Graham Greene – Brighton Rock

The plot of this novel follows a gang war in the dark underworld of Brighton, being led by the ruthless Pinkie who has killed Hale, a journalist. The killing of this character is the catalyst for Ida Arnold, a friend of Hale, to investigate and begin the chain of events leading to the book’s climax.

Brighton Rock is a gripping novel from the start, this opening line being a terrific example: “Hale knew, before he had been in Brighton three hours that they meant to murder him.” Lines like this carry an ominous, foreboding tension which is sustained throughout the book. But crucially, such lines are not just for sheer excitement- the book’s many incidents of terror and violence serve to highlight the immoral acts of crime. The character of Pinkie in particularly is the epitome of this; a cold character that exploits individuals and kills those who have crossed him. This serves to make Brighton Rock by no means a light entertainment, but something suitably darker. The contradictions of this character are particularly brilliant. The traditional view of a strongly heterosexual male gangster is superbly subverted. Pinkie is a character who is so cold that he struggles to articulate any sexual desire.

Brighton Rock is also filled with very powerful imagery. A description of one of Pinkie’s many victims as an “indistinguishable grey ash on the pink blossom’s” illustrates the wasteful nature death in a sad and compelling manner.

It is this emotional core which elevates the novel being above entertainment and into something far deeper. Yet far from being overly dramatic or sensationalist, the novel is indeed honest and subtle about the violence caused. Greene creates an engrossing narrative which addresses the impact of crime whilst always adhering to realist principles. Brighton Rock is a great novel of immense depth and suspense which lifts it far above the average thriller.