The Third Man

The Third Man is a classic novella by the British writer Graham Greene, first published in 1949. This edition is a Chinese translation released by Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House in 2020, translated by Wu Gang, and bound together with another of Greene's celebrated works, The Fallen Idol. The story is set in Vienna after the end of the Second World War. The city, jointly occupied by four powers, lies in ruins, its black markets thriving and order in disarray. The Englishman Rollo Martins comes at the invitation of his old friend Harry Lime, eager for a reunion—only to be met with Harry's funeral. The police say Harry died in a car accident, but the scene is full of suspicious details. Unwilling to let it rest, Martins visits the police, Harry's former associates and his girlfriend, trying to piece together the last days of Harry's life. Along the way, several people mention that a "third man" was present at the scene that night, and this figure, who never appears, becomes the key to the story. As the investigation proceeds, the charming, witty Harry Martins knew gradually reveals another face. When the truth surfaces, he must confront the irreconcilable conflict between a dear friend, justice, and the human heart. Greene writes with calm restraint about postwar Europe's turmoil and moral predicaments. The book and Carol Reed's film of the same name complement each other and are regarded as one of the most successful "novel-film" pairings in cinema history. This edition also includes the short masterpiece The Fallen Idol.