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February 2013:

The Enigma

The Quiet American
by Graham Greene.

First Published: 1955

Wikipedia entries:


The Quiet American
by Graham Greene.

Just about everybody enjoyed this book although some found it hard going and a little confusing to start with.

Several people commented on the prophetic nature of the work which deals with a bloody and blundering American intervention in Viet-Nam in the early fifties – a scenario that has continued to be repeated throughout the world up to the present. The historical and contemporary resonances of the story were a subject of much discussion. The novel is firmly set in the dark and pessimistic realm referred to as “Greeneland”. It is disturbing and prescient and like much of Greene’s work reflects the moral dilemmas at the heart of the human condition.

The two male characters at the core of the story are well-drawn and developed – Phuong perhaps less so although this may be a deliberate reflection of the way she is seen through the men’s eyes.

Greene is a disciplined and economical writer and we all recognised his importance in our literary tradition.

NS

Awards:

AA Book Club
Four stars

Adaptation:

  • 1958: Film.
  • 1991: BBC Radio 4 Serial.
  • 2002: Film.
  • 2013: ABC Australia Documentary.