'The Confidential Agent' (1939) by Graham Greene

Graham Greene’s 'The Confidential Agent' is a tense and atmospheric thriller that exemplifies his knack for blending espionage with psychological depth. Written in just six weeks, the novel carries an urgent, almost feverish quality that reflects the anxieties of its time—Europe teetering on the brink of war.

Plot Overview: The story follows D., an unnamed and weary agent from a war-torn country (a stand-in for Spain during its civil war), who arrives in England on a secret mission to secure coal for his government. His adversaries include a rival agent, L., representing the opposing faction in his homeland, and a shadowy network of individuals who want to see his mission fail. Over the course of a few nerve-wracking days, D. navigates betrayals, shifting alliances, and the indifference of a foreign society oblivious to the stakes of his struggle.

Along the way, he meets Rose Cullen, a privileged young woman who is drawn into his world of danger and deception. Their relationship adds a layer of romantic tension, but Greene ensures that sentimentality never overshadows the novel’s darker themes.

Themes & Style: Like many of Greene’s works, The Confidential Agent explores moral ambiguity, the nature of trust, and the isolation of the outsider. D. is not a glamorous spy but a broken, exhausted man haunted by his past. He is both a political emissary and a victim of forces beyond his control. His encounters with English bureaucracy, class snobbery, and apathy reinforce Greene’s recurring theme of alienation.

Greene’s writing is taut and suspenseful, with a sense of paranoia that mirrors D.’s growing desperation. The pacing is relentless, and the novel thrives on its claustrophobic atmosphere—seedy hotels, fog-laden streets, and an air of looming betrayal. There is also an undercurrent of absurdity, as D. is constantly obstructed not just by enemies but by petty inconveniences and banal bureaucratic hurdles, making his mission seem almost Kafkaesque.

Legacy & Reception: The Confidential Agent is sometimes overlooked compared to Greene’s later works like The Third Man or The Quiet American, but it remains a fascinating early example of his "entertainments"—the term he used for his more commercial, plot-driven novels. Despite its rushed composition, it contains many of the hallmarks of his style: morally complex characters, a bleak worldview, and moments of dark irony.

The novel was later adapted into a 1945 film starring Charles Boyer and Lauren Bacall, though Greene reportedly disliked the adaptation.

Final Verdict: While not Greene’s most polished work, The Confidential Agent is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that showcases his skill at blending espionage with psychological and political depth. Fans of Greene’s more famous novels—or of literary spy fiction in general—will find much to admire here. It may not reach the existential weight of The Human Factor or the poetic cynicism of Our Man in Havana, but it remains a compelling and underrated entry in his body of work.