Hawthornden Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (1941) Winner
Graham Greene
グレアム・グリーン
Gureamu Guriin
Aliases:
Henry Graham Greene
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1904-10-02 （Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England）
- Died
- 1991-04-03 （Corseaux, Switzerland） age 86
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Catholic (later self-described as a "Catholic agnostic") Baptized in 1926 （Baptismal Name: Henry Graham）
- Residence History
- Berkhamsted, England → Mexico (residence/extended stays) → Antibes, France → Corseaux, Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Journalist, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 1925-1991
- Influenced By
- Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Robert Louis Stevenson, Marcel Proust
- Influenced
- John Irving, Frederick Buechner, Contemporary thriller and spy novelists and filmmakers (influence on fiction-to-film adaptations)
- Nominations
- Nobel Prize in Literature – finalist (1961), Nobel Prize in Literature – finalist (1966), Nobel Prize in Literature – finalist (1967), Nobel Prize in Literature – finalist (1974)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balliol College, Oxford | History | History | Second-class degree (BA) | 1922–1925 | United Kingdom |
Balliol College, Oxford
History
/ History
Degree:
Second-class degree (BA)
Period:
1922–1925
Year of Graduation:
1925
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied history at Oxford; graduated in 1925 with a second-class degree.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Hawthornden Prize | The Power and the Glory | — | Hawthornden Prize | 受賞 |
| 1948 | James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction) | The Heart of the Matter | Fiction | James Tait Black Memorial Prize | 受賞 |
| 1968 | Shakespeare Prize | — | — | Shakespeare Prize (Alfred Toepfer Stiftung) | 受賞 |
| 1981 | Jerusalem Prize | — | — | Jerusalem Prize | 受賞 |
| 1986 | Order of Merit (OM) | — | — | Order of Merit | 受賞 |
| 1950 | Academy Award (screenplay nomination) | The Fallen Idol | 脚本 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | ノミネート |
Hawthornden Prize
1941
Work:
The Power and the Glory
Organization:
Hawthornden Prize
Result:
受賞
James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction)
1948
Work:
The Heart of the Matter
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Result:
受賞
Shakespeare Prize
1968
Organization:
Shakespeare Prize (Alfred Toepfer Stiftung)
Result:
受賞
Jerusalem Prize
1981
Organization:
Jerusalem Prize
Result:
受賞
Order of Merit (OM)
1986
Organization:
Order of Merit
Result:
受賞
Academy Award (screenplay nomination)
1950
Work:
The Fallen Idol
Category:
脚本
Organization:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Result:
ノミネート
Awards & Nominations
James Tait Black Memorial Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 30 (1948) Winner
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (1976) Winner
John Dos Passos Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1980) Winner
-
Edition 10 (1981) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Power and the Glory
1940 Literary fiction / Catholic novelA novella-like novel set in Mexico portraying a 'whisky priest' who struggles with faith, sin and redemption under persecution.
faith and redemptionsin and salvationmoral conflict of the individual
The Heart of the Matter
1948 Literary fiction / Psychological novelSet in West Africa during WWII, it follows a police officer, Scobie, whose moral compromises lead to tragic consequences.
conscience and sinisolationsacrifice and redemption
The Quiet American
1955 Political novel / ThrillerA critique of American interventionism set in Indo-China; examines idealism, innocence and political consequences.
political interventiondangers of idealismeffects of colonialism
Adaptations
- [Film] The Quiet American (1958) / マーク・ロブソン (1958)
- [Film] The Quiet American (2002) / フィリップ・ノイス (2002)
Brighton Rock
1938 Crime fiction / Literary novelA crime novel about a young gangster (Pinkie) whose violent actions intersect with questions of faith and conscience.
violence and guiltreligious conscienceyouth and corruption
Adaptations
- [Film] Brighton Rock (1947) / ジョン・ボール (1947)
- [Film] Brighton Rock (2011) / ロジャー・ドナルドソン (2011)
The End of the Affair
1951 Literary fiction / RomanceA wartime London novel exploring love, jealousy, faith and the complexities of human relationships.
love and jealousyfaith and doubtforgiveness
Adaptations
- [Film] The End of the Affair (1955) / エドワード・ドノヒュー (1955)
- [Film] The End of the Affair (1999) / ニール・ジョーダン (1999)
Our Man in Havana
1958 Satirical novel / Spy fictionA satirical spy novel lampooning intelligence services and Cold War paranoia.
absurdities of intelligence workpolitical satireCold War
Adaptations
- [Film] Our Man in Havana (1959) / キャロル・リード (1959)
The Third Man
1950 Novella / based on screenplayA novella written as preliminary material for Greene's screenplay; the story behind the classic film noir set in postwar Vienna.
conspiracypostwar disorderfriendship and betrayal
Adaptations
- [Film] The Third Man (1949) / キャロル・リード (1949)
Bibliography
- The Man Within (1929)
- Stamboul Train (1932)
- Brighton Rock (1938)
- The Power and the Glory (1940)
- The Heart of the Matter (1948)
- The End of the Affair (1951)
- The Quiet American (1955)
- Our Man in Havana (1958)
- A Burnt-Out Case (1960)
- Travels with My Aunt (1969)
- Doctor Fischer of Geneva (1980)
- Monsignor Quixote (1982)
- The Captain and the Enemy (1988)
- The Last Word (1990, short stories)
Adaptations
- Numerous film and television adaptations of novels and stories (e.g. Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana, The Third Man)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lean, functional prosecinematic descriptionexploration of religious and moral dilemmas
- Recurring Motifs
- sin and forgivenessfaith and doubtthe conscience-stricken individualexotic/colonial settings (so-called 'Greeneland')
Health
-
Bipolar disorder生涯にわたる（特に若年期から中年期にかけて顕著）History of depression and suicide attempts; had major impact on his writing and personal life.
-
Leukaemia晩年（1991年没）Died of leukaemia in 1991.
Legacy
Regarded as one of the leading 20th-century English novelists. Known for combining Catholic themes with thrillers ('entertainments'), widely adapted for film, repeatedly shortlisted for the Nobel Prize and recipient of multiple literary honors.
Academic Societies
- Graham Greene Birthplace Trust
Archives
- Harry Ransom Center (Graham Greene Papers)
- John J. Burns Library, Boston College (Graham Greene correspondence)
- Emory University (Graham Greene Collection)
- British Library (collections relating to Graham Greene)
In Popular Culture
- Referenced in Donnie Darko (2001) via classroom discussion of the short story 'The Destructors'; influence evident in many film adaptations and literary studies.
- Numerous film adaptations (e.g. The Third Man) have made his work influential in cinema history.
Quotes
-
In human relationships, kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths.
Source: Graham Greene (source: quoted in public biographies)
Trivia
- Converted to Catholicism in 1926 but later described himself as a 'Catholic agnostic'.
- Worked for MI6 during WWII and had connections with Kim Philby.
- Won prizes such as the Hawthornden Prize and James Tait Black Memorial Prize, but never the Nobel Prize despite multiple shortlistings.
- Several works have been adapted multiple times for film (e.g. Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair, The Quiet American).
- Spent his final years in Corseaux, Switzerland; died of leukaemia in 1991.