The Heart of the Matter (Unabridged‪)‬

I didn't know this Graham Greene novel, and I selected it primarily because of Michael Kitchen's particular style, which I've come to enjoy in his "Foyle's War" series on TV. Kitchen is both practical, unemotional, and sensitive to nuance, which is a kind of contradiction, but absolutely suits the protagonist, Major Scoby, a British policeman stationed in Africa. His reading made this character come alive for me. Greene's book itself is stunning, emotionally hard-hitting, with a curious twist on whether "pity" and "responsibility" are virtues to be admired. I found the book made me think deeply, and I highly recommend it and this audio recording especially.

The edition used for this audiobook is one of the originals (if not the first edition). After first publishing it in '48, Greene made many minor changes (which might be considered big changes, depending on who you ask). HOWEVER, that doesn't make this version incomplete / abridged. Many of the changes made were necessary, partially due to poor editing for the first publication, and partially because the original edition, Greene felt, did not always express what he originally intended. So, bear in mind most copies of this novel available in book stores will not line up exactly with this one.