The Quiet American

The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a war correspondent in French Indochina (now Cambodia, Laos, and parts of Vietnam and China) while writing the novel. The Quiet American has been adapted twice as a film and once as a radio drama.

This guide uses the 1967 First Modern Library Edition.

Note: The source text uses names for Vietnamese cities that are no longer in use today. These include Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Tanyin (Tây Ninh)

Plot Summary

Thomas Fowler is an English journalist who is covering the war for independence in Vietnam between the French colonial army and the Viet Minh communist forces. The narrative of the novel unfurls in a nonlinear fashion. As the novel begins, Fowler discovers that an acquaintance, an American named Alden Pyle, has been murdered. The news reminds him of how he first met Pyle, and the narrative jumps back in time to that moment.

Fowler’s time in Vietnam has made him cynical. Though he has a wife in England, he is having an affair with a Vietnamese woman named Phuong. Miss Hei, Phuong’s sister, does not approve of Fowler. Pyle introduces himself to Fowler, and Fowler is struck by Pyle’s naive and academic understanding of the conflict in Vietnam. Pyle seems immediately taken with Phuong, even though she is in a relationship with Fowler. To Miss Hei, the polite and formal Pyle seems a far better match for her sister than the cynical Fowler.

When Fowler travels north to report on a battle, Miss Hei invites Pyle to meet with Phuong. Fowler is surprised when Pyle arrives at the battle and declares that he loves Phuong and wants to marry her. Pyle returns to Saigon soon after, leaving a message for Fowler that thanks him for his understanding of the situation. Fowler is struck by Pyle’s oddly self-confident personality. The American seems oblivious to the dangers of the war. Soon after, Fowler receives a message from his newspaper editors. He has been promoted and must return to England. He does not want to leave Vietnam; he wants to stay with Phuong.

Back in Saigon, he begins to unravel a conspiracy involving Pyle and an illicit plastic manufacturing operation. Asking to remain in Vietnam, he continues to report on the war. Meanwhile, Pyle continues to make his intentions toward Phuong clear. He proposes to her, though she turns him down. Fowler writes to his wife, Helen, to ask for a divorce. He explains to Phuong that he may need to return to England.

Sometime later, Fowler and Pyle are caught in the middle of a warzone. Their car runs out of fuel, and they must spend the night in a guard tower. The tower is bombed; Fowler is injured but Pyle helps him escape. They spend the night in hiding. After recovering in the hospital, Fowler learns that Helen won’t consent to a divorce because of her religious beliefs. However, he tells Phuong that the divorce has been granted. He also tells this lie to Pyle, who does not believe him. Pyle tells Phuong that Fowler is lying, and Phuong leaves Fowler and moves into Pyle’s apartment. Meanwhile, Fowler learns more about Pyle’s connections to the smuggling operation and his links to a military leader named General Thé.

Pyle confronts Fowler about his relationship with Phuong. During the argument, Fowler insinuates that he knows that Pyle is an intelligence agent who has been working with General Thé. Pyle denies any knowledge of this. During this period, Fowler’s request to remain stationed in Vietnam is also granted. He will remain in the country for at least another year. Later, Fowler hears rumors that an attack is imminent. A bomb explodes in a busy square and kills many civilians. Fowler finds Pyle on the scene and forces him to confront the violence carried out by men like General Thé. The bomb attack will be blamed on the communists, Fowler believes, allowing men like Thé to spread propaganda and garner support. Pyle seems horrified by the violence but unrepentant.

Concerned, Fowler meets with Mr. Heng, a man who works with the communists. Heng hints that Pyle may need to be assassinated. Together with Fowler, he makes arrangements for Pyle to meet Fowler at a restaurant that evening. That night, Fowler goes to the restaurant and dines alone. Later, he discovers that Pyle was murdered. The local inspector, Vigot, tries to uncover the truth about what happened. Though he believes that Fowler was involved, he cannot prove it. Pyle’s murder is not solved.

Phuong returns to Fowler in the wake of Pyle’s murder. Helen sends a telegram announcing that she will grant Fowler a divorce. Phuong is pleased by this news, though she is reticent to talk about Pyle any longer. When she leaves to talk to her sister, Fowler is left alone in his apartment. Though he has everything he wants, he feels alone and haunted by the guilt of what he has done.