught in the middle is Rose, a mousy-haired waitress who knows too much about the journalist's death. You just know from the beginning that it's not going to end well.

Published in the late 30s, it captures an England that no longer exists and that is worth visiting. I haven't seen the two films based on it but I hear the one from the 40s is very good.

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Comments

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

Bonne revue. Ministry of Fear le prochain?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Merci.

Peut-être, peut-être.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

This is a wonderful review. I wish I could enjoy "Brighton Rock" a bit more. I heard the Morrissey song "Now My Heart is Full" before I read the novel and, when I realised who the characters in the lyrics were, wanted to read it. Then I read the wonderful "King Dork" by Frank Portman in which the narrator proclaims "Brighton Rock" as being the greatest novel ever written and just knew it had to be mine.

I read it and was pretty disappointed. I can see why it's good but I can't say I enjoyed it particularly. :(

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

The girl who suggested it to our bookclub felt similarly. She loved the book as a teenager but found it, on this second time around, too depressing and sagging a little in the middle. Maybe it's a little bit like Catcher in the Rye, where you need to be young to feel more sympathetic towards the teenagers, or something. The big attraction for me was the language itself, the Moz connection, the setting and mood - and the novelty of reading Greene for the first time!

[norabird.livejournal.com]

oh, yes! i love love love this novel.

[twinner.livejournal.com]

After reading this novel, I had to read all of Graham Greene's novels....

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

And which one was your favourite out of all his novels?

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

I just picked up 3 Graham Greene books (including this one) at the closing book store near my house. I am excited to start reading!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Enjoy! x