Not only was Our Man in Havana a satirical allegory for the absurdity of Cold War espionage, it also felt like an allegory for the absurdEntertaining.
Not only was Our Man in Havana a satirical allegory for the absurdity of Cold War espionage, it also felt like an allegory for the absurdity of being a paid author of fiction. The author makes stuff up and gets a paycheque for his efforts. Of course that wasn't the point of the book; desire begets desperation, the architects of war require building materials, war is bad and all that, but there seems to be an awareness that Greene himself is quite like his own antihero.
When reading Greene, one will always find references to his 'entertainment' fiction. Our Man in Havana falls into that category. What bothers me about that classification is one would have to assume anything outside that category is not entertaining. So would I read another of his books, knowing the author himself has flagged it as not entertaining? At the very least I would search out another of his entertainments for my entertainment.
I wanted this book to be a spy novel--and you'd think with a title like that, it should be. To some extent it was, but not in the way I was expecting.I wanted this book to be a spy novel--and you'd think with a title like that, it should be. To some extent it was, but not in the way I was expecting. It was something different.
"This act of madness or despair."
That was a line that was read by a character at the end, over and over to drive home the point of this novel. It's about terrorism not just as it's known today as broad acts of violence, but also emotional terrorism against individuals in relationships. That line is a summation of the motive behind terrorism. Acts of madness and despair.
The synopsis felt like a bit of a spoiler, but by the end of the book I realized the one action spoiled wasn't the point of the book. I'd also like to point out to the world at large that a spoiler is a spoiler. Just because I haven't read a book that's a hundred years old doesn't give you justification to interfere with my enjoyment. "If you haven't read it by now, it's your own fault that I'm spoiling this." Go straight to hell.
I digress.
Another thought I had while reading this was the motivation for the main character may have had something to do with the ways of the old fighting the ways of the new. Or more specifically, the fight against new knowledge and science. He's an antique shop owner whose target is a science centre. That can't be coincidence.
Joseph Conrad gave me a lot to think about, all the while trying to understand for himself what makes a terrorist tick. It wasn't a traditional spy novel, but it was worth the read. 3.5, rounded up....more
Have you ever seen a 1950's action/thriller movie? Black and white melodramatic characters who talk mostly with their hands, and dip into a lengthy moHave you ever seen a 1950's action/thriller movie? Black and white melodramatic characters who talk mostly with their hands, and dip into a lengthy monologue to explain to the viewer what they missed? Do you love that as much as I do? Then you will enjoy this book!
It's a submarine story about a rescue mission to the Arctic at the height of the Cold War. The main character is a little shifty, not quite what he seems, but won't let the reader--or other characters--in on the secret. A modern reader might guess at a few revelations here or there, but the ride to the climax is a smooth one. The tension in some of the scenes seems to last forever, making you frantically turn pages with white knuckles.
I was reminded of two authors when I read this book. . . . If Tom Clancy wrote an Agatha Christie pastiche, it might play out quite like Ice Station Zebra. Highly recommended, but for a certain crowd....more
As I was reading this I thought to myself: "What an unexpected and delightful surprise!" (Mostly because the back cover didn't have a synopsis) But myAs I was reading this I thought to myself: "What an unexpected and delightful surprise!" (Mostly because the back cover didn't have a synopsis) But my thoughts began to sour as I moved past page 300. Don't get me wrong, I still had fun reading the whole book. However, I had the distinct impression that Greg Cox wrote a great 300 page story to introduce young Kahn, then his publisher told him to inflate it into 500 pages.
The first section of the novel has very little to do with the man himself (the cover is very deceiving), but it reads like a fun and campy spy novel--loved it. A random, uninteresting story involving Kirk and crew is sprinkled about at intervals, so the 'Star Trek' moniker could be justified on the cover.
I might be underselling this read. It was good. If you liked Kahn, you'll like this. But I just can't get over the disappointment I felt when the book ended on page 300, then kept going. I don't think it would have been the author's fault, and I think the two-volume set should have been a little more creatively organized. 'The Adventures of Gary Seven: The Rise and Fall of Kahn, Vol.s 1-4'?...more
I don't care what you say, the Bond MOVIES created the character, not the books. Who do you see in your mind's eye when you read a Fleming Bond? I onlI don't care what you say, the Bond MOVIES created the character, not the books. Who do you see in your mind's eye when you read a Fleming Bond? I only see Connery, personally.
I didn't enjoy this second foray into the Bond universe as much as the first. There are still some wonderful scenes within its pages, and the author sets in motion some Bond tropes to be used in cinema. But "Bond Laughed"? Just doesn't sound right, if you ask me.
The main bad guy is pretty awesome, and his weaselly henchman was pretty fun to read, too. My biggest complaint, though, is the insane level of description. You have to know when to let the reader's imagination do some of its own work. (Here I am telling Ian Fleming's corpse how to spin a yarn. Hah!)
All-in-all, lots of fun and I can't wait for the next one. I have them all on my bookshelf and I've read that they get better, but you must start from the beginning. So I continue on...
This was the introduction to the George Smiley character and the introduction of one John Le Carre to the world. You've probably seen a movie based onThis was the introduction to the George Smiley character and the introduction of one John Le Carre to the world. You've probably seen a movie based on his work, which is probably why you are picking up this book at all. That's why I did, anyway.
The prose is nothing short of beautiful, damn near poetic. The story itself is pretty slow and dry for the most part, but not all spy novels are James Bond.
This book was my first Le Carre and it made me buy more. I'm curious to see what else awaits me, as I hear he's written some of the best spy novels in the genre....more
Interesting novel. I am a huge fan of the movies, so my opinion of the novels might be a little tainted by that because the movies became their own maInteresting novel. I am a huge fan of the movies, so my opinion of the novels might be a little tainted by that because the movies became their own machine. I even read somewhere that Fleming started adding a sense of humour to Bond after Connery's performance took over the character.
Which Bond actor did I see while reading this book? I'd probably say Connery. I don't think anyone captures the gravitas quite like him....more