'Life would be impossible for me if I knew that I would never write another book' (Graham Greene). This new study offers an unusual account of the literary life of one of the twentieth century's greatest novelists, revealing the kind of writer he became, and why. It considers his literary motivation, the books that influenced him, the routines he followed. It explores offbeat aspects that are often overlooked. Why does comedy emerge so strongly in the later works? In what way did his interest in the cinema help shape his writing style? What kind of coded autobiography is embedded in his teasing epigraphs and dedications? What clues to his later development are contained in his childhood? Greene was a master of selective disclosure, but he did allow his mask to occasionally slip, as if wanting confession. This book is a sympathetic and fascinating insight into the world of a remarkable author.