Thank you for finding this book and welcome to bookcrossing! Bookcrossing is a wonderful place to share your love of reading with people all over the world.

Please journal this book, describing where you found it, and then what you thought of it. You can remain anonymous if you want to, but if you do you won't be able to get notification each time someone else journals this book.

When you have finished please release the book and let it continue its journey. Following this books travels can be very fun.

The End of the Affair (1951) is a novel by British author Graham Greene, as well as the title of two feature films (released in 1955 and 1999) that were adapted for the screen based on the novel.

Set in London during and just after World War II, the novel examines the obsessions, jealousy and discernments within the relationships between three central characters: writer Maurice Bendrix; Sarah Miles; and her husband, civil servant Henry Miles.

As The End of the Affair opens, the narrator, Maurice Bendrix (called simply "Bendrix" by his friends) explains that he is a writer and thus is in control of the story he is about to tell. Although it is a true story, he determines how much of it he will tell—at what point he will begin his tale and at what point he will end it. He begins with the night he encounters Henry Miles, the husband of a woman with whom Bendrix had an affair in the recent past. Henry has no idea that Bendrix was once involved with his wife. The two men go to a bar to get out of the rain, and Henry reveals that he thinks Sarah (his wife) is seeing another man. Pretending to be a friend Bendrix offers to hire some private detectives to follow her. In reality Bendrix is motivated by jealousy; he has no idea why she suddenly and without explanation ended their affair 2 years earlier and cannot stand the thought of her seeing someone else.

Graham Greene's own affair with Lady Catherine Walston played into the basis for The End of the Affair. The British edition of the novel is dedicated to "C" while the American version is made out to "Catherine." Greene's own house at 14 Clapham Common Northside was bombed during The Blitz.

Graham Greene,(2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world. Greene was notable for his ability to combine serious literary acclaim with widespread popularity.

Reserved for the July 2010 read of The Historical Fiction Bookclub

Like Bendrix I wanted to know why Sarah so suddenly ended the affair, and was kept engrossed. I have to admit that I could not truly understand the reasons for her decisions. When her motives were revealed through her diary that the detective stole I did not find it that believable. You can believe in the way the main story was written as the narrator is a professional writer, but I cannot believe that any real life woman writes in her diary in such a complex manner.

Even two years after the affair ended Bendrix still cannot stop thinking about Sarah. Is that love or is it just anger and confusion due to the fact he was left with unanswered questions? He treads a thin line between love and hate, but then love can so easily turn into hate. What was odd was the ‘friendship’ that developed between Bendrix and Henry; it was odd and intriguing at the same time. I bet you that my husband would never offer a spare pair of pyjamas to a man he found out had had an affair with me!

Was advertise din the rabck forum, and is now on its way to Finland.

Men are peculair creatures, looking forward to reading this. THANKS!

Finally I got to reading this! The tag game has ruled my reading for ages, always some promised tag pressing to be read. Yesterday we had a weather just like the cover of this book, so the book got picket to accompany me to the ophtalmologist.
I'm still mid reading (page 48),but came here to say that I do recognize the jealosy and hate of the writer. Some people can remain friends afterwards, for me it's a definate no-no. I merely hate them from the bottom of my bottom and lo and behold, some of them end up having mysterious illnesses and such. I nowadys say that I'm going home to put some needles into my woo-doo dolls...
I can also relate with Henry, who lost his voice for a while. Last week was very quiet, I was writing messages on a paper. The funny thing was how people wrote me back - except there was no need not to speak to me!

My voice is back (it took 2,5 days) and the book is finished.
What should I say? Sad, very human, very real - well, it is said this is based on Greene's own relationship with somebody. I wish it had ended with style on page 147. All that came after was a bit forced and added and not that believable (well, the clumsy private-eye was never very believable, but vital to the story).
The book was originally recommended to me by a man I had a crush on at the time (until he stole some of my books!!!). This was several years ago. He said it was probably the best book he had read and his wife had died about a year before, so when reading this I could not avoid thinking what emotions the story would wake in somebody who had recently lost a dear-one. Not perhaps the easiest book to read at such time.

Off to Glorious Yorkshire next!

Thanks very much kirjakko! And thanks for the smiley card!!
Your swapbook will come to you in due course!

The title can be interpreted in various ways. And the end of the affair between Maurice Bendrix and Sarah as well. In the book it is described from the point of view of various people and it was not at all what it seems like at first. Than, it appears the affair is not ended at all, and the real ending is her death, and that come also as different insights/feelings for different people.

It does show how intricately interwoven each and everyone is, with themselves, their philosophies, their friends, their different steps at different stages in life.

I wanted to read this author as its one of the authors my dad used to read.