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The Quiet American | 
 enlarge | Author: Graham Greene
Creator: Zadie Smith
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £3.30
You Save: £4.69 (59%)
New (26) Used (3) Collectible (1) from £1.59
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 4515
Media: Paperback
Edition: Centenary Ed
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0099478390
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780099478393
ASIN: 0099478390
Publication Date: November 1, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Another piece of modern history March 16, 2008
Margaret York (Lot Velley, France)
Despite the death and destruction depicted in this book, like the character of the title, this was a "quiet book". It was good to read about Vietnam before the Americans went in and I'm sure many have no idea of the French involvement in that country's history. Another enjoyable group read.
Short but perfectly formed December 29, 2007
BookWorm (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
'The Quiet American' is a fairly short, but perfectly formed, novel. Set in the Vietnam war, the narrator is Fowler, a cynical British journalist who forms an unlikely friendship with an idealistic young American called Pyle. Fowler is a good central character, very believable and multi-faceted, and I grew to like him. The supporting characters - from the Vietnamese girl the two men fight over to the boozy American journalist Granger - are also well drawn and realistic.
The writing style is clean and economical, with good use of descriptive touches which paint a much more vivid picture than long winded or flowery prose. Greene is equally good at describing emotions: fear, anguish and tragedy. He manages to address serious political issues without being dull or detracting from the plot, and without offering easy answers.
As someone who knows very little about the Vietnam war and the politics surrounding it, I was at something of a disadvantage and I would recommend a quick reading of the historical background (an encyclopaedia entry would have done) for anyone else with little knowledge of this historical period. At times the early story was a little hard to follow, and that is probably due to my lack of previous knowledge. I think Greene presumes that the reader will have at least some idea of the main issues and factions in the war, so it is worth gaining this in order to better appreciate the story.
The plot is well paced, interesting and plausible. The political debates and emotional turmoils of the characters are perfectly balanced by action and dialogue. The story moves back and forward in time, and this is well handled so that it does not become confusing or annoying.
On the whole, a good read and a book that I think would be enjoyed by most readers.
 Perfect, just perfect October 24, 2006
Ms. Bethan Kitchen (London, England)
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
A quick note. This is one of the most perfectly written and complete stories I have ever read. It is full of thought provoking characters and behaviours finding both beauty, love and pain in a dark world they cannot control. The book crosses political idealism with cynicsm and selfishness, and although set in a historical backdrop these themes are as relevent today. Just perfect.
Faultless September 30, 2006
Vicarious (Surrey, UK)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
Along with Waugh's "Decline & Fall" I read this book every year & never fail to get something new from it. Not one word is out of place, not one scene mis-judged. Greene's characters inhabit a world unfamiliar to all 21st century Western wage-slaves; a world of physical danger, intellectual doubts & moral crises. But yet their paranoias & motives render every one of them as believable as ourselves & make their world as real as our own. The hero of this book in particular fills us with the uncomfortable realisation that even despicable acts born of unashamed selfishness can sometimes not only strike a chord within ourselves, but make us favour the perpetrators of such behaviour over other more innocent players. If you find nothing in this book for you stop reading.
A fine novel of political scope about Vietnam September 30, 2006
Philippe Horak (Zug, Switzerland)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Into the intrigue and violence of Indo-China comes a young, idealistic and quiet American called Pyle who is employed in the Economic Aid Mission. He is sent there to promote democracy through a mysterious Third Force. But his naïve optimism about democracy starts to cause deaths and his friend the cynical British foreign correspondent Thomas Fowler finds it hard to stand aside and watch. As Fowler intervenes, he wonders whether it is for the sake of politics or for his love for the young Phuong.
Commissioned during the 1950s to write an article on guerrilla warfare in Malaya, Graham Greene stopped off in Vietnam to visit a friend, and soon fell under the spell of Indo-China. This novel is a result of his love for the country, inspired by his experiences there. Although the political situation has changed dramatically, The Quiet American continues to reflect accurately and powerfully the problems of war and the people involved in it.
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