内容简介
Thestoriesinthisbook,allwrittenbetween1929and1954,sharethethemesthatfeaturesostronglyinGrahamGreene’snovels:humourandviolence,pityandhatred,betrayalandpursuit.Comic,sad,shockingandtragic,theyrecountthetalesofMr.Maling’sloudstomach,destructivegangsofchildren,indiscretionsrevealedandsecretsuncovered.
作者简介
GrahamGreeneKnownforhisespionagethrillerssetinexoticlocales,GrahamGreeneisthewriterwholaunchedathousandtraveljournalists.ButalthoughGreeneproducedsomeunabashedlycommercialworks--hecalledthem"entertainments,"todistinguishthemfromhisnovels--evenhisescapistfictionisrootedinthegrittyrealitiesheencounteredaroundtheglobe.BiographyKnownforhisespionagethrillerssetinexoticlocales,GrahamGreeneisthewriterwholaunchedathousandtraveljournalists.ButalthoughGreeneproducedsomeunabashedlycommercialworks--hecalledthem"entertainments,"todistinguishthemfromhisnovels--evenhisescapistfictionisrootedinthegrittyrealitiesheencounteredaroundtheglobe."Greeneland"isaplaceofseedybarsandstrainedloyalties,ofmoraldissolutionandphysicaldecay.GreenespenthisuniversityyearsatOxford"drunkanddebt-ridden,"andclaimedtohaveplayedRussianrouletteasanantidotetoboredom.Atage21heconvertedtoRomanCatholicism,latersaying,"Ihadtofindareligion...tomeasuremyevilagainst."Hisfirstpublishednovel,TheManWithin,didwellenoughtoearnhimanadvancefromhispublishers,butthoughGreenequithisjobasaTimessubeditortowritefull-time,hisnexttwonovelswereunsuccessful.Finally,pressedformoney,hesetouttowriteaworkofpopularfiction.StamboulTrain(alsopublishedasTheOrientExpress)wasthefirstofmanycommercialsuccesses.Throughoutthe1930s,Greenewrotenovels,reviewedbooksandmoviesfortheSpectator,andtraveledthrougheasternEurope,Liberia,andMexico.Oneofhisbest-knownworks,BrightonRock,waspublishedduringthistime;ThePowerandtheGlory,generallyconsideredGreene'smasterpiece,appearedin1940.AlongwithTheHeartoftheMatterandTheEndoftheAffair,theycementedGreene'sreputationasaseriousnovelist--thoughGeorgeOrwellcomplainedaboutGreene'sidea"thatthereissomethingratherdistinguéinbeingdamned;Hellisasortofhigh-classnightclub,entrytowhichisreservedforCatholicsonly."DuringWorldWarII,GreenewasstationedinSierraLeone,whereheworkedinanintelligencecapacityfortheBritishForeignOfficeunderKimPhilby,wholaterdefectedtotheSovietUnion.Afterthewar,Greenecontinuedtowritestories,plays,andnovels,includingTheQuietAmerican,TravelswithMyAunt,TheHonoraryConsul,andTheCaptainandtheEnemy.Foratime,heworkedasascreenwriterforMGM,producingbothoriginalscreenplaysandscriptsadaptedfromhisfiction.Healsocontinuedtotravel,reportingfromVietnam,Haiti,andPanama,amongotherplaces,andhebecameavocalcriticofU.S.foreignpolicyinCentralAmerica.SomebiographershavesuggestedthathisfriendshipswithCommunistleaderswereaploy,andthathewassecretlygatheringintelligencefortheBritishgovernment.ThemorecommonviewisthatGreene'sleftistleaningswerepartofhislifelongsympathywiththeworld'sunderdogs--whatJohnUpdikecalledhis"willtocompassion,anidealcommunismevenmoreChristianthanCommunist.Itsunitistheindividual,notanyclass."ButifGreene'spoliticsweresometimesdifficulttodecipher,hisstatureasanovelisthasseldombeenindoubt,inspiteofthelightfictionheproduced.KingsleyAmis,EvelynWaugh,andR.K.Narayanpaidtributetohiswork,andWilliamGoldingprophesied:"Hewillbereadandrememberedastheultimatechronicleroftwentieth-centuryman'sconsciousnessandanxiety."GoodToKnowGreene'sphilanderingwayswerelegendary;hefrequentlyvisitedprostitutesandhadseveralmistresses,includingCatherineWalston,whoconvertedtoCatholicismafterreadingThePowerandtheGloryandwrotetoGreeneaskinghimtobehergodfather.Afterabriefperiodofcorrespondence,thetwomet,andtheirrelationshipinspiredGreene'snovelTheEndoftheAffair.Greenewasafilmcritic,screenwriter,andavidmoviegoer,andcriticshavesometimespraisedthecinematicqualityofhisstyle.HismostfamousscreenplaywasTheThirdMan,whichhecowrotewithdirectorCarolReed.Recently,newfilmadaptationshavebeenmadeofGreene'snovelsTheEndoftheAffairandTheQuietAmerican.Greene'sworkhasalsoformedthebasisforanopera:OurManinHavana,composedbyMalcolmWilliamson.
