In human relations kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths.
The Heart of the Matter
by Graham Greene
Genre: Literary Fiction
About: In war-torn West Africa, bribery and malice is everywhere. The heat makes people petty, the diamonds make people greedy. Only Scobie is immune it seems. A police officer who can't be bribed and a man who keeps his temper in check, even in his unhappy marriage and under the watchful eyes of spies. But then he begins a love affair and from one unforgivable sin to another, Scobie quickly descends down a trap of his own making.
The Good
My rating is a lot higher than my enjoyment of the book because I did think that the writing and characterisations were good. This reminded me in some ways of The Crucible (which I love) and I think I would have had a better experience reading this as a play rather than a novel. We begin in an unhappy marriage inside of a setting where everyone has eyes on everyone all of the time. Jealousy, corruption, adultery - sins wrap around each other and test Scobie to his limit. He never knew himself until now and we watch his journey to his truth of what he must do to stay honest, having failed the people he loves but still feeling that sense of unending responsibility.
The Bad
I wasn't sure I was going to get through this book. It's so short but the melancholy of the prose was relentless. Nobody is happy at any point during the story. Scobie is supposed to love West Africa but we feel none of that in the descriptions of the place. He's supposed to love his wife, and then his mistress, but again the descriptions are miserable. Everything is aged and decaying and ugly. There's no joy, no excitement and nothing new to experience: Scobie likens his mistress to a younger version of his wife, repeating the same arguments, the same mistakes. Wilson also has a sort of love affair and this, too, has zero passion and comes across as pathetic and sad.
The Somewhat Iffy
Where was the dilemma? Scobie's wife knows about his affair and seems to only want him to confess it; she isn't angry or upset at him, she cares only for his soul. Scobie's mistress sees the hurt she's causing and decides to leave him. He's free of any sense of responsibility (which is honestly the only reason he seems to give for wanting to stay with either woman). It's only Scobie who forces the situation to continue.
Overall
This should be a play, not a novel. As a play it would be a couple of hours of misery with some interesting introspection on love and faith. As a novel it's a drag to keep turning the pages.
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