Our Man in HavanaA hapless salesman in Cuba is recruited into Cold War spy games in Greene’s classic “comical, satirical, atmospherical” novel (The Daily Telegraph). James Wormold, a cash-strapped vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana, finds the answer to his prayers when British Intelligence offers him a lucrative job as an undercover agent. To keep the checks coming, Wormold must at least pretend to know what he’s doing. Soon, he’s apparently deciphering incomprehensible codes, passing along sketches of secret weapons that look suspiciously like vacuum parts, and claiming to recruit fellow operatives from his country club, all to create the perfect picture of intrigue. But when MI6 dispatches a secretary to oversee his endeavors, Wormold fears his carelessly fabricated world will come undone. Instead, it all comes true. Somehow, he’s become the target of an assassin, and it’s going to take more than a fib to get out of Cuba alive. Her Majesty’s man in Havana may have to resort to spying. Named one of the 20 Best Spy Novels of All Time by the Telegraph and adapted into the classic 1959 comedy starring Alec Guinness, Our Man in Havana is “high-comic mayhem . . . weirdly undated . . . [and] bizarrely prescient” (Christopher Buckley, New York Times–bestselling author). |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agents Atomic Pile Beatrice asked began better birthday bottle Boy's Own Paper cable called Captain Segura Carter Charles Lamb Chief Cienfuegos Country Club course Cuba daiquiri door Dr Braun Dr Hasselbacher Dr Hasselbacher's drink drunk duenna Engineer Cifuentes father felt girl give GRAHAM GREENE Havana Hawthorne head-waiter Juan Belmonte killed Kingston knew Lamparilla laughed London looked Lopez lunch MacDougall married mean Milly Milly asked Milly's Miss Jenkinson morning never night Oh yes Perhaps pesos photographs piece poison police policeman Professor Sanchez Raul Red Vulture remember round Rudy Rudy's Santiago Scotch secret seemed Spanish speak stop street stroke suppose sure talk tell Teresa There's things told torture vacuum cleaners voice wait waiter walked watch What's whisky Wonder Bar Wormold asked Wormold saw Wormold thought worry young woman