The Ministry of Fear (1943)

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by Graham Greene



Arthur Rowe, an inhabitant of wartime London during the Blitz with a terrible secret, visits a fair one day on a lark, setting in motion a chain of events that will thrust him into a shadowy world where nobody, not even oneself, is quite what they seem.

 


Graham Greene is an extraordinary writer, painting fully developed characters with great economy of language.

 

Graham Greene


He is also a master of atmosphere; I have rarely encountered an author who so skillfully develops an ambiance of fear, paranoia, and regret. 



This black mood and a dearth of exciting action set pieces may be the reason some reviewers question this novel's status as a thriller, but I was enthralled by the quiet dread that makes our hero's fate so uncertain.

 


The brilliant conclusion infuses a superficially happy ending with a strong dose of tragedy.



"The Ministry of Fear" (Spanish)

"Ministry of Horror" (Romanian)

"The Ministry of Fear" (Portuguese)

"Ministry of Fear" (Persian)

"Ministry of Fear" (Serbian)

"Fifth Column" (Italian)


"Ministry of Fear" (Hungarian)

"The Ministry of Fear" (Greek)

"Center of Horror" (German)

"The Reign of Fear" (Dutch)

"Ministry of Fear" (Czech)

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