book / 1951
The End of the Affair
Maurice Bendrix investigates why Sarah Miles ended their affair, then discovers that her silence was shaped by a private bargain with God.
Why read this guide
Bendrix tells the book through jealousy, so Sarah's diary is the essential correction. His assumptions need to be separated from what she actually chose.
PlotGeeks note
The novel gives hatred the language of certainty while faith remains difficult and private. Bendrix becomes most honest when certainty finally fails him.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
Writer Maurice Bendrix meets civil servant Henry Miles during wartime London and resumes thinking about his former affair with Henry's wife, Sarah. Convinced that Sarah left him for another man, Bendrix hires a detective and reads reports about her movements. The investigation leads him to Sarah's diary. During an air raid, Bendrix had appeared dead after a blast, and Sarah promised God that she would end the affair if he lived. She kept that promise despite continuing to love him. Bendrix presses for reunion while Sarah struggles with belief, obligation, and illness. Before either can settle the conflict, she dies from pneumonia.
Story flow
What happens, at a glance
- 1SetupBendrix meets Henry again
The chance meeting revives jealousy about Sarah and the unexplained end of their affair.
- 2PressureA detective follows Sarah
Bendrix treats suspicion as evidence until the reports lead him to her diary.
- 3TurnSarah's vow is revealed
She ended the affair after promising God she would do so if Bendrix survived the bombing.
- 4EndingSarah dies
Her death leaves Bendrix facing love, grief, and religious evidence he cannot master.
Remember this
The End of the Affair turns jealousy and faith into a personal test, not just a book premise. The ending matters because Maurice Bendrix and Sarah Miles reveal what the story has been asking the characters to accept.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
After Sarah's death, several apparent miracles are associated with people who knew her, but Bendrix resists the religious meaning others see. His final prayer asks God to leave him alone, turning his old hatred of rivals toward the possibility of faith itself. The affair ends twice: first through Sarah's vow, then through death. Bendrix is left with evidence he cannot comfortably explain and love he can no longer convert into possession.
Original context
Why It Matters
Jealousy is a poor narrator
Bendrix can report events sharply while misreading their meaning. Sarah's diary changes the moral ownership of the story and exposes how often his certainty has been projection.
Timeline
Major events
- 1Bendrix meets Henry againThe chance meeting revives jealousy about Sarah and the unexplained end of their affair.
- 2A detective follows SarahBendrix treats suspicion as evidence until the reports lead him to her diary.
- 3Sarah's vow is revealedShe ended the affair after promising God she would do so if Bendrix survived the bombing.
- 4Sarah diesHer death leaves Bendrix facing love, grief, and religious evidence he cannot master.
Story mechanics
Key Turning Points
The diary replaces suspicion with knowledge
Once Bendrix learns about the vow, the rival he imagined becomes a promise he cannot defeat through ordinary persuasion. His investigation succeeds factually while leaving him less able to control the result.
Character Links
Who connects to whom
Character reading
Character Motivations
Sarah wants love without breaking her word
Her conflict is not a choice between two men. It is whether love can excuse a promise made when she believed a life depended on it.
Adaptation
Book and film connection
Next step
Continue from The End of the Affair
Finished the guide and want to go further? These links help you look up where to watch, read, borrow, or buy it next.