Biography of Graham Greene (1904-1991)

Graham Greene

Henry Graham Green was a serious, moody child. He was born into an academic environment, the child of the headmaster of Berkhamsted School, though he never felt at home among children of his own age. His failure to get along with other children precipitated a psychological collapse at the age of sixteen. After his recovery, Greene enrolled at Balliol College, Oxford, where he focused on producing poetry. After his first volume met with critical dismissal, however, Greene abandoned poetry altogether and sought to be a journalist.

He worked his way up at The Times before finishing his first novel at the age of twenty-five. This novel, The Man Within, sold surprisingly well and encouraged Greene to believe that he could write for a living. Meanwhile, he married his college sweetheart, Vivienne (later Vivien) Dayrell-Browning, whose devout Catholicism led him to embrace the religion as well. Greene never wholly endorsed the faith, but he fruitfully explored issues of sin, redemption, atheism, despair and forgiveness throughout his career. Towards the end of his life, Greene described himself as a "Catholic atheist."

Greene's reputation rides mostly on the novels he produced between 1932 and 1950, including Stamboul Train (released in the United States and adopted as a motion picture under the title The Orient Express), The Power and the Glory, Brighton Rock and The Heart of the Matter. These novels combine elements of the thriller with a probing psychological interest in character. They remain widely read and deeply compelling.

In the meantime, Greene also explored his interest in filmmaking. He had been an avid filmgoer since his college days and contributed many film reviews to The Times. After his establishment as a professional writer, Greene received work as a screenwriter for Alexander Korda. One of the screenplays that he produced, The Third Man, became one of the greatest movies of the twentieth century.

Greene continued to produce popular novels throughout the sixties and into the seventies, including The End of an Affair, A Burnt-Out Case, and the last novel published in his lifetime, The Human Factor. His thematic interest remained largely the same -- exploring crises of love and faith -- though the novels have not attracted the same critical acclaim as his earlier works.

Greene's reputation as one of the major British novelists of his generation is secure. He had a unique sense of the disillusionment and existential gloom of the twentieth century and wrote in a clear but poetic style that is instantly recognizable. Greene had a less serious streak as well -- he even once submitted an entry to a Graham Greene parody contest (and won second prize!) -- and continues to be remembered for his acerbic wit as well as his tragic vision.