This is a portrait of a killer, written by one of the master writers of the past 50 years. This is not a book for everyone - it is a dark and
gruesome look into the mind and soul of a hired killer.
gruesome look into the mind and soul of a hired killer.
Graham Greene is considered one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century. He often wrote psychological thrillers. The reason for this may have been Greene's own life. Read his page on Wikipedia to judge for yourself.
I enjoyed this mystery, originally published in 1936, of a hit man tracking down his employers after discovering he was set up to be hopefully eliminated himself. So he becomes both the hunted and the hunter. Still, there were certain aspects of the novel which left me scratching my head, wondering what Greene trying to do.
One interesting fact about this copy is it was published in 1945 by The Military Service Publishing Company, an American firm. During World War II, this company "...produced small, inexpensive paperback reprints of fiction titles for soldiers. About twice the size of Armed Services Editions, these books were still small enough to carry easily in military uniform cargo pockets." This company eventually became known as Stackpole Books.
The book was the basis for a 1942 movie of the same name starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. However, as is normal for Hollywood, the movie's plot differs considerably from the book.
I enjoyed this mystery, originally published in 1936, of a hit man tracking down his employers after discovering he was set up to be hopefully eliminated himself. So he becomes both the hunted and the hunter. Still, there were certain aspects of the novel which left me scratching my head, wondering what Greene trying to do.
One interesting fact about this copy is it was published in 1945 by The Military Service Publishing Company, an American firm. During World War II, this company "...produced small, inexpensive paperback reprints of fiction titles for soldiers. About twice the size of Armed Services Editions, these books were still small enough to carry easily in military uniform cargo pockets." This company eventually became known as Stackpole Books.
The book was the basis for a 1942 movie of the same name starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. However, as is normal for Hollywood, the movie's plot differs considerably from the book.
