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A review by lesserjoke
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
4.0
This 1955 novel reads as a prescient (though obviously unheeded) critique of colonialism and American-style foreign intervention, following a journalist and an intelligence officer in the 'Indochina' region at the start of the Vietnam War. It draws on author Graham Greene's own experience as a war correspondent there, and is full of racism and sexism that generally seem to be consciously unflattering presentations of his characters, rather than reflections of the writer's own bias. The most surprising thing about this book is its clear-eyed perspective on bloodthirsty Cold War diplomacy and western disdain for the third world; the least is its apparent condemnation for being 'anti-American' upon initial release.
The plot here unfolds over two time periods: the present, which begins when the protagonist is informed that his colleague and former romantic rival has been killed, and flashbacks to the past exploring the two men's personal acquaintance with one another. Although fictional, it appears to capture the then-contemporary setting well -- at least through this particular British chronicler's eyes -- and is just as interesting as a historical document on that front as for the story of cavalier cruelty at its heart.
[Content warning for slurs, gun violence, bomb violence, gore, war crimes including murder of children, and mention of rape.]
[I read and reviewed this title at a Patreon donor’s request. Want to nominate your own books for me to read and review (or otherwise support my writing)? Sign up for a small monthly donation today at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke !]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
The plot here unfolds over two time periods: the present, which begins when the protagonist is informed that his colleague and former romantic rival has been killed, and flashbacks to the past exploring the two men's personal acquaintance with one another. Although fictional, it appears to capture the then-contemporary setting well -- at least through this particular British chronicler's eyes -- and is just as interesting as a historical document on that front as for the story of cavalier cruelty at its heart.
[Content warning for slurs, gun violence, bomb violence, gore, war crimes including murder of children, and mention of rape.]
[I read and reviewed this title at a Patreon donor’s request. Want to nominate your own books for me to read and review (or otherwise support my writing)? Sign up for a small monthly donation today at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke !]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter