Graham Greene

Discover Graham Green’s prescient political masterpiece ‘The novel that I love the most is The Quiet American’ Ian McEwan Into the intrigue and violence of 1950s Indo-China comes CIA agent Alden Pyle, a young idealistic American sent to promote democracy through a mysterious 'Third Force'. As his naive optimism starts to cause bloodshed, his friend Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, finds it hard to stand aside and watch. But even as he intervenes he wonders why: for the greater good, or something altogether more complicated? WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ZADIE SMITH **One of the BBC’s 100 Novels That Shaped Our World**

The Quiet American

An eager American envoy is mysteriously assigned to Saigon during the French occupation of Indochina.

My caveat would be: he’s talking not about authentic love, but the combination of emotion and mind which feels close to it, the general (often maritally-driven, “she’s the one”) idea of being swept up “in love”.

Zeke Taylor

To be in love is to see yourself as someone else sees you, it is to be in love with the falsified and exalted image of yourself. In love we are incapable of honour — the courageous act is no more than playing a part to an audience of two. Perhaps I was no longer in love but I remembered.

First Graham Greene book. This first person storytelling had some cynicism, but ultimately has completeness and justice by the end. I wonder if Greene’s other books have equal cynicism…

The quiet American

Trish

If anyone other than Graham Greene had written this book I would have flung it out the window or donated it years ago. But as it happens, Graham Greene did write this novel and the phrase "I would read [enter author's name]'s grocery list if he published it" has never been truer than in this instance. 

The thing is, I have no idea what I just read. And, I get it, I'm no historian and my geography skills are abysmal but - I graduated law school. Like, I'm not a complete idiot. And I still have no idea wtf Greene was going on about with the "moulds" and "plastic" and "toy industry" - just, please someone fill me in on the details because I didn't get it and I don't understand what Pyle was trying to do. Also why did Pyle encourage rebels to bomb a town square? Sure I finished the book but I could not tell you what happened any more than the goodreads summary. 

So, it's very obvious that my knowledge of the Vietnam war and the parties involved is slim to none and what that left in the novel was this super awkward "love" triangle between Phuong, a Vietnamese porcelain doll that has no agency, personality or characterization, Fowler, an old English man and his unwillingness to die alone and a young American Harvard graduate who falls in love at first sight and makes it his mission to marry Phuong and bring her back to America as his... exotic trophy wife?? Guys - Phuong doesn't speak English and Pyle doesn't speak Vietnamese or French. It's all very confusing how Pyle was planning to marry and then leave Phuong with his parents in America. How was she going to communicate with anyone? Was their life going to be one epic game of charades? 

Anyway, nothing made sense. Religion was up front and center just how Greene likes it. And his goddamn writing was still fucking amazing. Like, I don't agree with 80% of what Fowler or Pyle said but shit Graham Greene sounds good saying anything. 

Long story short, that was the shortest most annoying book I've ever read because I LOVED the writing but the characters were blah and - I cannot stress this enough - I don't understand what was happening politically or plot-wise that was not connected to the love triangle. As much as I wanted this to be a favorite, I honestly can't because ⅓ of the book went right over my head. I couldn't visualize Fowler and Pyle in the tower, or Fowler injuring his leg, I couldn't picture any of it so it was very difficult for me to read and stay engaged. The beginning and ends of the novel, though? And the writing? EXQUISITE.

Sincerest apologies to my friends who adore this novel... Maybe I'll eventually love it at a later date, one day when I'm better able to understand it.

Dana Kraft

I need to read more Graham Greene as this is the second of his that I've really liked. What does it mean to be "involved"? I also can't stop thinking about the meaning of the title. 

A few quotes that got me thinking:
'I'm not involved. Not involved,' I repeated. It had been an article of my creed. The human condition being what it was, let them fight, let them love, let them murder, I would not be involved. My fellow journalists called themselves correspondents; I preferred the title of reporter. I wrote what I saw. I took no action-even an opinion is a kind of action.

"Innocence always calls mutely for protection when we would be so much wiser to guard ourselves against it: innocence is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm"

"Perhaps to the soldier the civilian is the man who employs him to kill, who includes the guilt of murder in the pay-envelope and escapes responsibility."

"I know myself, and I know the depth of my selfishness. I cannot be at ease (and to be at ease is my chief wish) if someone else is in pain, visibly or audibly or tactually. Sometimes this is mistaken by the innocent for unselfishness, when al I am doing is sacrificing a small good-in this case postponement in attending to my hurt-for the sake of a far greater good, a peace of mind when I need think only of myself."

"Perhaps truth and humility go together; so many lies come from our pride..."

Donald

I read this on a whim over the weekend because my dad had recommended it to me years ago. I love trashy war novels, and this is a very good trashy war novel. The wild thing is when it was written, 1955!

Fun to read reactionary criticism of the CIA for being anti-colonial.

Rose Stanley

Took me a while longer to read this one than some of my more recent reads but was worth savouring: confirms that well-written novels set in times of war are my JAM. I always enjoy Greene's work and this was no exception: everything is so well described that you almost feel like you are right there in every scene. Fowler is cynical, world-weary and not always sympathetic or honourable but he is very very human and that's what makes him far more engaging and interesting than Pyle in my view.

Trevor Berrett

For my complete review, go here:

http://mookse.wordpress.com/2008/09/2...

Caitlyn Johanna Bolton 

Jessica Smith

I spent a lot of the novel wondering whether the novelist was a terrible racist and sexist or merely the narrator he'd created. I'm leaning towards the former. Basically the entire novel is about this battle between a cynical Briton and an optimistic yet deeply stupid American to win and retain the affections of a Vietnamese woman, Phuong, during the French occupation in the 1950s. Phuong is truly depicted as an object - the narrator claims that Vietnamese don't feel emotion as Europeans do, as if this were some justification for writing her character as a mere object of affection - and it's extremely annoying.

Like I didn't HATE the book I guess (thus two stars, not one) but I didn't like it by a long stretch...

Michael Camilleri

The story moves swiftly and the relationship between Fowler and Pyle gripping. Both men are repugnant and admirable in their own way, although I'm not sure whether this was intentional on Greene's part or not. I'm not sure whether my positive feelings towards the book were a result of reading it during my first trip to Vietnam (and Ho Chi Minh City in particular).

Luke Stamps

Francine Corry

Mat Connor

Sara Sunshine

Iskra

Laura Mauler

Nav Singh

Hannah Swithinbank

Shivam Shekhar

Coleman McCormick

Jazelle H

Michael Springer

Jake Novick

I have asked permission to dedicate this book to you not only in memory of the hagpy evenings I have spent with you in Saigon over the last five years, but also because I have quite shamelessly borrowed the location of your flat to house one of iny characters, and your name, Phuong, for the convenience of readers because it is simple, beautiful and easy to pronounce, which is not true of all your couiftry- women’s names. You will both realise I have borrowed little else, certainly not the characters of anyone in Viet Nam. Pyle, Granger, Fowler, Vigot, Joe— these have had no originals in the life of Saigon or Hanoi, and General The is dead : shot in the back, so thfcy say. Even the historical events have been rearranged. For example, the big bomb near the Continental preceded and did not follow the bicycle bombs. I have no scruples about such small changes. This is a story and not a piece of history, and I hope that as a story about a few imaginary characters it will pass for both of you one hot Saigon evening.

The Quiet American

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