Our Man in Havana was originally published on 6th October 1958 not long after on New Year's Day 1959 Fidel Castro and his gang of mercenaries emerged from the sierras and villages to capture Havana. This book was written during the dog days of the American supported Batista’s dictatorial reign of the island with his dread enforcer Captain Ventura. This was the island was corrupted and subjugated to American the will and was a holiday island for rich Americans. It was a rich person’s playground, and the poor suffered.

The book was written while the British empire was in its death throws and not long after the embarrassing debacle of The Suez Canal when it was shown to be out of date with its power. The Foreign Office and Mi6 were shown to be embarrassing with the number of Russian spies in its midst. Greene’s friend Kim Philby had not long defected to the Soviet Union after handing over documents and secret agents for years.

Out Man in Havana can be seen as a comedic commentary on Britain, the Foreign Office and the British Secret Intelligence Service. The story centres around Jim Wormold not a very inspiring vacuum salesman dependant on alcohol and is hostage to his teenage daughter Milly. Both are prisoners of the situation and events trying to survive on the corrupt street of Havana. Wormold has been selected by another bumbling fool Henry Hawthorn to be ‘our man’. Wormold has no qualifications or real knowledge of Cuba other than being a vacuum salesperson. Things become absurd as he makes his reports back to Mi6 and they believed what he was sending back. The London headquarters could not workout which was a fact and what was a story. They were unable to control their own agent.

Things got worse when what Wormold had reported become real events and all he has done is report so called stories from the bars of the villages around Cuba. He has accidentally become a successful agent, and people are being sent to kill him. When he is recalled to London and debriefed, he is given a medal and a job. Even though they know that most of the time Wormold had been lying they cannot admit the truth. But are relieved that everyone else believed the reports to be true.

A great book with a sideline in comedic commentary on the state of British foreign affairs in the late 1950s. With Britain trying to hark back to its non-existent ‘glory days’ and trying to find its place in the new world order. Greene is pointing out that Britain is the epitome of the ‘Emperor’s’ new clothes something which rings true today when we are getting Brexit done or not as the case maybe. ( )

Couldn’t get into the characters ( )

Having read Graham Greene's "The Quiet American", as well as being interested in Cuba prior to the revolution, I decided to read "Our Man in Havana". But as with "The Quiet American" I struggled to get into the story. It wasn't the plot; a Brit selling vacuums in Cuba recruited as a spy . . . right up my alley.

It just didn't go as I'd hoped. I repeatedly found myself wondering how I could not enjoy a book written by such an accomplished author as Mr. Greene, as have so many others.

I don't know but I do see the power of a good plot description, a book's title, and the author's reputation. ( )

The premise is really funny and it's a good commentary on bureaucracy. ( )

Unpleasant people populating an unpleasant book. ( )