"He disapproved, he didn't believe in girls drinking, he was full of the conventions of a generation older than himself. Of course one drank one-self, one fornicated, but one didn't lie with a friend's sister, and 'decent' girls were never squiffy."
This one is a strange one, but as with most Graham Greene
novels I’ve read to date, I loved it.
It has a very contemporary feel despite being first
published in 1935; with shady deals by International business men at its core.
It revolves around a strange relationship verging on incest between twins Kate and Anthony Farrant. Anthony is the loveable loser, always giving up on career prospects and trying to pull the wools over some one with his fake old school ties. His sister has found a new life in Stockholm with the powerful businessman, Krogh.
Kate’s relationships with the men in her life are strained and counter to what is expected. Her dalliance with her employer is a business transaction, whereas her heart lies with her brother.
Her brother is a complete opposite. Needing his sister as a life raft financially to get back afloat while abandoning himself to his affair with Loo. It seems love is the victim of commerce at the centre of the novel.
Krogh is the eponymous head of Krogh's; whose considerable wealth sets him apart from everyday life and whose aim to stay on top trumps any other moral considerations.
Clearly things will not end well, but you will have to read it for yourself and find out.
5 out of 5 fake school ties are a noose.
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