Maurice is dry witted writer who runs into an old friend one night in a rainstorm. Henry, a boring civil servant, has a problem. He believes his wife, Sarah, has taken a lover and is unsure what to do next. Maurice offers to hire a detective to follow her, but little does Henry realise that Maurice’s motives are entirely selfish.
Two years before, Maurice had an affair with Sarah, who inexplicably broke up with him. Racked by bitterness and jealousy, Maurice wants to find out what Sarah is up too because he is still in love with her. What he discovers will change his ideals forever.
The End of the Affair is a tightly woven, almost claustrophobic text, full of terse and true dialogue. As in life, the characters discover that you often have more in common with your enemies than you realise, and that there are many types of love.
