This was a huge treat. After slogging through The Secret Agent by Conrad this was an amazing read along the same line of topic.
Instead of a secret Russia agent in late 1800s London, we have a CIA operative in 1950’s Vietnam. Other than those similarities, there is little comparison. While Conrad and the Agent are slow moving to the point of boredom and the language therein is overly filled with adjectives and extraneous descriptions, Greene and American are clear and concise. Greene realizes that there is much value in what is unsaid as there is what is said.
American is built as a triangle between a Vietnamese woman who is looking for the best benefactor possible, the aforementioned American CIA operative, and a crusty British journalist. The characters make for obvious allegories between the third world, old world imperialism, and new world American hegemony. Greene has his clear biases in portraying the American as an ignorant, blundering—even if well meaning—force that is book read but reality blind. Americans crashing about, causing unplanned damage through the unintended but foreseeable consequences of their actions is a recurring theme throughout the second half of the 20th century but seeing it called out so clearly in the mid 1950’s is stunning. Greene is an incredible observer of international politics and national character. I don’t necessarily agree with the conclusions he comes to through his proxy-character of the English reporter (who is given his own faults—adulterer, coward, drug addict) but damn if he isn’t good at his observations.
Seeing forecasts of the coming Vietnam war through this work (that Greene did not know but certainly guessed at) is brilliant while his portrayal of the use of a third force and insurgent campaigns carries parallels to major US conflicts to come including Afghanistan and Iraq and hearing critiques made regarding mistakes made 70 years ago that still haven’t been learned means this should be required reading for any individual interested in military conflict and the repercussions of seemingly well meaning actions of major world powers monkeying around in locales where they haven’t been welcomed. Just a wicked tourdeforce in this book. Couldn’t place this book higher in my pantheon of readable, enjoyable, brilliantly crafted written works.