The Official Unofficial Book Group Book Discussion thread

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Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Dec 2024
1:08pm, 22 Dec 2024
24,867 posts
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Red Squirrel
I completely loved The Comedians and am late coming to reading Greene. Really looking forward to Havana and others afterwards …
Santa Badgey
Santa Badgey
Dec 2024
1:20pm, 22 Dec 2024
17,577 posts
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Santa Badgey
Havana is definitely one of the more upbeat ones! Brighton Rock was one of my O level set books. Learned a lot about understanding subtexts from it, but my God it’s bleak.
Northern Exile
Northern Exile
Dec 2024
3:52pm, 22 Dec 2024
10,700 posts
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Northern Exile
Bleak indeed. I've always thought The Human Factor was the most depressing of the lot.
Diogenes
Diogenes
Dec 2024
4:46pm, 22 Dec 2024
89,898 posts
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Diogenes
I think I have a high bleak tolerance, it’s not the high on the list of words I associate with Greene’s work. Mind you, I am the person who was surprised to learn that Jude The Obscure is considered very depressing by all.
Northern Exile
Northern Exile
Dec 2024
5:32pm, 22 Dec 2024
10,701 posts
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Northern Exile
Isn't all Thomas Hardy?? Jude is definitely chuck yourself off a cliff material. Tess is worse.
Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Dec 2024
6:43pm, 22 Dec 2024
24,868 posts
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Red Squirrel
I didn’t find The Comedians bleak. I think if bleak is also in a spare style; that can be joyless.
Northern Exile
Northern Exile
Dec 2024
7:10pm, 22 Dec 2024
10,702 posts
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Northern Exile
Mmm, yes, I've just been musing and "bleak" is probably the wrong word. Joyless is better.
Columba
Columba
Dec 2024
9:31pm, 22 Dec 2024
22,654 posts
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Columba
I've liked all the Graham Greene I've read (and re-read), which is lots of it.
Santa Badgey
Santa Badgey
Dec 2024
10:47pm, 22 Dec 2024
17,579 posts
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Santa Badgey
Just to be clear, so have I liked them all. But some of them have happy endings, some unflinchingly follow the logic of the situation to something extremely grim.
McGoohan
McGoohan
Dec 2024
11:00pm, 22 Dec 2024
54,918 posts
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McGoohan
I am something of a GG fan

(old pic, I've got a couple more since...)

About This Thread

Maintained by Diogenes
Unofficial books, underground discussion, MASSIVE SPOILERS.

Some of the most discussed books include:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
(mind-bending mystery with halls and statues)
hive.co.uk



The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (geriatric murder mystery from Britain's tallest comedic brainbox)
hive.co.uk

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
(Memoir of a homeless couple walking the SWCP)
hive.co.uk

Milkman by Anna Burns
(Superlative prize-winning fiction)
Hive link: hive.co.uk

The Player Of Games by Iain M. Banks (Sci-Fi)
Hive link: hive.co.uk

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (weird steampunk)
Hive link: hive.co.uk

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