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niallantony's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wintrovia's review against another edition
4.0
Graham Greene writes a spy thriller about a British vacuum salesman living in Cuba. The writing is beautiful, the characters are well observed and there's more action than a typical Graham Greene story.
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Book on CD performed by Jeremy Northam
Jim Wormold is not very successful as a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana. His chief accomplishment is his lovely daughter, Milly, who attend a private Catholic school and has developed expensive tastes, and attracted the romantic attention of Police Captain Segura. He happens to meet Hawthorne, a man who is a British intelligence agent, and who recruits him to spy for the mother country. It comes with a reasonable salary, as well as an expense account, and the promise of more as Wormold signs up additional local sources / agents. Before long Wormold is inventing a string of sources, sending amateur sketches of a nefarious weapon (really vacuum cleaner parts), and finding his life really in danger.
This delightful send-up of espionage / spy thrillers was published in 1958, just a few months before Castro’s successful revolution and takeover in January 1959. Greene gives us a wonderful supporting cast of shady characters, corrupt police officials, and clueless bureaucrats, a nice romantic twist and a not-to-be-believed ending. Great fun, though the British humor is a bit dry. I've never seen the movie, but kept picturing Sir Alec Guinness in the lead role.
Jeremy Northam does a fine job performing the audio version. He was able to give the many characters sufficiently unique voices so I could keep the story straight. He was a little less successful differentiating between Milly and Beatrice, but they don’t have many scenes together so that wasn’t a major problem.
Jim Wormold is not very successful as a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana. His chief accomplishment is his lovely daughter, Milly, who attend a private Catholic school and has developed expensive tastes, and attracted the romantic attention of Police Captain Segura. He happens to meet Hawthorne, a man who is a British intelligence agent, and who recruits him to spy for the mother country. It comes with a reasonable salary, as well as an expense account, and the promise of more as Wormold signs up additional local sources / agents. Before long Wormold is inventing a string of sources, sending amateur sketches of a nefarious weapon (really vacuum cleaner parts), and finding his life really in danger.
This delightful send-up of espionage / spy thrillers was published in 1958, just a few months before Castro’s successful revolution and takeover in January 1959. Greene gives us a wonderful supporting cast of shady characters, corrupt police officials, and clueless bureaucrats, a nice romantic twist and a not-to-be-believed ending. Great fun, though the British humor is a bit dry. I've never seen the movie, but kept picturing Sir Alec Guinness in the lead role.
Jeremy Northam does a fine job performing the audio version. He was able to give the many characters sufficiently unique voices so I could keep the story straight. He was a little less successful differentiating between Milly and Beatrice, but they don’t have many scenes together so that wasn’t a major problem.
csgiansante's review against another edition
3.0
A little bit irreverent. There were some fun bits, but the end of the book lost me.
evthomo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lucy_brb's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
albionloveden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cdfan's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Boring and hard to follow
coleycole's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to try graham greene. I finished this but wasn't into it. I could see the gears of satire cranking away, could identify humor, but the whole thing felt distant and bloodless.