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November 2018 Group Read (spoiler thread): Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene
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Nancy, Co-Moderator
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Oct 31, 2018 05:03AM
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Graham Greene is a favorite of mine. One of the things that surprised me in this one is the humor, the irony, around the MCs situation.
I'm only in the third chapter but the scene in the bank made me laugh out loud and I had to go back and read it again. This book is a treat so far.
I agree totally with the above comments. For a spy novel, it's funny and surprising. I'm looking forward to seeing what all of you think.
I finished and I really enjoyed it. It was really light hearted and not what I was expecting in a good way.
I'm starting Part 3 today, which is about a third of the way through the book. I was wondering if (view spoiler), but now I'm starting to think maybe that is a red herring. (or, "Red" herring. Har! Love those Cold War puns.)
Finished the book & loved it. To me it seemed like a parody of the British service. At times I was laughing aloud at the bumbling that occurred.
I finished this today and can’t help but think of what transpired a year later after this book was published. I agree that the British Secret Service seems to be parodied. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments. Glad this was picked.
In retrospect, I have to wonder "What price anti-Communism?" The British are our allies and were then, but I suspect that they may have taken a slightly more jaundiced view of the Batista regime in Cuba than we did. If nothing else, Green's satire gives the lie to the James Bond-like superiority of British secret agents.
Finished ! Loved it !Will wait for a few more to finish before I say more
That was a terrific book! Great characters, great story. It was amazing how much Greene was able to accomplish in so few pages. I'm a little angry at myself for never having read any of his work prior to this book. 
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I enjoyed the book very much. My review: An enjoyable tidbit by the great Graham Greene which mixes the light touch of humor with the darker aspects of espionage and throws in the bureaucratic incompetence of the British spy command staff. Having served in the US military I recognized some aspects of the MI6 ineptitude in certain haughty officers of the Army. Naturally along with the ineptitude comes the obligatory ass-covering, portrayed with Greene's British flair. Our Man in Havana is a vacuum cleaner salesman swept up into Her Majesty's secret service against his will, and serve he does, to the ruin of some of his compadres. Tut tut, cheerio. Accidents do happen, old boy. To top it all off, comes the vacuum cleaner salesman's daughter a good Catholic girl, until she isn't.
Delightful review, James! You should file it as such here at GR!
James wrote: "I enjoyed the book very much. My review: An enjoyable tidbit by the great Graham Greene which mixes the light touch of humor with the darker aspects of espionage and throws in the bureaucratic inc..."
Excellent.. lol
The Introduction in my copy pointed out how much alcohol is consumed in Our Man in Havana, which I noticed subliminally while reading it but didn't really think about at the time. According to the Introduction, Greene wasn't opposed to having a stiff one whenever he felt like it. The Introduction also pointed out that Greene was a Communist sympathizer who tempered his views when he wrote in order to not alienate his reading audience.
It's funny you should mention that. I'm a writer and keep hearing about how I should temper my views -- especially on facebook and such -- so as not to alienate readers with my politics. So now you have to watch what you write and what you post ... which, I suppose, is just as well because it averts arguments that usually go nowhere.
My review: Really enjoyed this. A fascinating period piece involving espionage, incompetence and the British bureaucracy. A kind of parody and satire on MI6. Graham Green was such a talented writer. It was obvious he was having some fun with this book. On the surface a bit frothy and light but as you move on through it, the darkness deepens.
Great characters and a plot that plays out a bit over the top, but rewarding.
Well said. People certainly "get" this book IMHO.
I'm definitely going to track down the movie. The more I look back on 'Havana' the more I relish the various subtleties Graham Greene worked in....
LOL... I just looked up that 'spoiler' story. How do you post links like that on here? Thanks.
Richard wrote: "I'll be confining my remarks to this thread. Spoilers can get you stabbed."
Talk about being late to the party! I finally got a copy and a chance to begin. Only on page 30 but already am smirking over the ludicrous idea of a vacuum cleaner salesman, who appears to be a bumbler is being recruited by British intelligence. in a men's bathroom, no less. LOL. There are a few other characters out there in the fiction world who seem equally not qualified for the job, i.e. Mrs. Pollifax, Stephanie Plum etc
I wasn't certain how I'd feel about this book as I was reading it, but I thought it turned about to be a pretty entertaining finish and enjoyed it. I was a little confused in the early parts of the book, but things sort of tied together. In my opinion, definitely droll, tongue-in-cheek, satiric style humor. I think I liked the 2nd half once the ball gets rolling a little better than the set up in the first half. I like how Wormold internalizes and struggles with how to deal with the final scenes. Definitely amusing. So, is there a significance in the name Wormold?
I watched the film alongside the book and that really made for a greater experience. There are some subtle differences, but I thought the film was very accurate.
I liked Ernie Kovacs' portrayal as the cheerfully brutal cop, and of course Sellar's brilliant understatements too.
You all have convinced me to pick up the movie when I'm done (almost there!) with the book.
