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The Comedians (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Comedians is a novel by Graham Greene
, first published in 1966. Set in Haiti
under the rule of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier
and his secret police, the Tontons Macoute, The Comedians tells the story of a tired hotel owner, Brown, and his increasing fatalism as he watches Haiti descend into barbarism. The story begins as three men: Brown, Smith the innocent American, and Major H. O. Jones, the confidence man, meet on a ship bound for Haiti. Brown, Smith, and Jones, their names suggesting a curious facelessness, are the “comedians” of Greene’s title. Complications include Brown’s friendship with a rebel leader, politically-charged hotel guests, the manipulations of a British arms dealer, and an affair with Martha Pineda, the wife of a South American ambassador. The setting for much of the novel, the Hotel Trianon, was inspired by the Hotel Oloffson
in central Port-au-Prince
.
The novel was made into a motion picture in 1967
with Richard Burton
, Elizabeth Taylor
, Alec Guinness
, Peter Ustinov
, James Earl Jones
, Cicely Tyson
, Paul Ford and Lillian Gish
.
ship serving Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic
. The narrator is Mr. Brown, returning from an unsuccessful trip to the United States to sell his hotel, located in Port-au-Prince. Also present are Mr. Smith, (the Presidential Candidate
), who ran on the vegetarian ticket
in the American election of 1948
; he and Mrs. Smith are on an optimistic journey to build a vegetarian center in Haiti. "Major" Jones is a likeable person of dubious history; he is full of stories about exploits that are not quite believable.
Upon arriving in Haiti, Brown returns to his hotel to find that the secretary of social welfare, who it seems was on the run from the government, has committed suicide in his pool. Brown has to dispose of the body to avoid being implicated. Meanwhile, Jones is arrested as soon as he sets foot on Haitian soil. When Brown is made aware of this, he convinces Mr. Smith to use his 'political weight' to help Jones get out of prison. With only the help of a pen and some paper, Jones is able to forge his way into the Haitian government.
When the body of Secretary Philipot is found, his family tries to hold a funeral, but the government's soldiers, the Tontons Macoute, ambush the procession and steal the body. The ex-secretary's nephew decides to join the rebel forces, and to do this he must first participate in a voodoo initiation ceremony. Brown reunites with his lover, Pineda, but finds that her child and husband still stand between them. And Mr. and Mrs. Smith continue to look into establishing a vegetarian centre in Haiti, before they finally realize that this country is in no way suited to such an enterprise. The Smiths pack up their bags and leave for the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Just as quickly as he infiltrated the government, Jones is soon an enemy of the state, and Brown has an adventure trying to smuggle Jones out of the country. Brown first attempts to sneak Jones onto the Medea, and when that fails Jones is given sanctuary in Pineda's embassy. But Brown doesn't like it when Jones becomes too close to the Lady Pineda, so he convinces Jones to join the rebels in the north. Many sacrifices are made towards this end, as Jones has been proclaiming himself a great military hero and the rebels really believe that he will liberate their country. However, it seems that this was all a bluff on Jones' part and he is soon killed in action. The rebellion fails. Brown, unable to return to his hotel in Haiti, finds a new job in Santo Domingo as a mortician.
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
, first published in 1966. Set in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
under the rule of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier
François Duvalier
François Duvalier was the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. Duvalier first won acclaim in fighting diseases, earning him the nickname "Papa Doc" . He opposed a military coup d'état in 1950, and was elected President in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform...
and his secret police, the Tontons Macoute, The Comedians tells the story of a tired hotel owner, Brown, and his increasing fatalism as he watches Haiti descend into barbarism. The story begins as three men: Brown, Smith the innocent American, and Major H. O. Jones, the confidence man, meet on a ship bound for Haiti. Brown, Smith, and Jones, their names suggesting a curious facelessness, are the “comedians” of Greene’s title. Complications include Brown’s friendship with a rebel leader, politically-charged hotel guests, the manipulations of a British arms dealer, and an affair with Martha Pineda, the wife of a South American ambassador. The setting for much of the novel, the Hotel Trianon, was inspired by the Hotel Oloffson
Hotel Oloffson
The Hotel Oloffson is an inn in central Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The main structure of the hotel is a 19th century Gothic gingerbread mansion set in a lush tropical garden. The mansion was built as a residence for the powerful Sam family, including two former presidents of Haiti...
in central Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
.
The novel was made into a motion picture in 1967
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
with Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
, Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
, James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
, Paul Ford and Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
.
Plot summary
The reader is introduced to the main characters on board the Medea, a DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ship serving Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The narrator is Mr. Brown, returning from an unsuccessful trip to the United States to sell his hotel, located in Port-au-Prince. Also present are Mr. Smith, (the Presidential Candidate
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
), who ran on the vegetarian ticket
American Vegetarian Party
The American Vegetarian Party was a United States political party formed on July 28, 1947. The party held conventions and nominated candidates for President and Vice-President in several national elections, although they never seriously pursued ballot access or official recognition as a political...
in the American election of 1948
United States presidential election, 1948
The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most historians as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way...
; he and Mrs. Smith are on an optimistic journey to build a vegetarian center in Haiti. "Major" Jones is a likeable person of dubious history; he is full of stories about exploits that are not quite believable.
Upon arriving in Haiti, Brown returns to his hotel to find that the secretary of social welfare, who it seems was on the run from the government, has committed suicide in his pool. Brown has to dispose of the body to avoid being implicated. Meanwhile, Jones is arrested as soon as he sets foot on Haitian soil. When Brown is made aware of this, he convinces Mr. Smith to use his 'political weight' to help Jones get out of prison. With only the help of a pen and some paper, Jones is able to forge his way into the Haitian government.
When the body of Secretary Philipot is found, his family tries to hold a funeral, but the government's soldiers, the Tontons Macoute, ambush the procession and steal the body. The ex-secretary's nephew decides to join the rebel forces, and to do this he must first participate in a voodoo initiation ceremony. Brown reunites with his lover, Pineda, but finds that her child and husband still stand between them. And Mr. and Mrs. Smith continue to look into establishing a vegetarian centre in Haiti, before they finally realize that this country is in no way suited to such an enterprise. The Smiths pack up their bags and leave for the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Just as quickly as he infiltrated the government, Jones is soon an enemy of the state, and Brown has an adventure trying to smuggle Jones out of the country. Brown first attempts to sneak Jones onto the Medea, and when that fails Jones is given sanctuary in Pineda's embassy. But Brown doesn't like it when Jones becomes too close to the Lady Pineda, so he convinces Jones to join the rebels in the north. Many sacrifices are made towards this end, as Jones has been proclaiming himself a great military hero and the rebels really believe that he will liberate their country. However, it seems that this was all a bluff on Jones' part and he is soon killed in action. The rebellion fails. Brown, unable to return to his hotel in Haiti, finds a new job in Santo Domingo as a mortician.