THE CAPTAIN AND THE ENEMY

Graham Greene's last published novel offers clues to the autobiographical motifs running through Greene's long career: the horrors of prep school, the loneliness of childhood, the mysteries of basement rooms, the difficulty of finding love. Jim Baxter is removed from his school by a mysterious figure called the Captain; years later, they meet again in Noriega's Panama amid political turmoil. Kenneth Branagh reads the book effectively; his low-key characterizations are lucid and believable. The sure pacing and clarity of Branagh's delivery make one wish his talents had been applied to a richer Greene novel, rather than this slim finale to a great career. G.H. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]