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Lorna's Reviews > Our Man in Havana
Our Man in Havana
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Lorna's review
bookshelves: graham-greene, classics, cuba, mystery-thriller, espionage, catching-up-on-classics
Feb 16, 2021
bookshelves: graham-greene, classics, cuba, mystery-thriller, espionage, catching-up-on-classics
Our Man in Havana was a delightful and satirical novel about the Cold War as only Graham Greene could do. James Wormold, an Englishman in Havana is recruited into espionage as a spy for MI6. Wormold, is a struggling vacuum cleaner salesman for Phastkleaners in Havana, Cuba, and left by his wife years ago. But he loves his delightful sixteen year-old daughter Millie who is torn between the rigors and rituals of her Catholic faith and spending frivolously, the latest expenditure a horse necessitating a stable and a country club for riding lessons. Alas, Wormold, a respected member of the European Traders' Association, succumbs to the temptation. And our accidental spy becomes "our man in Havana."
His British contact Hawthorn sets him up with the code books needed for espionage, two identical copies of Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare.
"The secret of successfully using an agent is to understand him. Our man in Havana belongs--you might say--to the Kipling age. Walking with kings--how does it go?--and keeping your virtue, crowds and the common touch."
Our man in Havana with little taste for espionage but in need of funds, decides to fabricate spies working for him and questionable drawings obtained, those bearing remarkable similarities to parts of vacuum cleaners. To justify his payments, he needed to supply regular reports. But at some point fantasy becomes some sort of frightening reality. This was a classic that looks at the Cold War unflinchingly.
"It is a great danger for everyone when what is shocking changes."
His British contact Hawthorn sets him up with the code books needed for espionage, two identical copies of Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare.
"The secret of successfully using an agent is to understand him. Our man in Havana belongs--you might say--to the Kipling age. Walking with kings--how does it go?--and keeping your virtue, crowds and the common touch."
Our man in Havana with little taste for espionage but in need of funds, decides to fabricate spies working for him and questionable drawings obtained, those bearing remarkable similarities to parts of vacuum cleaners. To justify his payments, he needed to supply regular reports. But at some point fantasy becomes some sort of frightening reality. This was a classic that looks at the Cold War unflinchingly.
"It is a great danger for everyone when what is shocking changes."
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Reading Progress
January 17, 2017
– Shelved
January 17, 2017
– Shelved as:
to-read
August 20, 2018
– Shelved as:
graham-greene
September 1, 2018
– Shelved as:
mystery-thriller
September 1, 2018
– Shelved as:
cuba
September 1, 2018
– Shelved as:
classics
January 18, 2019
– Shelved as:
espionage
October 25, 2020
– Shelved as:
catching-up-on-classics
October 25, 2020
– Shelved as:
on-deck
February 14, 2021
–
Started Reading
February 16, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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Chrissie
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rated it 3 stars
Feb 18, 2021 07:48AM
Wonderful review, Lorna. I have been meaning to get to this one for a while now. I own the audiobook narrated by Jeremy Northam...and I just can't seem to get around to it. Maybe I'll take this as a hint to bump it up into my queue.
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Chrissie wrote: "Wonderful review, Lorna. I have been meaning to get to this one for a while now. I own the audiobook narrated by Jeremy Northam...and I just can't seem to get around to it. Maybe I..."Thank you so much, Chrissie. I think that this is a book that you will enjoy. And it may even be better as an audiobook. I will be looking forward to your thoughts.
For some reason, I picked this up as my first Graham Greene novel. I ended up really enjoying it! Glad you did too. Fabulous review, Lorna :)
Thank you so much, Candi. This book was much more satirical than I has anticipated, an exciting read.
Thank you, Barbara. I know that you will enjoy it. I look forward to your thoughts.
Really liked that book as well..
Thank you, Luci. This was such a fabulous book, right? I could not put it down!
Great review Lorna. Can't go too far wrong with Greene i don't think.
Blair wrote: "Great review Lorna. Can't go too far wrong with Greene i don't think."Thank you, Blair. And how right you are about not going wrong with Graham Greene. I have been slowly making my way through his brilliant body of work.
Good review, Lorna and I totally agree about Greene's writing.
Jill wrote: "Good review, Lorna and I totally agree about Greene's writing."Thank you, Jill. Greene is an amazing writer.
Isn't this a funny and riveting story Lorna? I loved your review, and I also loved the hapless Wormald....poor guy. But maybe he wasn't as silly as one might think!!! Great stuff :))
Mark wrote: "Isn't this a funny and riveting story Lorna? I loved your review, and I also loved the hapless Wormald....poor guy. But maybe he wasn't as silly as one might think!!! Great stuff :))"Oh Mark, I loved this book and the satirical bent from Graham Green. And I must agree that Wormald may not be as silly as one might think. There was a lot there and I will definitely be reading it again.
