In Search of a Character: Two African Journals: Congo Journey and Convoy to West Africa (Twentieth-Century Classics) [Paperback]

Graham Greene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 014018578X | ISBN-13: 978-0140185782

Graham Greene set two of his novels, "A Burnt out Case" and "The Heart of the Matter" in Africa. Each arose out of visits to Africa - during each of which he kept a journal. Both are printed here and provide a glimpse of the novelist responding to the raw material of his art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014018578X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140185782
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,672,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars Fragments of Observation, May 24, 2010

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This review is from: In Search of a Character: Two African Journals: Congo Journey and Convoy to West Africa (Twentieth-Century Classics) (Paperback)

At less than 100 pages, this is a very short work and a fairly obscure work. But if you are interested in learning more about both Greene the writer, what raw material goes in to that which becomes a novel, and Greene the person, how he observes the world and people around him and then incorporates that into a novel, then this is an important work. The first and longer portion is a fascinating work for anyone who loves Greene's novel A Burnt-Out Case, about the burnt-out architect Querry who hides out in a Belgian Congo leper colony. Here we have Greene's observations from January 31, 1959 to March 8, 1960 that became one of his most rewarding novels, one that haunted him as he wrote. We "see" what Greene saw as travels up river and we "see" what Greene used or did not use in the final novel. Intriguing insight into the art and craft of a genius. The extremely short second part, tied to Greene travelling to Freetown, British Sierra Leone, where he worked for MI6 during part of WW II, gives insight into Greene's observations regarding travel by ship, something which happens frequently in his works, including Journey Without Maps, England Made Me, The Lawless Roads, The Confidential Agent, The Heart of the Matter, The Comedians, and more. This covers December 9, 1941 through January 3, 1942. It is just too bad that there is not more here. If only Greene had published all or portions of his diaries tied to his journeys to Liberia, Mexico, and Vietnam we would be in a position to evaluate what the source material was for some of his most interesting work! Enjoy these fragments to appreciate an artist gathering raw material that he will then turn into something magnificent.