Graham Greene – his life and work
Across a writing career that lasted some sixty years, Graham Greene produced 25 novels along with numerous short stories, plays, film screenplays, reviews and journalism, to name just a part of his enormous literary output. Amongst his best known and highly regarded novels are Brighton Rock (1938), The Power and the Glory (1940), The Ministry of Fear (1943), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The End of the Affair (1951), The Quiet American (1955), Our Man in Havana (1958), The Comedians (1966), The Honorary Consul (1973), The Human Factor (1978), andMonsignor Quixote (1982). However, as Richard Greene (no family relation, but Graham Greene’s most recent biographer) tells us below, Greene’s work, his themes, his outlook, retain enormous relevance for readers and for the world even today.
Many of these novels were made into major motion pictures with Greene in some cases contributing the screenplay (for example The Third Man, directed by Carol Reed, released in 1949 and still regularly voted the greatest British movie ever made).
Graham Greene timeline
Originally compiled by Ken Sherwood and since added to by Kevin Ruane, this timeline records all the major moments in Greene’s career.
Where to start with Graham Greene?
With a writer as prolific as Graham Greene it can be hard to know where to start. With his first novel The Man Within (1929)? Or with his late novels like The Human Factor (1978) or Monsignor Quixote (1982)? Maybe somewhere in between with Brighton Rock (1938), The Heart of the Matter (1948) or The Quiet American (1955)? Or what about A Gun For Sale (1936), The Ministry of Fear (1943) or Our Man in Havana (1958)? Here we enlist the help of Greene’s family along with Greene experts to help you navigate Green(e)land.