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The Quiet American
Graham Greene

Into the intrigue and violence of Indo-China comes Pyle, a young idealistic American sent to promote democracy through a mysterious "Third Force". As his naive optimism starts to cause bloodshed, his friend, Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, finds it hard to stand aside and watch.

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Based in Vietnam in the 1950s where the Vietnamese are battling with the French in a slow war of attrition for their independence.

The main characters are: Fowler, a middle aged British journalist covering the war, his young girlfriend Phuong (Phoenix) and Pyle, a young American who is ostensibly providing medical aid, but is in fact working for the American Intelligence to support General Thé, a warlord who wants to become a "third force" between the French and Vietnamese communists.

Fowler is world-weary and like many expats has "gone native". He smokes a lot of opium and lives with the beautiful Phuong, who he met at a club where she worked was a dancer at the age of 18.

The main themes of the book are the Vietnam conflict and the love triangle between Fowler, Phuong and Pyle. Pyle falls in love with Phuong, but is desperate to do the decent thing. When Fowler is trapped in a North Vietnamese village under attack, Pyle unexpectedly turns up to ask Fowlers permission to marry Phuong.

Pyle wants to check how seriously Fowler and Phuong love each other.

quote:

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Pyle: She loves you, doesn't she?

Fowler: 'Not like that. It isn't in their nature. It's a cliché to call them children - but there's one thing which is childish. They love you in return for kindness, security, the presents you give them - they hate you for a blow or an injustice. They don't know what it is like - just walking into a room and loving a stranger. For an aging man it is very secure - she won't run away from home so long as the home is happy.

---

Fowler tries to explain to Pyle that "falling in love" is a western concept, which women like Phuong don't understand.

quote:

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Fowler: 'Love's a Western word, ' I said. We use it for sentimental reasons or to cover up an obsession with one woman. These people (women of the East) don't suffer from obsessions.

---

Fowler's relationship with Phuong seems to Pyle to be "a relationship of convenience" without the "true love" he feels he can offer. Despite its low-key nature Fowler and Phuong seem genuinely happy together in a way Fowler has not experienced previously with his marriage and many other relationships.

Pyle's interest in Phuong makes Fowler realise just how much he needs her. Only then does he make an effort to get a divorce from his wife back in England so that can marry Phong and offer her long-term commitment. When his wife refuses and Fowler is called back to work in London, Phuong realises that Fowler will eventually leave her and she decides to leave him for Pyle.

The question this book raises of particular interest to people in Anglo-Thai relationships is "Is the concept of love different in the East to what we have in the West?". Phuong is very demure and is always there for Fowler. She appreciates him for the support he gives her and he appreciates her for looking after him. Typical of eastern relationships Phuong looks up to Fowler, rather than battling to be his equal or superior like many western women.

May western 'liberated' women like to cricise women like Phuong for being to much like a servant and having too much respect for their man. Some eastern women are very happy to 'take good care' of their man because they like to play this role in a relationship.

I saw the film first before reading the book. You half expect Michael Caine to say, "My name is Thomas Fowler; not a lot of people know that". Pyle, played by Brendan Fraser, is the fresh-faced, naïve "Quiet American", with his head full of ideas on how to save the world from communism. Phuong is in the film played by Do Thi Hai Yen who is stunningly beautiful.

A stunning dreamy and somewtimes dark book.

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Fully agree.I haven't seen the movie yet but I suspect (like most movies) it won't come close to the book.

I don't know as I haven't read the book, but the film is pretty good, saw it a couple of nights ago as TV was (as usual) rubbish. Living in the sticks is great, but one downside is we can't get digital TV coverage.
The DVD came, not from Pantip, but from that other great source of discs & software: St Petersburg. The film was entitled
'Spokojny Amerykanin'!!