The End of the Affair

The End of the Affair is a 1951 novel by Graham Greene. The main character and narrator Maurice Bendrix has spent years trying to understand why his lover Sarah Miles suddenly ended their affair. A chance meeting with Sarah's husband, Henry, who is finally beginning to suspect her of infidelity, provides Maurice with the perfect opportunity for closure and revenge. He convinces Henry to hire a detective to spy on Sarah, hoping to expose her true character. However, the information uncovered proves to be much more complex than what Maurice and Henry expected.

The subject of two film adaptations. The most recent was the 1999 version directed by Neil Jordan that starred Ralph Fiennes as Maurice, Julianne Moore as Sarah, and Stephen Rea as Henry.

Tropes used in The End of the Affair include:

• The Blitz: the novel is set in London during and after World War II.
• Consummate Liar: Maurice uses these very words to describe Sarah.
• Good Catholic: Sarah turns out to be a textbook example of this.
• Ho Yay: By the end of the novel Henry and Maurice have gotten over their differences and are sharing an apartment.
• Incurable Cough of Death: Sarah dies of this.
• In Mysterious Ways
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Several characters make seemingly miraculous recoveries from illnesses and injuries.
• Nay Theist: Maurice has become this by the end of the novel.
• Perfect Health: Almost every time a minor symptom is mentioned, it turns into a serious illness, or at least a major plot point.
• Rage Against the Heavens: Many, many passages of the novel contain this.
• The Rashomon: Several events can be seen in a very different light after Maurice reads Sarah's journal. Specifically, she promised God that if Maurice survived after being injured in the Blitz, she would end the affair.
• Sanctuary of Solitude: Sarah often visits a church to seek solace after the end of her affair. Also a case of Seeking Sanctuary in one instance when Maurice is stalking her.
• Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter!: Maurice, again.