Graham Greene

Main characters: Thomas Fowler, Alden Pyle, Phoung.

Thomas Fowler, a jaded and cynical British journalist, is covering the war in Vietnam. He has a Vietnamese mistress named Phuong and lives a comfortable, if somewhat stagnant, life in Saigon.
Alden Pyle, an idealistic American CIA agent, arrives in Vietnam with plans to bring about democratic reforms in the country. He becomes fascinated with Phuong and falls in love with her.
As their paths intersect, a love triangle emerges between Fowler, Pyle, and Phuong. Fowler realizes that he loves Phuong and wants to keep her, while Pyle is determined to marry her.
The political backdrop of the war adds tension to their personal conflicts. Fowler does not believe in Pyle's idealistic and naive view of nation-building, and he sees Pyle as dangerous.
Pyle becomes involved in covert activities to further his agenda, leading to a bombing that results in numerous civilian casualties. Fowler, believing Pyle is responsible, is torn between his love for Phuong and his duty to expose Pyle's actions. The love triangle intensifies when Phuong is put in a position of having to choose between the two men. Fowler realizes that he must take action to protect Phuong and prevent Pyle's plans from causing more harm.
In a climactic event, Fowler confronts Pyle and they engage in a fight on a riverbank. Ultimately, Pyle is killed. The novel ends with Fowler's realization of the consequences of his actions and the tragic consequences of idealistic foreign intervention.

The book has been translated very well and is enjoyable in both the writing style and the story itself. This is a multi-faceted story with many allusions. In the foreground is the intelligence war during the US attack on Vietnam, however, everything is not so simple. The topic of moral choice, and choice in general, is also raised here. Here everyone has to make a choice, both people who want to rule their country and are actively seeking this, and Fowler, who wants to stay on the sidelines and isolate himself from everything, but his inner world fluctuates throughout the book, and he will have to make a choice.

In The Quiet American, the characteristics of realism are reflected through the description of real events, places and times, as well as through realistic characters, their daily lives and internal conflicts. In addition, the author presents the complex social and political realities of Vietnam during the American War, which is also an important aspect of realism.

Graham Greene was a British novelist and playwright, born on October 2, 1904, in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England. He is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, known for his novels that often explored the themes of moral dilemmas, politics, and the human condition. Some of his most famous works include "The Power and the Glory," "The Quiet American," and "The End of the Affair." Greene's writing style and ability to create complex characters have earned him a lasting legacy in English literature. He passed away on April 3, 1991, in Vevey, Switzerland.

He wrote in an interwar period in realism.