There are links between this novel and Greene's earlier novel A Gun for Sale (1936), because Raven's murder of the gang boss Kite, mentioned in A Gun For Sale, allows Pinkie to take over his gang and thus sets the events of Brighton Rock in motion. The title refers to a confectionery traditionally sold at seaside resorts, which in the novel is used as a metaphor for the personality of Pinkie, which is the same all the way through. The novel is a murder thriller set in 1930's Brighton. (Book 605 from 1001 books) - Brighton Rock, Graham Greeneīrighton Rock is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1938 and later adapted for film in 19. Top photo, a street scene in Brighton, from Ĭandy from Photo of the author from NY The title comes from a candy stick sold locally that has an image all the way through – I guess a metaphor for the evil of Pinkie. Greene lived 1904-1991 and published novels and short stories until 1990. This is one of Greene’s earliest novels (1938).

The girl is devout but Pinkie is so disillusioned by life that he would just as well be damned. Both Pinkie and the waitress are Catholic and they talk about morality and the afterlife.

There’s a Catholic theme, as in many of Greene’s novels. Pinkie, completely amoral, goes on to kill other members of the gang who were skimming money or knew too much about Fred’s killing. Ida is also trying to save the waitress (of barely legal marrying age) from the scumbag. Pinkie the gangster even goes so far as doing a quickie marriage with a young waitress who knows too much (since a wife can’t testify against her husband). Ida, one of the women Fred had tried to befriend is shocked by Fred’s death and starts acting like a private investigator retracing Fred’s and Pinkie’s paths that day to give evidence to the police. Doesn’t work – he gets stabbed and killed. Fred is desperately trying to hook up with a woman – any woman - to keep him company so he can’t be stabbed in front of a witness. Pinkie, the teenage sociopath, is hunting down Fred to stab him for somehow crossing the gang.

(The novel was published in 1938.)įred, another young man, distributes cards anonymously for a newspaper guessing game competition. It was never quite clear to me where the actual money comes from but it appears they are making money off the numbers racket or illegal slot machines. Pinkie, a young man who is pure evil, is in control of a mob-like gang.

The story is set in Brighton, a Coney Island type beach resort a day-trip by train from London.

Brighton Rock by Graham Greene