The Tenth Man by Graham Greene

(read aloud)

An intricate story about death, survival, and cowardice from a German prison camp to a small French village. The plot is engaging but it is the writing that is remarkable, deep with meaning and understanding of life, of human weakness and failure and loss. Even the slightest detail, like the mention of "the ugly church," is full of meaning. All of the characters have a depth about them. The climax is at the period of the last sentence and rings true.