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Quiet American
Quiet American | Graham Greene
90 posts | 135 read | 89 to read
Graham Greene's classic exploration of love, innocence, and morality in Vietnam "I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused," Graham Greene's narrator Fowler remarks of Alden Pyle, the eponymous "Quiet American" of what is perhaps the most controversial novel of his career. Pyle is the brash young idealist sent out by Washington on a mysterious mission to Saigon, where the French Army struggles against the Vietminh guerrillas.As young Pyle's well-intentioned policies blunder into bloodshed, Fowler, a seasoned and cynical British reporter, finds it impossible to stand safely aside as an observer. But Fowler's motives for intervening are suspect, both to the police and himself, for Pyle has stolen Fowler's beautiful Vietnamese mistress.Originally published in 1956 and twice adapted to film, "The Quiet American" remains a terrifiying and prescient portrait of innocence at large. This Graham Greene Centennial Edition includes a new introductory essay by Robert Stone. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators. "
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Kitta
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I haven‘t read many Q books but I loved this one!

#alphabetgame #letterQ @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 📚 2y
12 likes1 stack add1 comment
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JoeMo
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I only had two titles to pick from, but this was an interesting book. It started slowly and demanded a decent amount of concentration; for a short book, it packs a ton of information in it! It had a slow, but nice build towards the ending with a decent twist to finish things off! I should definitely try more of the author‘s work.

#AlphabetGame #LetterQ
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

batsy I really enjoyed this one a lot, too. 2y
CarolynM ❤️ 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 📚 2y
40 likes3 comments
review
DGRachel
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Mehso-so

I think this may be one of those books that works better in print than audio as I‘m sure there was more depth to the story, that the love triangle was a metaphor for foreign intervention in Vietnam just before the US became officially involved. On audio, this is basically a battle between a British journalist and an American spy over a Vietnamese woman. The way Phuong is discussed, as if she was property not human, is gross. ⬇️

DGRachel I can see the technical literary value, “well-written” and all that, but at face value, it‘s repulsive. This is my book for #vietnam for #readingasia2021 and a further reminder that I should have stuck to own voices novels for this challenge, or at least avoided books by white men. 🤢 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB 3y
Caroline2 Argh!! How annoying! 🙄 thanks for the heads up. unstacked!! 👍 3y
DGRachel @Caroline2 I was so disappointed. I listened to Our Man in Havana last year and really enjoyed it. I guess I‘m just going through a period where I cannot stomach misogyny in my reading material. Maybe I should put off my planned Hemingway reread. 😂😭 3y
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BarbaraBB I enjoyed this book but your right, it‘s fat from a Vietnamese pov (edited) 3y
Caroline2 I totally get that. I‘m going through the same stage myself. I‘m soooo done with listening to white privileged dude right now!! 😆 3y
Librarybelle I‘ve not read this one, but I think it has been recommended to me as a modern classic. It‘s sliding down the tbr list...too many others that have authentic povs are on my list! 3y
LeahBergen Happy, happy Birthday!! ❤️📚❤️📚 3y
DGRachel @LeahBergen Thank you! 🥰 3y
55 likes8 comments
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Leftcoastzen
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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#oppositeday #loud @Ruthiella has a high opinion of this Greene I haven‘t read , need to get to it.

Ruthiella I hope I haven‘t hyped it too high! 😬 It was the first Graham Greene I ever read. 3y
Leftcoastzen @Ruthiella I doubt you over hyped it , I‘m not sure I want to get pissed off about Vietnam again 3y
Ruthiella @Leftcoastzen It‘s an interesting book in that respect since it was written and published before any “official” US involvement. But Graham worked for the British Secret Service and clearly saw the writing on the wall. I read it when I was in my 20s and it made me sad. I should reread it now in my dotage. 3y
38 likes3 comments
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Ruthiella
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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“The morning Pyle arrived in the square by the Continental I had seen enough of my American colleagues of the press, big, noisy, boyish and middle aged, full of sour cracks against the French, who were, when all was said, fighting this war.”

My all time favorite Greene-takes place in Vietnam 🇻🇳

#LitsySpringBreak. South East Asia

TheKidUpstairs Ooh, I haven't read this one yet. My fave is 3y
Ruthiella @TheKidUpstairs I like that one too! 😀 3y
BarbaraBB I loved this one too. Not my fave though, that is 3y
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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB Also a good one! 3y
CarolynM Such a good book! It's my favourite of the Greene's I've read. Havana is a close second @TheKidUpstairs I haven't read Affair yet @BarbaraBB 3y
Ruthiella @CarolynM This one was the first of his I read, so maybe that‘s why I love it over his other novels. 3y
37 likes6 comments
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The_Penniless_Author
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

An indictment of America's growing involvement in Vietnam that proved to be prophetic when it was written in 1955, the book often gets cast as an anti-American screed, a message many found hard to take from an upper-middle-class Brit whose own empire was waning after centuries of being the most efficient killing machine since ancient Rome. But there's plenty of evidence in the book that Greene admired America's naive optimism, and I think...👇

The_Penniless_Author ...despaired at watching us pick up where the great European powers left off, repeating the same old mistakes. 3y
KathyWheeler I‘ve been meaning to read this for years. I loved the movie. 3y
The_Penniless_Author @KathyWheeler And I've never seen the movie. Which did you watch, the original one from the 50s or the remake from 2002? 3y
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Daisey
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

I finished both a slow #ChapterADay reread of Pride & Prejudice with #PemberLittens and a quick few day read of this book today. Such very different experiences but both enjoyable!

This was a fairly short book, but it required some careful concentration as the story moved back and forth through time. I found it very thoughtful in the way it built towards revealing the truth of events.

#1001books #Reading1001
#TBRTakedown September 2020

CaffeineAndCandy ❤ the mug 3y
tangled_mind Thanks for the review. You made the book sound very interesting 3y
Lcsmcat This is on my TBR. I might have to bump it up. 3y
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CarolynM Such a good book! 3y
Daisey @CaffeineAndCandy one of my favorites! 3y
Daisey @tangled_mind @Lcsmcat @CarolynM It turned out to be more interesting than I was expecting. 3y
69 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Daisey
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I absolutely should not be starting another book right now, but I am. I‘m justifying it by the fact that this one is fairly short, I haven‘t read any #1001books this month, and there are only a few days of September left. So far, I‘m not sure what to think about these characters, but I‘m appreciating the setting of Vietnam since I went into it without knowing anything about it.

#Reading1001 #TBRTakedown September 2020

JazzFeathers Well, there's always a good reason for starting a new book ☝😌 3y
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Ruthiella
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Three books that made me want to travel:

📚 After reading The Quiet American, I wanted to visit Vietnam.
📚After reading The The Enchanted April, I wanted to travel to Italy in the spring.
📚After reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I REALLY want to find a doorway to Narnia. I was just old enough to know it wouldn‘t work, which made me a little sad at the time. 😢

#3books

wanderinglynn Love it! 🙌🏻❤️ Who of us hasn‘t wanted to travel to Narnia, Hogwarts, Middle Earth, etc.? 4y
Ruthiella @wanderinglynn I know! When you are a kid, it‘s easy to believe it might happen. 😀 4y
BarbaraBB The Greene had the same effect on me! 4y
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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB The descriptions of Saigon were so evocative, weren‘t they? It made me also want to visit an opium den... but I won‘t! 4y
BarbaraBB Lol no, especially not since I read about them in 4y
LeahBergen Yes to all of these! And I sy 4y
Cathythoughts I read Enchanted April this spring/summer .... I loved being in Italy ❤️ 4y
batsy Love this post! I read The Quiet American right before and during my trip to Vietnam ❤️ 4y
Ruthiella @LeahBergen All three sweep the reader away for sure! I‘m happy we agree! 😀 4y
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts I‘ve read Enchanted April twice now and find it is like a mini-mental vacation. Not that it gets very cold in Southern California but I would like to read it again some cold and rainy day and let it transport me one more time.😊 4y
Ruthiella @batsy That‘s fantastic you were able to visit Vietnam! Did you read any other location oriented novels before or during?🤔 (edited) 4y
Cathythoughts Also I‘m still listening to Cinder ( I‘m slow .... ) it‘s not my usual but has my attention 👍🏻💕 4y
OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 4y
BarbaraBB @batsy I read this one when in Vietnam and it taught me so much: 4y
batsy @BarbaraBB Thank you for that! Sounds really good 4y
batsy @Ruthiella I haven't been doing that much travel out of country in recent years but I try to, if I get the time to read 😅 When I visited Sri Lanka I read this and it was the perfect accompaniment 4y
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thanks for the update on Cinder. I‘ll be curious to hear your take on it. 😀 4y
38 likes17 comments
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KVanRead
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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📚 The Quiet American
✒️ Anna Quindlen
🎥 Quadrophenia
📺 Quincy
🎤 Queen, Queens of the Stone Age
🎼 Quadrophenia (the whole album), Question - Old 97s
#ManicMonday #LetterQ

JoScho Thanks for playing 💕 4y
vivastory Excellent choices! I forgot about Quadrophenia the movie. 4y
KVanRead @vivastory And I forgot about A Quiet Place - which I loved! Although I saw it in a theater with table service and ordered a very noisy Brussels Sprouts salad - worst ordering decision ever!!😳😳😳 (edited) 4y
vivastory 😂I saw it on a whim after having dinner & a few too many drinks with my brother at Cheesecake Factory. To go to a restaurant & a movie theater again *sigh* 4y
KVanRead @vivastory I know, right??? Someday Future Scott will go😊 In the meantime thankful for takeout and Netflix 😂🍿 4y
18 likes5 comments
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AtwoodLover
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Bailedbailed

Total dud. Had to stop reading at the halfway point. What am I missing here?

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Villo
L'americano tranquillo | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

Great story and great reading such that is hard to stop.... till the very end with a surprising turnaround. #2020

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Pam.Kokomo
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

The Power and the Glory still is my favorite of Greene‘s, but I want to read everything he wrote. And this was excellent!

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SaniyyahK
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

I‘m not a huge fan of history or war themed books and luckily I didn‘t let that get in the way of reading this gem! Greene is one of the best authors I have ever read, every sentence plays a crucial role in the book. It took me a few weeks to read this book, I found myself rereading paragraphs to make sure I got the hidden joke or a piece to the plot. The naive role I have taken on politics will have to change thanks to this read! 😉❤️

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SaniyyahK
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I‘m loving this book! It‘s surprisingly funny and the writing is so on point. Like the author thought about each placement of each word to make sure the sentences are rich and bold! ❤️

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SaniyyahK
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I‘m so excited to read one of his books! I have a few by him but haven‘t gotten around to opening one. Cheers!

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RobinGustafson
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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One of my goals is to read more classics in 2020. Next up: The Quiet American by Graham Greene #classics #saturdayreading

CarolynM I read this last year. Loved it. 4y
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kspenmoll
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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#AuldLangRead #populartheyearyouwereborn
Both these books were best sellers the year I was born. Gift from the Sea was my mom‘s copy- this edition published the year I was born. I have read both.

Crazeedi well loved books❤️ 4y
TheAromaofBooks I love Gift From the Sea. How fun to have a special family copy!! 4y
Eggs I have an old copy of Gift from the Sea and reread every now and then. Love the G G cover! I‘m tagging @OriginalCyn620 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for their prompt 😊 4y
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OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚😊 thank you @Eggs! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awww ❤️😘 4y
kspenmoll @Eggs Thank you for tagging -obviously I was tired!!! 4y
68 likes6 comments
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sprainedbrain
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed the way the Vietnam conflict is represented by the three main characters. Very cleverly done and really smart writing. And yet, I was bored for a lot of this book and kept wishing Phuong was a little more developed as a character.

I think I might have liked this better in print... the narrator was not my cup of tea at all. I also think Graham Greene is maybe not for me, but I have several more to read for #1001books. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Butterfinger This is one of those times I can't remember if I read it. I remember watching the movie because I'm a huge Brendan Frazier fan. I need to read it. 5y
sprainedbrain @Butterfinger I‘m definitely going to watch the movie. I love Brendan, too! ❤️ 5y
Izai.Amorim Our Man in Havanna was fun. 5y
sprainedbrain @Izai.Amorim that one is on my list! 5y
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Downtown #Saigon

BarbaraBB Perfect! 5y
17 likes1 comment
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I‘m having a pretty cool literary experience!

batsy That's awesome! I love this book. 5y
19 likes1 comment
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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A little morning reading in the #mekong #delta
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#vietnam #hammock

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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Reading while cruising the #Mekong Delta in #Vietnam

alisiakae Enjoy!! I‘ve done a Mekong Delta excursion, it was fantastic! 5y
BarbaraBB Nothing better than read a book in thr place it is set. Have a great trip!! 😍 5y
21 likes2 comments
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Just a little bit of #LiteraryHistory! I‘m staying at the Continental Hotel in #Saigon, #Vietnam - where Graham Greene wrote The Wuiet American… So, clearly that‘s the book I have to be reading right now!

LeahBergen Very cool! 5y
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Wannabe_Quijote
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Just a little bit of #LiteraryHistory! I‘m staying at the Continental Hotel in #Saigon, #Vietnam - where Graham Greene wrote The Wuiet American… So, clearly that‘s the book I have to be reading right now!

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Echo
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Wouldn‘t we all do better not trying to understand, accepting the fact that no human being will ever understand another, not a wife a husband, a lover a mistress, nor a parent a child? Perhaps that‘s why men have invented God - a being capable of understanding.

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CarolynM
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

As a comment on global politics, a window onto the reality of war, a character study and a story of a love triangle, this is a novel that works on every level. It may have been written in the 50's about a conflict happening then, but its themes are still very relevant. I wish I'd read it years ago.

Freespirit Great review! 5y
MrsMalaprop We have this exact edition on our shelves. My husband read and loved it. Might need to get to it myself... 5y
gradcat Such a great book...I‘m a big Graham Greene fan...some of the movie adaptations are great as well. 📚 🎥 👍 5y
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writerlibrarian Yep. I had the same reactions when I read it a few years ago. Great review. 5y
CarolynM @MrsMalaprop I'd certainly encourage you to give it a go. I think you'd like it🙂 5y
Centique Excellent review! 5y
CarolynM @Centique Thank you 5y
Severnmeadows I loved the book, and really loved the film. 5y
78 likes1 stack add9 comments
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CarolynM
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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My IRL book group is having a Graham Greene month - each of us reading the Greene book or books that take our fancy. I'm starting with The Quiet American and hoping to read at least 2 more.

JennyM Grahame Greene is one author that weirdly always gets mentioned by MCs in the books I read 💁‍♀️ I‘ve never read any by him, so will be curious to see how you find him. (edited) 5y
CarolynM @JennyM I read Our Man in Havana last year, my first Greene ever, and really enjoyed it. So far so good with this one🙂 5y
quietjenn I really enjoyed Travels With My Aunt! Need to read more Greene. 5y
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Paperback.Propensity Cool covers! 5y
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve only read one Greene and it‘s not in the pile. 😁 I need to read more of him. 5y
BarbaraBB I‘ve read some for the #1001books list. My favorite is the one @erzascarletbookgasm mentions ☝🏼 5y
batsy This is the only Greene I've read; didn't know what to expect and found it so unexpectedly good. 5y
LeahBergen I felt much the same as @batsy . 👍🏻 5y
Cathythoughts I think I read a Graham Green a million years ago & cant even remember !! 😬 ... not good enough, will have to read one. I have The End of the Affair on my kindle 👍🏻. What a great idea !! An author‘s month 👍🏻♥️... I think I will be suggesting this idea to our Bookclub XX 5y
Cathythoughts Look forward to your reviews 👍🏻♥️ 5y
andrew61 Great idea, look forward to seeing your comments 5y
CarolynM @Cathythoughts @andrew61 We've never tried it before. Hopefully it will work😬 (edited) 5y
66 likes12 comments
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Echo
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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#AnthonyBourdain recommended this one. I‘ve picked it up and put it down before, it wasn‘t the story I was needing at the time. This time I am sucked in.

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britt_brooke
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Written in 1955, Greene‘s prescient parable cleverly represents the Vietnam conflict with a love triangle. Fowler is a middle-aged british journalist covering the end of French colonialism in Vietnam. Pyle is an American CIA agent who thinks he knows how to fix Vietnam. Phuong is a young Vietnamese woman whose character has little development, though she clearly excels at preparing opium pipes and servicing men who might save her.

KathyWheeler I keep meaning to read the book; I loved the movie. 5y
Billypar One of my favorite Greene's 👍 5y
britt_brooke @KathyWheeler I need to watch the movie! 5y
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britt_brooke @Billypar It was my first, and I liked it, but it struggled to keep my attention. I‘ll definitely read him again. What is another of your favorites? I have The Comedians and Getting to Know the General. 5y
Billypar I've read 4, and all a long time ago, but not those two. My other favorite was The Power and the Glory- much different from most of his plots. The Ministry of Fear and The Heart of the Matter weren't bad either. 5y
britt_brooke @Billypar Thank you! 5y
KathyWheeler The End of the affair is good and so is The Human Factor. 5y
britt_brooke @KathyWheeler Thanks so much! 🤗 5y
CarolynM I read Our Man in Havana last year and loved it. This is the next Greene I want to read (edited) 5y
britt_brooke @CarolynM Adding that to my list - thanks! 5y
Blaire I went through a big graham Greene phase in college. My favorite is (edited) 5y
britt_brooke @Blaire Thank you! Stacking it. 5y
126 likes5 stack adds12 comments
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Jakaranda
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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I started reading reading this months ago with my best friend. She finished it, but I put it down and never told her😉 Decided to pick it up and stick with it this time.

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Gezemice
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

A story of war, love, betrayal, the meeting of East and West, getting old, and the havoc idealism can wreck on the lives of innocent bystanders. For me the best part is the writing - the ache Greene brings to his characters, the guilt, the sharp insight with which he discovers the pain that underlies the bravado and cynisism. A book that is easy to read but will make you ponder for a long time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthiella This book was amazing. My first Greene and still my favorite!😀 5y
Gezemice @Ruthiella I read The End of The Affair this summer and I knew I has to read more! This was really good although The End of the Affair remains a favorite. Maybe it is the first one you read... 5y
erzascarletbookgasm I read The End of the Affair too and I think this will be my next Greene. Lovely review. 5y
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Lizpixie My favourite Greene novel as well, so far. I really need to read more, who am I kidding I already have the TBR from hell! 5y
Gezemice @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! Both are great! 5y
Gezemice @Lizpixie Lol, I know what you mean... 😊 5y
batsy Lovely review. This was my first and only Greene so far and I love it. I really should read more by him. 5y
Gezemice @batsy Thank you! He is one of my new faves, alongside with Colette. 5y
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Christinak
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Waiting for the repairman on a snowy day.

MayJasper I have never read Graham Greene. Should I? 5y
Christinak This is my first Graham Greene novel - I am enjoying it so far. I am reading it because it was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain. 5y
37 likes2 comments
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gradcat
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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#MANICMONDAY #LETTERQ @JoScho

BOOK: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
AUTHOR: Anna Quindlen
MOVIE: Quiz Show
TV SHOW: Queer Eye (the new one on Netflix)
FOOD: Quesadillas (YUMMY!)

Have a great Monday, all!

JoScho You too and thanks for playing 😊🖤 5y
69 likes1 comment
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Samplergal
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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🍁The Quiet American 🍁The Queen 🍁Anna Quindlen 🍁quiche. #manicMonday #theletterq

JoScho 🖤🖤🖤 5y
GingerAntics Oh I loved The Queen!!! 5y
74 likes2 comments
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Bibliowagon
Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

A fantastic slice of perspective on culture and history!

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Clevercactus
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Next up, Quiet American by Graham Greene. Coming to the end of the journey Litsy A to Z. #litsyatoz

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JenReadsAlot
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

Anthony Bourdain had listed this as a favorite so needed to check it out. Very good book!!

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Bundoolin
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Mehso-so

Hey Litsy, it‘s been awhile. Haven‘t had a lot of time to read lately cause of college prep stuff, but I just finished this one today. On the higher side of so so I would say. Very South Pacific vibes, they take place same place same time so. I‘ll try to post more often as I keep reading!

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wanderlustforwords
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Mehso-so

This was a disappointment, coming so shortly after The End of the Affair. It felt like a lot of blah blah work, blah blah war. The love triangle and the rivalry it caused was mildly interesting. Needless to say, it‘s killed my Graham Greene buzz for the time being. I have a couple more of his books that I still plan to read at some point.

BarbaraBB The End of the Affair is my favorite Greene, but I liked this one too. If you want another one day, try 6y
Aimeesue Travels With My Aunt is my favorite GG. It's very good, and very funny in spots. 6y
14 likes2 comments
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wanderlustforwords
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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My current read. I think I only read one book in between, The End of the Affair and this is my second. Have you read Greene? Do you have a favorite? #litsy #book #currentlyreading

Leniverse I‘ve read “The End of the Affair” and “The Heart of the Matter”. I like his prose, but both of those books sort of lose their plot in religious angst over lost faith. I think I need to try a book that isn‘t amongst his big Catholic four. 6y
EadieB Read it in 2015 - 5 stars - The Quiet American provides an interesting perspective of Vietnam during the decline of the French presence in Indochina. It is a thriller, a romance and a political statement with rich character development, depth of plot, and vivid description of locales. The novel easily holds one's attention throughout the book's short length. I would highly recommend it as I would classify it as Graham Greene's masterpiece. 6y
arubabookwoman I think The Quiet American was my favorite of the 4 or 5 I‘ve read. 6y
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wanderlustforwords @Leniverse Well, I don‘t think this one was of his 4, but I also didn‘t find it interesting. He must have written his 4 when he was struggling to, or had, recently converted. 6y
wanderlustforwords @Eadie Eadie, I was disappointed after the literary high I got from TEOTA. I‘m a character driven reader and I didn‘t connect with any of the characters in TQA. It was more focused in work, war and the decline of French colony occupation, which I‘m glad you explained that it was Vietnam, while I was reading thought it was Vietnam, but when I finished, I thought, “it was in the 50‘s that means it‘s in Korea.” I had to ask my 17 yo history buff. 6y
wanderlustforwords @arubabookwoman Deborah, I wish I‘d liked it like you and Eadie @EadieB The style and story were flat to me after The End ofvtbe Affair. 😔 6y
EadieB @wanderlustforwords well, we all have different reasons for liking certain books and not every book is for everyone. 6y
arubabookwoman @wanderlustforwords I think I liked it b/c of the Vietnam background. I lived through that era (the 60‘s) and though this book took place earlier, it filled in some of the background. A similar book is #TreeofSmoke by Denis Johnson, but you might have the same reaction to it. I read TEOTA a long time ago, and I remember feeling it was very cold, but that‘s just an impression from long ago. 6y
arubabookwoman I also liked The Heart of the Matter, I think for the African setting. 6y
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review
Moray_Reads
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Pickpick

