How would you like to have your novel—that novel you spent years working on—reviewed by George Orwell?

This would be like making your best risotto and serving it up to Gordon Ramsay. No pressure, right?

Well, Graham Greene, a famous author in his own right, experienced just that. When The Heart of the Matter was published in 1948, Greene was already an established author, having written 11 novels including The Power and the Glory.

George Orwell, though? Not a big fan—at least of this particular novel.

A few quotes: