The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

Set in London during and just after the Second World War, the novel examines the obsessions, jealousy and discernments within the relationships between three central characters: writer Maurice Bendrix; Sarah Miles; and her husband, civil servant Henry Miles.

This is a book where the mere title has turned me away for ages. I don't like the topic and people endlessly moaning on about blighted love. However, my daughter, Hannah, listened to the audiobook where Colin Firth does a magnificent job. She couldn't stop talking about it and then made it her selection for our Catholic women's book club.

I scheduled it for Lent and began it early. Gripped by how good it was, I sped through the audio in four days so I finished before Lent even began. I've ordered the print version so I can reread it more slowly.

There hardly could there be a better book to read during that penitential time, with themes of looking for love and grabbing what we can, rejecting God's existence, and wrestling with what we believe and base our lives upon.

Both the prose and the novel itself are simply magnificent. Read it despite the topic. There is much more there than meets the eye so don't judge this book by its cover — or title.[The title gives away what seems to me to be the big theme of the book — it is about God himself ending our affair with the world and lesser things than Himself so we can return to our one true love and finally be happy. (hide spoiler)]