The Last Word and Other Stories

Twelve short stories selected by the author himself for this publication. The stories date from between 1923 and 1990, and are set in various locations. For me this wasn't necesarily Greene's best, I found the stories a bit hit and miss.

The Last Word - Set in the future, after religion has been abolished, this story explains why an elderly man with no memory of his past is taken to meet The General, and his vague but comforting relationship with God. 4/5

The News in English - Set during the second world war, Lord Haw-Haw is off the air, and a new man is broadcasting from Germany in his place. (Lord Haw-Haw was a nickname applied to the Second World War-era broadcaster William Joyce, who made pro-German propaganda broadcasts that opened with “Germany calling, Germany calling”, spoken in an affected upper class English accent.) His wife, listening from home is initially distraught at his traitorous behaviour, but notices her husband appears to be passing a message. 4/5

The Moment of Truth - A waiter makes a bond with some regular customers. 3/5

The Man who Stole the Eiffel Tower - An absurd story about the theft and reinstatement of the Eiffel Tower. 3/5

The Lieutenant Died Last - A minor invasion of an English village by Germans takes everyone by surprise, and it is left to an old poacher to save they day. 4/5

A Branch of the Service - A food critic who is recruited into the secret service, but must retire because he has lost his appetite for food. 4/5

An Old Man's Memory - A terrorist attack on the opening of the Channel Tunnel train changes the future of the rail link. 3/5

The Lottery Ticket - A man visiting Mexico wins a lottery and discovers he can't take the money out of the country. He decides to make a charitable donation, but things don't turn out the way expected. 4/5

The New House - A tale of an architect and his change of opinion. 2/5

Work Not in Progress - Play script about bishops, Not for me. 1/5

Murder for the Wrong Reason - A murder mystery, but it felt far to long and didn't hold my attention. 1/5

An Appointment with the General - Set in Chile, a French female journalist meets and interviews a military dictator. I think I might have missed the point of this one. 1/5

Overall far more hits than misses, but some of it felt a little dated.

Overall 3.5 stars, rounded down.