The Honorary Consul

Baltipink reviewed The honorary consul by Graham Greene

Review of 'The honorary consul' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Compelling at times but suffocated under the weight of catholicism and misogyny.

Stephen Hayes reviewed The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene

None

4 stars

Having read [b:Nostromo|115476|Nostromo|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328865264s/115476.jpg|678519] earlier in the year, I was struck by some of the similarities, even though they are about periods two generations apart, but both deal with expatriate groups in South America, and revolutionary activity.

There are also some similarities with [a:Graham Greene|2533|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254688603p2/2533.jpg]'s early book, [b:The power and the glory|3690|The Power and the Glory|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388210459s/3690.jpg|1036817], with a renegade priest, and the strength of a kind of residual Catholicism, which seems to be a recurring theme for Greene. At the time he was writing the book I was reading [b:The rebel priest|9198853|Requiem for a rebel priest|Paulino Lim Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375540956s/9198853.jpg|14078384] by [a:Wim Hornman|1180366|Wim Hornman|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and I wondered if Greene had read that one too, since its subject, Camilo Torres, is mentioned in [b:The Honorary Consul|292455|The Honorary Consul|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430316526s/292455.jpg|1912277].

The book has a very authentic feel to it, with the behaviour of police, revolutionaries, and those accidentally caught up in events …

Having read [b:Nostromo|115476|Nostromo|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328865264s/115476.jpg|678519] earlier in the year, I was struck by some of the similarities, even though they are about periods two generations apart, but both deal with expatriate groups in South America, and revolutionary activity.

There are also some similarities with [a:Graham Greene|2533|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254688603p2/2533.jpg]'s early book, [b:The power and the glory|3690|The Power and the Glory|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388210459s/3690.jpg|1036817], with a renegade priest, and the strength of a kind of residual Catholicism, which seems to be a recurring theme for Greene. At the time he was writing the book I was reading [b:The rebel priest|9198853|Requiem for a rebel priest|Paulino Lim Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375540956s/9198853.jpg|14078384] by [a:Wim Hornman|1180366|Wim Hornman|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and I wondered if Greene had read that one too, since its subject, Camilo Torres, is mentioned in [b:The Honorary Consul|292455|The Honorary Consul|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430316526s/292455.jpg|1912277].

The book has a very authentic feel to it, with the behaviour of police, revolutionaries, and those accidentally caught up in events being well documented.

It's not possible to say too much about the book without spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.

GoodReads seems to have linked to the wrong book, with a different title. Not sure how to get it to link to the right one. Try the Dutch version [b:De rebel|25227339|De Rebel|Wim Hornman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427430476s/25227339.jpg|2715324] and then search for other editions there.