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smsheehy's review
adventurous
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmasandi's review
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
creechance's review
5.0
"The Comedians" deals with Haiti under "Papa Doc" Duvalier, one of the most horrible and autocratic leaders in the history of the Western Hemisphere. As always, Greene spares no one. America looks bad, Britain looks bad, the Left, the Right, the fighters, the pacifists, and especially Haiti looks bad in this brutally honest novel.
littletaiko's review
3.0
My first introduction to Greene's novel turned out to be a nice solid story though maybe just a tad slow. Set in Haiti during the early 1960's, life is a bit grim for the people living there. Papa Doc is in charge with his squad the Tonton Macoute harassing and killing people for political reasons. Into this turmoil come three men, Brown (our narrator), Smith (the Presidential candidate), and Jones (the unknown factor). They met on the ship into Haiti and find their paths crossing throughout the course of the book. Brown is a cynic who has some trust issues with his mistress. Smith and his wife are relentless optimists who aren't afraid of a little realism though. Jones starts to reveal his true self throughout the course of the book. The Smiths were my favorite characters in the book with their determination to do what they think is right. There were a lot of wry observations and lines that showed what a skilled writer Greene was. I look forward to trying more of his books in the future.
adamrshields's review
3.0
Short Review: I know that Greene is one of the most well regarded novelists from the 20th century. And I loved the End of the Affair. But this was not a book that I loved. It ended well (the last 100 pages or so were the most engaging) which is often hard for novelists. And it is easy to see Greene's skill. He can write. And tweaking a repressive dictator that was still in office did take guts. (This was not historical fiction but written as a contemporary novel within a couple years of the setting and published 5 years before Papa Doc died.)
But it does make me want to read more Greene. My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/comedians-graham-greene/
But it does make me want to read more Greene. My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/comedians-graham-greene/
anarcho_zymurgist's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jenmcmaynes's review
4.0
The Heart of the Matter is still my favorite Greene, but The Comedians is definitely an excellent novel. It deals with many of Greene's recurrent themes - lapsed Catholic faith, corrupt government, infidelity - this time in Papa Doc's Haiti. It veers between black comedy and tragedy, and the ending is fairly bleak. The Haitian sending, though vividly depicted, is actually the one reason I am not giving this 5 stars; Greene's depictions of voodoo and Baron Samedi felt a little exploitative to me. But the descriptions of life under the Tontons Macoute were chilling in their commonplace despair, and Brown's and Jones' fumbling towards some type of meaning - any meaning - for their lives was masterfully written.
moseslh's review against another edition
4.0
l really enjoyed this book. The characters are great, even though I'm not fond of the protagonist as a person (he still makes for an interesting character), and I liked the dark humor that's pervasive throughout the book. It got me curious about Haitian history, and now I want to read up about that some more.
alcazarz's review
4.0
engaging story, and also made me review the history of Haiti during that time - the sign of a good historical fiction for me.
mr_wford's review
5.0
No, it's not about Comedians. It refers to the comedian aspect of all of us. The face that we present and the strangeness of the lives we create.
When, on a steamer en route to Haiti, three men meet, their paths stick closely together through the dramas that enfold. Messrs Smith, Brown, Jones cover all the bases: Smith is a positive soul, a former American presidential candidate who thinks of little but improving the general condition of the world and has come to Haiti with a mind to improve things there, but also with a mind ignorant of the current state of the country. Brown is a European living in Haiti who, while he doesn't mean anyone any harm, is a cynical man who is willing to try and help others to an extent, but doesn't really want to be bothered. He is returning after a trip to the US in which he failed to find a buyer for his hotel and now wants to return to his life of waiting for the government to be overthrown. And Jones? "Major" Jones? A Man of Mystery, a friendly and genial man who hints of everything but tells nothing (well, nothing that is certainly true, at least) and is only looking out for his own interests, which he has come pursuing, in a mysterious fashion.
The Haiti that they are approaching is the one in which Papa Doc Duvalier has just been "voted" President for life and the nation has recently moved from a tourist haven to a police state and has fallen into a state of poverty and violence ruled by paranoia, fear, duplicitness and the sinister Tonton Macoute...
When they arrive, Brown's empty hotel becomes the center of a variety of dramas. Mister Smith and his wife have come in the hopes of setting up a vegetarian center, Jones is arrested, and Brown is troubled by his long-standing affair with the wife of an ambassador. Mister Brown becomes involved in the middle of everything going on and his disinterested, yet pivotal attentions (as the only "local" of the group), are the crux of the story and make for a very engaging story indeed! It involves the chilling and untouchable, sunglassed Tonton, a whore house, chilling escapes, corpse theft, lots of rum drinking and all sorts of nastiness!
I found the writing to be great, the characters are very involving and the story is quite entertaining, playing out as a comedy that isn't at all funny. It is also a quick read.
When, on a steamer en route to Haiti, three men meet, their paths stick closely together through the dramas that enfold. Messrs Smith, Brown, Jones cover all the bases: Smith is a positive soul, a former American presidential candidate who thinks of little but improving the general condition of the world and has come to Haiti with a mind to improve things there, but also with a mind ignorant of the current state of the country. Brown is a European living in Haiti who, while he doesn't mean anyone any harm, is a cynical man who is willing to try and help others to an extent, but doesn't really want to be bothered. He is returning after a trip to the US in which he failed to find a buyer for his hotel and now wants to return to his life of waiting for the government to be overthrown. And Jones? "Major" Jones? A Man of Mystery, a friendly and genial man who hints of everything but tells nothing (well, nothing that is certainly true, at least) and is only looking out for his own interests, which he has come pursuing, in a mysterious fashion.
The Haiti that they are approaching is the one in which Papa Doc Duvalier has just been "voted" President for life and the nation has recently moved from a tourist haven to a police state and has fallen into a state of poverty and violence ruled by paranoia, fear, duplicitness and the sinister Tonton Macoute...
When they arrive, Brown's empty hotel becomes the center of a variety of dramas. Mister Smith and his wife have come in the hopes of setting up a vegetarian center, Jones is arrested, and Brown is troubled by his long-standing affair with the wife of an ambassador. Mister Brown becomes involved in the middle of everything going on and his disinterested, yet pivotal attentions (as the only "local" of the group), are the crux of the story and make for a very engaging story indeed! It involves the chilling and untouchable, sunglassed Tonton, a whore house, chilling escapes, corpse theft, lots of rum drinking and all sorts of nastiness!
I found the writing to be great, the characters are very involving and the story is quite entertaining, playing out as a comedy that isn't at all funny. It is also a quick read.