The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene

On Thursday 11 July 2019 Nick introduced his theme which was…

The End of the Affair

…and so we started with his literary selection….

BOOK: The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene

Nick was fascinated by the book’s biographical basis and the exploration of faith

Nigel read it in January 2018 and decided to read it again, dubbing it a gorgeously written eulogy for a love affair which has the lot, tragedy, humour, insight and much more. He felt much more sympathy for Bendrix second time round.

Keith was a little unsatisfied by the book but wondered if this was just a manifestation of his anti-Kindle feelings.

Roland declared it “a great book”, whilst Robin labelled it a beautifully written flawed masterpiece

Tristan thought it was a stinker and lamented the pedestrian plot, unlikeable narrator, and the metaphysical waffle which said nothing about love, affairs or the human condition.

Nick 7.5 / Tristan 3 / Nigel 9 / Keith 6 / Roland 8 / Robin 8


MUSIC: Blood on the Tracks (1975) by Bob Dylan

Blood on the Tracks is Nick’s desert island disc. Robin loves it. Roland thinks it’s a classic. Tristan loves a bit of Bob but prefers 'Bringing It All Back Home’. It’s not for Keith. Nigel likes it, but not his voice overly, and prefers Highway 1 Revisited and John Wesley Harding.







FILM: Silver Linings Playbook (2012) directed by David O. Russell

Most of us really liked this film. Jennifer L and Bradley C are fab in their roles, which really adds to the appeal, however all the cast are great.

Keith was less smitten, with Tristan, Robin and Roland annoyed by the cliche Hollywood ending

ENDORSE IT

Utrecht (City)
Middle England by Jonathan Coe (book)
Wild Wild Country (TV Netflix)
The Staircase (TV Netflix)
Making a Murderer (TV Netflix)
Office Politics by The Divine Comedy (Music)
Where The Action Is by The Waterboys (Music)
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (Theatre)
Easy - Season 3 (TV Netflix)
Stranger Things - Season 3 (TV Netflix)
The Cricket World Cup (Sport)
The Women's World Cup (Sport)


ADDENDUM

Just when we felt sure the evening couldn't get any better, we were joined by a mature balding man clutching a packet of Alpen muesli who asked if we wanted to hear a joke. Thus ensued four jokes from his repertoire including "the funniest joke of all time" and one that aircraft cabin crew the world over love so much they will lavish you with wonderful service throughout your journey if you share it with them when you board the plane. As Keith articulated, the most disturbing aspect was that he'd identified us as his target audience given the jokes were somewhat unreconstructed and involved references to nymphomaniacs and bit tits.


After our Summer recess we’ll be back with Tristan’s selections…

Theme: Lighthearted Nerdiness

BOOK: Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan
MUSIC: OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead
FILM: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright