From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

Our Man in Havana

Graham Greene

Start date: August 1, 2022

Finish date: August 31, 2022

Discussion: Lesser Know Classics

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What Members Thought

Nov 01, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it

Shelves: humor, classics, cold-war, satire, farce

You are interested in a person, not in life,
and people die or leave us....But if you're
interested in life, it never lets you down.

Graham Greene’s almost farcical take on international spying, Our Man in Havana is mostly a humorous look at a vacuum cleaner salesman, who is pressed into service by M16. Jim Wormold is out of his depth from the beginning, and not being a real spy, he does what makes the most sense to him, he manufactures information and pockets money. What ensues is nearly pure humo ...more

35 likes · Like · see review

Jun 08, 2018 Christine PNW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Graham Greene is one of those authors that I've always meant to read - and following along with BrokenTune's Greene-land Adventures project increased my desire to dip into his books. The Summer of Spies gave me a perfect opportunity to check out one of his "espionage" books.

I wasn't expecting the level of farce contained in this book. It's not really a spy story - it's a story about a reluctant vacuum-salesman-turned-spy who has no intelligence to provide, but who needs to make the money he is g ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2021 Tim Callicutt rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-books

Another quick one! Wormold is an unassuming British vacuum cleaner merchant based in Havana that finds himself recruited by MI6. Needing the paycheck, he decides to play the system by inventing new recruits and evidence. Of course, his fabrications end up having very real consequences.

This is a farce of sorts. Greene is able to find the absurdity of the Cold War mindset. It is equal parts funny and thrilling. However, this leads to a book that doesn’t always know what it is. I feel like the tone ...more

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Nov 12, 2023 Alexander rated it liked it

Shelves: literature

Honestly I had no idea what to expect from this book. I read The Power and the Glory a while back which was stunning, and serious, and atmospheric. Greene shows his versatility in this book with a good entertaining, comedy caper. I laughed out loud a few times because of the great word play in the dialogue, and then was reflective and quiet at some of the more serious, and tense moments. I haven't read a lot of thriller/crime/espionage novels, but this was a good step into that world. Mostly plo ...more

1 like · Like · see review