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The Heart of the Matter cover art

The Heart of the Matter

By: Graham Greene
Narrated by: Michael Kitchen
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Summary

Scobie, a police officer in a West African colony, is a good and honest man. But when he falls in love, he is forced into a betrayal of everything that he has ever believed in, and his struggle to maintain the happiness of two women destroys him.
©1971 Graham Greene (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Heart of the Matter

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superb

A wonderful tale although very sad it's so well written. Michael Kitchen is superb reader.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written

Very well read and an engaging story. Why did Scobie, the main protagonist, get entangled with such limited women? An enjoyable listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

First Class Greene and first class performance

what a fabulous renditioning by Michael Kitchen. Wish he'd do more. A heartfelt charming story.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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character and the story

graham green is classic storytelling and a time less author from an ability to set up a good storytelling

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  • MW
  • 13-09-17

Great audiobook but not for depression sufferers!

Where does The Heart of the Matter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As an audiobook, it's top notch. Graham Greene doesn't disappoint with his quality storytelling which is why it gets 5 stars all the way - despite my final comment.

What does Michael Kitchen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Excellent narrator who brings the whole atmosphere of the topics right before your eyes.

Any additional comments?

The story line is definitely not for anyone who suffers from depression, because this will put you close to the edge - take it as a warning. If you want a good story and are not depressed, I would imagine it would have been a different experience, but I had to stop listening as soon as I saw where the story was headed.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Engrossing, transcends the era

First, I sped up the narration to 1.2x, it was really boring at 1x speed. At 1.2x the narration was very good.

I visited Sierra Leone 20 years ago. Then the diamond dealers were Lebanese, not Syrian.

It’s a stiff upper lip tale of someone who can’t stand it anymore in the end. A man tries to be decent and conformist, is put under pressure and cracks in both directions, towards love and also against conformity and can’t see a way out.

Very well told story. Reminded me of Nevil Shute in the simple but impactful storytelling.

Occasional words offensive to the modern ear, with attitudes par for the course for the time. Do you want to know what it was like then or not?

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Just brilliant

A brilliant book brilliantly read. I read all Graham Greene's work 30 years ago and felt it was time to revisit. I wasn't sure if I would like Michael Kitchen's reading as I have got to know him so well through his TV work, but he was absolutely superb. I became completely absorbed and, through his skilful reading, I enjoyed the book even more than I did the first time around.

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25 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A beautifully read masterpiece

This was a consummate listening experience that showed the genius of Greene’s writing and characterisation.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A deeply wonderful book

I loved this book more than any I have ever read .. I desperately wanted it to never end

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An extremely good reading of a perfect novel

Wonderfully read this is such a spare, dark, poetic book. Greene at his eloquent best. Highly recommended!

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