The Comedians

By: Graham Greene

Narrated by: Joseph Porter

Three men meet on a ship bound for Haiti, where corruption and terror reign. Disillusioned and noncommittal, they are the “comedians” of Greene’s title, hiding from life’s pain and love behind their chosen masks.

©1965 Graham Greene (P)1993 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Graham Greene arouses responses of curiosity and attention comparable to those set up by Malraux…Faulkner and Hemingway.” ( New Statesman)

Fascinating

I am still not sure why this book was free but I am glad I read it. I wanted to learn more about Haiti and while it didn’t accomplish that goal it was still a great story.

Fabulous Greene story.

For those who grew up mostly ignorant of Haitian history and the appalling role of America, specifically the CIA, in supporting violent and inhumane regimes in South and Central America and the Caribbean, this book is a must read. While the Americans only show up in the persons of the buffoonish but ultimately heroic Smiths, the ghastly rule of of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, supported by the United States as a "bulwark against Communism," is laid open to the reader's horrified eyes.

Good dramatic rendering of a Greene masterpiece

Joseph Porter gives a good rendering of this excellent novel. It would have been more satisfying if he had added more energy to the task. However there is a lovely range of nuances that he uses for the various colourful characters. Greene's brilliant prose underscores the entire experience. I look forward to reading the novel soon.

devoted Greene reader

Greene is a master story teller and always an intense observer of the world in which he places his story. I'm always intrigued as he questions faith and the good and evil which concern the human condition.

Comedians indeed!

I have to admit that I enjoyed the book immensely. The narrator’s tone and pace matched the book’s Content perfectly, and I found myself enjoying the wry sarcasm of the author. A perfect pairing.

Fine book, misguided performance.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I don't think he necessarily meant it that way, but his delivery came off snide and condescending instead of ironic and empathic. I don't think Haitians sound as he made them sound, and his American accents were lame caricatures.

Haiti: True to Life

Would you consider the audio edition of The Comedians to be better than the print version?

No. When I listen to a book, I want to believe in the narrator's voice. I want to believe in the accents. As far as I could tell, Porter read it with some type of British accent, which he flattened to indicate an American, and well, I'm not sure what he did to indicate a Haitian. Certainly, his French accent is inexcusable--nearly unintelligible.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Joseph Porter?

If I have no choice...

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players...."

Any additional comments?

Read _Seeds of Fiction_ by Bernard Diederich first. It will increase your enjoyment: he sets the scene for Greene so nicely.Haiti is a difficult world to explain to ordinary folk. It is difficult, first of all, to explain that the Haitian people can be so wonderful yet be oppressed by such terrible dictators time and again. Is it the fault of America, as Greene suggests? It certainly is true that America saw so many communist bogey men in the bushes it failed to recognize the TonTon Macoutes as being more detrimental to the health and well-being of the "tired and poor, yearning to be free" than any Castro. And WAS Papa Doc that bad? No, he was worse even than that. Are there men and women alive today that see to the heart of goodness, as the Smiths did? It certainly is difficult to juxtapose the two: Smith and Duvalier. The absolute is difficult to swallow, yet there do exist absolutely good people. As there also exists absolutely evil ones. This book is peopled with both of them, yet one cannot/should not forget that it is also peopled with the rank and file, the company troupe, as it were, of actors, who learn their lines and continue to repeat them, never learning from a new script. The comedians.

Not Graham Greene’s best

I thought I owned all Greene’s books. He is one of my favorite authors. But I was unaware of this book.

The book drove home how hideous life was in Haiti under Papa Doc, but did not make this point with a strong plot and characters I came to know with empathy. At no point was I lost in the book.

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Beautifully written and a great story, but Poor narration

The story is complex for each of the main characters. The second layer of repeat characters were also described in detail. The fall of Haiti to murderous thugs is so upsetting as the background to the story.Graham Greene’s writing is stellar. I recommend the book to read or with a different narrator. This narration is a bit flat- although I still enjoyed the story. I will try one of his other books and see if there is a better narrator.