Brighton Rock

Brighton Rock (1938), a novel by English writer Graham Greene, tells the story of Pinkie Brown, a teenaged sociopathic gang leader operating in the English seaside resort of Brighton during the 1930s. The novel's title, which refers to a type of hard candy sold in Brighton and other seaside towns, is a metaphor for Pinkie, who is hard "all the way through." The book has been adapted to stage and film numerous times, most recently in 2018 by the British dramatist Bryony Lavery. It also shares its title with a 1974 hit Queen song, and its characters are mentioned in the refrain of the 1994 Morrissey song, "Now My Heart Is Full," reflecting the book's far-reaching impact on British culture.

Charles Hale, a reporter with The Daily Messenger, is sent to Brighton to play a promotional game called "Kolley Kibber." Modeled after the real-life game, "Lobby Lud," it involves Hale leaving various cards at designated locations in Brighton. If readers find the cards or find Hale himself, they receive a prize. The reader learns that Hale fears for his life, though it is not yet clear why. He ducks into a pub where Ida Arnold, a plump and pleasant middle-aged woman is singing. In fear of a "boy" who wants to kill him, Hale invites Ida on a date to serve as a potential witness in case he is attacked. When Ida goes to the bathroom, the two are separated.

The "boy" in question is Pinkie Brown, a seventeen-year-old gangster who, despite his young age, is the putative leader of a gang that considers itself "the mob," even though they are really an isolated group of criminals. He meets with Dallow, his second-in-command, along with Cubitt and Spicer, who is considerably older than the other gang members. They have just murdered Hale for an article the journalist wrote about a slot machine scam run by Pinkie and his associates, which in turn led to the death of Pinkie's father figure, Kite. After learning that Spicer left one of Hale's "Kolley Kibber" cards at a restaurant called Snow's, Pinkie goes to the restaurant to ensure the waitress there doesn't remember Spicer and, therefore, can't connect him to Hale. Once there, Pinkie learns that the waitress, Rose, may in fact remember Spicer. To prevent her from incriminating his gang, Pinkie seduces Rose, soon becoming her boyfriend. Later on, Ida reads a newspaper article stating that Hale died of a heart attack. Suspicious of foul play because of Hale's nervous attitude when they met, Ida resolves to solve the mystery of his death.



Despite being of Roman Catholic faith—something he shares with Rose—Pinkie is a headstrong criminal capable of vicious brutality. After learning that Brewer is paying protection money to a rival gangster, Colleoni, Pinkie slices the man's face. When taken in for questioning for the assault, an investigator urges Pinkie to accept Colleoni's offer to work for his crew, but Pinkie refuses. Meanwhile, Ida's investigation leads her to Snow's where she questions Rose about Hale's card and the man who left it. Later, Pinkie learns that Rose does indeed recognize Spicer from the bar, thus threatening the gang's alibi for Hale's murder. Spicer, fed up with Pinkie's violence, wants out of the gang.

To dispose of Spicer, now a loose end, Pinkie takes him to the horse track where he intends to kill him. But before Pinkie can do anything, they are attacked by Colleoni's goons. Pinkie leaves Spicer for dead but later learns he survived the attack. When they next meet, Pinkie pushes Spicer down a flight of stairs to his death, telling his associates that it was an accident. Meanwhile, Pinkie decides to marry Rose to prevent her from testifying against him in court. At their engagement party, Pinkie brashly implies that he killed Spicer in cold blood. Out of all the gang members, only Cubitt questions his continued loyalty to Pinkie. Ida smartly senses that Cubitt is the weak link in Pinkie's inner circle and pumps him for information about Hale.

After marrying Rose and having sex with her for the first time, Pinkie still worries that Rose will turn on him, especially after learning that his new wife has been talking to Ida. On their wedding night, they record gramophone messages for one another separately to listen to at a later time. In Pinkie's recording, he curses and insults Rose relentlessly. Pinkie concocts a plan to lure Rose to the countryside where he will suggest they commit a double suicide, forcing her to go first. Fortunately, Ida and Dallow arrive in time to stop Rose from killing herself. In retribution, Pinkie tries to throw acid at Ida but misses, burning himself instead. Convulsing from the pain, Pinkie falls off a nearby cliff to his death.



Rose reveals in a confession booth that she is still devoted to Pinkie, despite his crimes and his cruelty. The novel ends as Rose goes home to listen to Pinkie's gramophone recording for the first time, expecting to hear something sweet, unaware of its cruel content.

Brighton Rock is a compelling tale featuring a cruel anti-hero who is impossible to like but impossible to look away from as well.