Graham Greene
1955
Around 180 pages
This was the first Graham Greene novel I read, not knowing I would end up falling for this guy. It's like reflecting on a first date with a person who turns out to be your soulmate. If you had known your life would change forever, you might have been more nervous or worn sexier underwear.
Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his fifties who is covering the First Indochina War in Vietnam. He is living with his lover Phuong, who is only 20 years old. Phuong's sister wants her to find a suitable marriage, which Fowler cannot provide as he is already married. Fowler meets Alden Pyle, a CIA agent who, like many Americans, possesses an overly idealistic point of view that a cynical realist can utterly destroy in a ten minute conversation. Pyle falls for Phuong, and Fowler and Pyle continue to rub elbows and discuss their idealogical differences in an active war zone.
I love how Greene writes dialogue, and the interactions between Pyle and Fowler form the backbone of this novel. Unfortunately, the discussions on imperialism will never lose their relevance. We get a wide range of perspectives, and it's clear Greene is drawing on real life personalities he encountered during his own years of coverage.
The road to hell is paved by good intentions indeed.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
In 2019, the BBC News listed The Quiet American on its list of the 100 most influential novels.
UP NEXT: The Trusting and the Maimed by James Plunkett
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