Ways Of Escape

Ways of Escape (1980) is the fascinating second volume of Graham Greene’s autobiography. Since I am a huge fan of Greene’s writing it gives great insight into how he created his novels, stories, plays, and other writings. However, it also gives insight into Greene’s obsession with Catholicism and struggle against depression and ennui, which lead him to travel and write and become a film critic at one stage (which also led to becoming a screen writer).  The main theme is that of escape, escaping ennui, escaping one’s self. I also like how Greene incorporated other sources to round out things like his cousin’s journal entry of the trip they took together to Africa in the 30s or a description of a Henry James character that Greene thought summed up the character of his friend and author Evelyn Waugh. I’ve always found his travel writing as interesting as his novels and there’s a lot about his experiences in Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean-often during times of conflict like the Malaya incident, the Vietnam War, in Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion, and Haiti during the terror years of the Papa Doc government. Greene is one of my favorite writers and he lived a fascinating life and I am sad to say that I’ve read all his major books, so it’ll be bits and pieces and perhaps Norman Sherry’s three volume biography from here on out.