The End of the Affair

By: Graham Greene

Narrated by: Colin Firth

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Audie Award Winner, Audiobook of the Year, 2013

Audie Award Nominee, Best Solo Narration, 2013

Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) won the Audie for Audiobook of the Year in 2013—for his first audio performance, The End of the Affair. The love affair at the center of this 1951 classic novel takes place in the bomb-strewn last days of World War II, and just after. Bendrix, a writer in war-torn London, has fallen in love with Sarah, the wife of an acquaintance. Though unhappily married, Sarah won’t leave her husband; she ends their affair and abruptly vanishes, reducing Bendrix's inner life to rubble. His investigation of Sarah’s disappearance reveals the role her newly-awakened Catholic faith played in her decision to leave, and other startling truths.

The End of the Affair mirrors Greene’s own relationship with a married woman, and positions religion as a pivotal element in both the inner turmoil and outer destruction occurring in his life at the time. Firth brilliantly conveys Greene’s characteristically bleak emotional terrain in an intimate, nuanced, and unhurried performance.

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©1951 Graham Greene (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Great story line, takes too long to tell.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story line is unexpected; reveals a lot about human nature. Too much rambling though. HOWEVER, I'll listen to anything Colin Firth does. He really brings it to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it had too many long passages; I got restless. A couple of times I thought it was ending, and another turn of the "plot" happened.

Any additional comments?

Wonderfully human story, too long for my taste.

MIXED FEELINGS

What made the experience of listening to The End of the Affair the most enjoyable?

Colin Firth's voice and talent in interpreting the story, Not sure I would have enjoyed the print version as much. Colin's voice did it!

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I'm not a fan of the 'pat' happy ending, so I didn't mind this ending.

What does Colin Firth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Colin makes it a movie in your head. You can 'see' the characters. Wouldn't have gotten that from the book.

a compelling listen

Where does The End of the Affair rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I listen to an eclectic mix, averaging a book a week and this falls in the top 5 of the last year alongside Matterhorn, Wolf Hall, Night Circus, Owen Meany, and Unbroken.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bendrix is entirely convincing, you can feel his joy, his pain, his bitterness,

What does Colin Firth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I had assumed I would hear Firth as a familiar screen actor and instead I was completely caught up in the characters and the story. Masterful narration.

Colin Firth!

This is a book I'm not sure I would've READ, but listening to Colin Firth drew me in! The story is an interesting love triangle with all the ups & downs.

No

The beginning of the book was very entertaining, I started to like the main male character who seems to be deeply in love with Sarah the main female (or is he). It was getting good and interested but then we star to read Sarah's journal and oh well it all turns in to this terrible thing where the 2 main characters just like to torture themselves. It was quite obvious to be that they wanted to be atheist but clearly where not, as they spend the rest of the book loving/hating God. And then being completely selfish and nonsensical. But I may say I believe that was the point of the book to bring God in to the story and compel the reader to acknowledge the Devine presence that it played on the characters life's.
At the end I had stopped liking the main two characters and the story seem a too sour.

Great narration

I chose this book only because Colin Firth was narrating it and I was not disappointed. I'm not even sure I would have enjoyed the book as much if I had read it myself, because he brought so much to life. I usually only like to read books with happy endings, so I'm surprised I loved this one so much, but I sure did.

Loved it!

I don't know if I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if it were read by anyone else. It's not that I'm a big fan I just thought he did a great job. I had not heard of the book or seen the movie and wasn't sure what to expect. I had just finished Anna Karienina and was looking for something similar... maybe a little simpler.

I hate to say it was "better" than A.K., since it's supposed to be a classic and all, but I did enjoy it more. I wasn't swept away I was swept around all over the place. I want to listen to it again but I'm afraid I was just in the right place with the right book and it wouldn't be the same.

Antihero battles with love.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a compelling book to listen to and contrasted well with the book I had just finished which was also about an antihero who had a different lack of insight into the effect his actions had on other people. 'Any Human Heart' by William Boyd. In Graham Greene's novel, the antihero is intentionally self-destructive. In William Boyd's novel, the antihero is destructive by being naive to the effects his selfish behavior has on other people.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The End of the Affair?

The conflict with the love of God contrasting with the frailty of the characters in the book. This book is one of Graham Greene's 'Catholic Books.' "This is a story of hate," says the protagonist. However, it isn't. It is a story of the pain of love.

What three words best describe Colin Firth’s performance?

Conveyed the spite and puzzled love and loss of the central characters very well.

Do you think The End of the Affair needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

This is a nonsense question. The End of the Affair is an entity by itself and an end in itself. There could not be a follow up book because, as the book tells you, there is no beginning or end of a story, just where the author decides to start and end it. It is part of a continuum and to write a sequel would add nothing to the characters or deny their human frailty.

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book and then read another Greene Catholic book like, "The Power and the Glory." Then ask yourself what the author believed in and what he did not believe in.

I could listen to Colin Firth all day!

The best thing about this listen is Colin Firth. He has a very pleasing voice and brings the characters to life. It's a joy of a listen. I hope he does more books.

However, it is typical Graham Greene. Don't get me wrong, Graham Greene is a great writer. He brings people and places to life in a way no other writer can. But as always with Greene, a character who was raised Catholic, but no longer believes, prays to God and a miracle occurs. The character then goes thru an inner struggle questioning who they are and what they believe. If you like reading struggles of faith, you will love this book.

I personally find the subject boring. I've read the struggle before in Greene's work and just can't invest in the character's dilemma even though I like them and want them to succeed.

Fantastic!

This is my second time through this book narrative and I found it even better the last time around. The book is so thought provoking and superbly written it has become one of my few go to books for repeat reads. I don't anticipate reading it again, however, because Colin Firth does such a strikingly good job with the narrative the imagination and imagery I bring when I read it pales in comparison.