44 pages 1 hour read

Graham Greene

Our Man in Havana

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1959

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene is a satirical novel about James Wormold, a struggling English vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana, who becomes a British spy to earn extra income. Fabricating reports with imaginary agents and fake intelligence, he inadvertently involves real people, leading to serious consequences as his deceptive web spirals out of control.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana has garnered acclaim for its sharp wit, compelling narrative, and satirical take on espionage. Readers appreciate the humor and memorable characters. However, some feel the plot can be predictable and less thrilling compared to Greene's other works. Overall, it's praised for its unique blend of comedy and intrigue.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Our Man in Havana?

A reader who enjoys Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana likely appreciates satirical takes on espionage, nuanced humor, and Cold War settings. Fans of John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold or Evelyn Waugh's Scoop will find this novel appealing for its wit and critique of intelligence bureaucracy.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Mystery / Crime Fiction

Satire

Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Topics

Military / War

Politics / Government

History: World

Period

Cold War

Themes

Society: Nation

Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Natural World: Appearance & Reality