Graham Greene and John le Carré have long cornered the market on tales of gray, dour espionage mandarins who, with inevitably tragic results, feel their lives revitalized by a taste of romantic love. So it’s no wonder that Greene called Benjamin Tammuz’s novel Minotaur “the best of the year” when it was published in 1989. The Russian-born Tammuz immigrated to Palestine when he was five, working as a diplomat, sculptor, and literary editor of the newspaper Ha’aretz before dying the year Minotaur appeared.
Related:
Graham Greene’s last interview, Flashbacks: June 30, 2006, Mostly noir, More 
- Graham Greene’s last interview
This article originally appeared in the June 28, 1991 issue of the Boston Phoenix .
- Flashbacks: June 30, 2006
These selections, culled from our back files, were compiled by Whitney Kimball and Hannah Van-Susteren.
- Mostly noir
The definition of film noir has become elastic through the years. Of the five movies included in the MFA’s series “Rialto’s Best of British Film Noir” only two, strictly speaking, are noirs: Brighton Rock, Graham Greene & Terence Rattigan’s adaptation of Greene’s novel, and The Third Man, Greene’s most famous collaboration with the filmmaker Carol Reed.
- Idol pleasures
It’s easy for me to say, because I don’t have to put butts into seats, but wouldn’t it be great if a local repertoire house programmed a series of adaptations of the late British novelist Graham Greene?
- Identity crisis
Black Kids lead singer Reggie Youngblood is relaxed and focused, articulate and unpretentious, polite with a sharp sense of humor.
- Observing Global Orgasm Day
Sure, everyone looks forward to winter solstice because we know that after weeks of dreary darkness, they days will get longer and brighter.
- Controlling birth
Not surprisingly, I am searching for yet another birth control pill that doesn’t wreck my life.
- Rebels in the general assembly
To the displeasure of progressives around Rhode Island, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly this year passed mammoth tax cuts for the wealthiest of Rhode Islanders — the same kind of tax cuts for which national Democrats have hammered President George W. Bush.
- Resident aliens
Foreign favorites Graeme Sinden, DJ Mehdi, and Cansi de Ser Sexy
- Less
Topics:
Books
, Politics, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Culture and Lifestyle, More
, Politics, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Culture and Lifestyle, Espionage and Intelligence, Relationships, Romance, Dashiell Hammett, Graham Greene, Franz Kafka, John le Carre, Less
