From the Lists: #40 The Heart of the Matter

I am quite a fan of Graham Greene. His prose is direct and concise. His characters are easily identified as people we all know. Their problems are often our problems, or the problems experienced by our family and friends.

The Heart of the Matter (1948), set in pre-war British West Indies, introduces an excruciatingly honest policeman, Scobie, whose average boring life could only be made better if it were to become slightly more boring. He is so honest, in fact, that he is suspected of being a master deceiver.

Of course this ideal existence cannot last. Great literature after all, rarely focuses on happy, wealthy, or contented characters.  Once Scobie takes his first baby steps into deceit, the slippery slope opens before him. Suddenly his formerly secure career, relationships, friendships, and immortal soul are in danger. In the end, Scobie despairs in his inability to reconcile his perceived sins with his deep-seated religious faith.


The lesson to be learned from this work can be summed up by the following rhyme attributed to Sir Walter Scott:  "Oh what a tangled web we weave / When first we practice to deceive."

I found this a quick and fun read. It is easy to see why it sold over 300,000 copies upon its release. I give it two thumbs up!

From the Lists #43: Dance to the Music of Time (Volumes 4 - 6)

I am still unhappy about 12 books qualifying as a single entry on the List of 100 Best English Novels of the 20th century, but what is a boy to do? Slog through them all and get it over with. Perhaps with the holidays coming up, I will finish up with Nick and his friends.

So here goes - the next three novels in the 12 pack:


A Night at Lady Molly's (1957)
As the fourth book opens, the heady pleasures of the 1920s have begun to give way to the austerity and worries of the 1930s. Even so, the whirl of London life continues: friends commit to causes and to spouses, confess adulteries, and fall victim to dissipation and disillusion. As Nick moves ever more comfortably in the worlds of art, culture, and society, Powell’s palette broadens: old friends make appearances, but new ones take places on the stage as well—including Isobel Tolland, whom Nick knows at first sight he’s destined to marry.

Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant (1960)
The fifth book, and possibly the best titled of the dozen, opens with a long flashback introducing a new character and Nicks current best friend Hugh Moreland. As the novel moves back into contemporary times, Nick marries Isobel Tolland and launches happily into family life—including his new role as brother-in-law to Isobel’s many idiosyncratic siblings. But even as Nick’s life is settling down, those of his friends are full of drama and heartache: including Hugh Moreland risking his marriage on a hopeless affair with Nick's sister-in-law, while Charles Stringham has nearly destroyed himself with drink. Full of Powell’s typically sharp observations about life and love, Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant offers all the rewards and frustrations, pleasures and regrets of one’s thirties.

The Kindly Ones (1962)
As volume six opens, rumblings from Germany recall memories of Nick's boyhood and his father’s service in World War I; it seems clear that all too soon, uniforms will be back in fashion. The looming threat throws the ordinary doings of life into stark relief, as Nick and his friends continue to negotiate the pitfalls of adult life. Moreland’s marriage founders, Peter Templer’s wife—his second—is clearly going mad, Uncle Giles passes away, and Widmerpool is, disturbingly, gaining prominence in the business world even as he angles for power in the coming conflict. War, with all its deaths and disruptions, is on the way.

I have added the miniseries to my Netflix queue. I am very tempted to simply spend a few evenings watching how Nick's life progresses rather than spending many more weeks completing the remaining six novel in the series. Would that be cheating?

Probably.....

Would I be able to forgive myself?

Not likely....

When I started this series the weather was warm and spring like. Now it is cool and autumnal. Will the seasons of 2012 mirror Nick's life? It does appear to be so.

Next up: #40 The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.