There are some deep and murky moral waters here as Greene questions idealism, liberalism, accountability, colonialism and war. Fowler and Pyle are brilliantly nuanced from Fowler's selfishness and cynicism and Pyle's idealism and naiveté. Both strew pain in their wake in totally different ways believing that motivations and/or remorse can exculpate them. It's a brilliant, deeply uncomfortable read that balances tension with razor keen prose

2BR02B I have the same edition. Great review! 6y
LeahBergen Great review. I‘m still thinking about this book a week after finishing. 6y
batsy Yes! A real slow-burn that had me deeply questioning everything... 6y
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Moray_Reads
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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saresmoore Whoa. 6y
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blurb
Moray_Reads
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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It's not every day you have to report a catastrophic risk (and that's a technical term) to your project *sigh*. This calls for a flag of wine and a modern classic!

readordierachel Sounds serious! Wine is a good problem solver 👍🏽 6y
Lindy ☹️ 6y
saresmoore My, that does sound pretty high stakes. Best wishes for a relaxing evening! 6y
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LeahBergen Eek! 😬 I hope everything works itself out. I just finished this book (my first Greene) and really enjoyed it. How are you liking it? 6y
Kalalalatja Oh no! Hope everything turns out well 🤞 6y
Moray_Reads @LeahBergen Not an easy read, so much complex (a)morality but just brilliantly done and Greene's prose is tense and effortless at the same time. I really recommend 6y
minkyb That does not sound good. 6y
charl08 Hope things improve. What does the book art say? 6y
Moray_Reads @charl08 it's my name 😁 6y
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blurb
LeahBergen
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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My best friend sent me this NY Times “By the Book” interview with Anthony Bourdain to read. He mentions The Quiet American in it twice (his favourite character and a book that made him cry), which made us both want to read it right away. It‘s next up for our “Long Distance Book Club”.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/books/review/anthony-bourdain-by-the-book.htm...

AlaMich Thanks for the link...I‘ve been thinking about him a lot since the news broke. 6y
emilyhaldi Ohhhhh #stacked 👍🏻 6y
LeahBergen @AlaMich Me, too. 6y
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LeahBergen @emilyhaldi I really liked the first chapter so far. 6y
batsy Oh, that's lovely to know. It's an excellent book, so world-weary & sad & it does seem very Bourdain 💔 6y
Blaire It‘s a wonderful book! 6y
LeahBergen @batsy It seems SO Bourdain already; I don‘t think I can mentally separate him from the character of Fowler as I read. 6y
LeahBergen @Blaire Oh, good! I‘m really enjoying the bit I‘ve read. 👍🏻 6y
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blurb
britt_brooke
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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This #FiveStack has been in my #TBR shortlist since the beginning of the year. I really should crack one open soon.

#ReadingResolutions

Leftcoastzen Post Office Whoop whoop! 6y
AmberWB I love the mug! 6y
Chocamanda The Quiet American is on my TBR too. I am also having TBR troubles so I feel for you 📚💜 6y
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britt_brooke @AmberWB Thanks! 💚 6y
britt_brooke @Chocamanda I‘m such a spastic, fickle reader. 😬😆 #booknerdproblems 6y
Brooke_H That mug! 😂 6y
britt_brooke @Brooke_H Isn‘t it perfect! 😆 I bought it from my friend‘s boutique. 6y
TheBookgeekFrau Love the mug! 6y
britt_brooke @C.Perone Thanks! It‘s pretty perfect. 😆 6y
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review
Christyco125
The Quiet American | Graham Greene
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Mehso-so

I think I will pass on any more Graham Greene books in the future. This is my second and I just don‘t like the way he talks about people. His main characters seem to only think in stereotypes. I did find the setting of the story interesting, Vietnam prior to the American military involvement. #LitsyClassics 14/26 #Q #2018christyread