Saturday, April 19, 2014

A to Z: Letter Q


The Quiet American by Graham Greene
 The Quiet American was published in 1955. 

In 2002 Graham Greene's The Quiet Man was adapted into Film. Starring Michael Caine and Brandon Fraiser.
  • British Thomas Fowler enjoys his life in Saigon working as a reporter for the London Times, covering the conflict in Vietnam between the colonial French powers and the communists, who seem to be winning the war. In the later stages of his career, he takes his job lightly now, filing stories only on occasion, and no longer doing field work. But most important, this posting allows him to escape from what he considers a dreary life in London--including an unsatisfying marriage to a Catholic woman, who will never grant him a divorce--which in turn allows him to have an affair with a young Vietnamese ex-taxi dancer named Phuong, whom he loves and would marry if he were able. Phuong's sister doesn't much like Fowler if only because Fowler cannot provide a stable future for her. His idyllic life is threatened when head office suggests he go back to London. In this way, he decides to write a major story to prove to his superiors that he should stay in Saigon. In 1952, Fowler is called into the local police inspector's office to provide any information on his friend, thirty-ish American Alden Pyle, who has been found murdered. Fowler had met Pyle the previous year when he arrived in Vietnam to work as part of the American contingent in the Economic Aid Mission. Fowler and Pyle's relationship was not always harmonious, initially as Pyle admitted he too was in love with Phuong and wanted to marry her. That antagonistic relationship would extend to their professional lives, around Fowler believing that the story that would allow him to stay in Vietnam was the rise of a man named General Thé, and Pyle's belief that a third power should come in to take over Vietnam from both the French and the communists. The question becomes whether Fowler knows more about Pyle's demise than he lets on to the inspector.
    Written by Huggo

Trivia: What is Graham Greene's First Name?

Yesterday's Trivia Answer: Anne Hathaway played 

Jane Austen in Becoming Jane.

13 comments:

  1. Intriguing synopsis. I've never heard of this one. Thanks for sharing it! :)

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  2. I didn't read the book or see the movie. And I have no idea on the trivia question. :(

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  3. His first name is Henry and I agree with Ava - intriguing synopsis.

    Visiting from A-Z and delighted to have found your blog.

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  4. I saw this a few years ago and was told the book, of course, was much better. The movie was an eye opener for sure. Since then I've heard some things that aren't touched on in this tale having to do with the US involvement before the war started...

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  5. I'm going to watch this movie sometime. Don't know the trivia.

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  6. Very good to read I haven't seen the film or read the book. Maybe the name is Daniel?
    Yvonne.

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  7. For some strange reason, when I heard the title of this book, I thought it was an old movie with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. (OK, looked it up and "The Quiet Man" was a film made in 1952. I'm not crazy after all!!)

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  8. OK, I have to confess that I haven't read the book OR seen the movie. I know, I know! It's on my list now!

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  9. I've never seen that movie, but it sounds intriguing. I'd probably read the book first.

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  10. You know, I've never read a book by Graham Greene, yet I've heard so much about him. I really need to read one.

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  11. I remember reading this book in college and I really liked it. I didn't even realize it was made into a movie so recently!

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