Last night I watched the 2002 movie version of "The Quiet American", which is a novel by Graham Greene. It has just about everything; politics, love, jealousy, violence, conscience, you name it. There's a reason why this novel is so widely known and read. Watching the characters interact and reveal their true motivations, whether in book or film form, is a wonderful exploration of human nature. Alden Pyle goes from being a philanthropic doctor to a myopic military man, but continues to try and find his humanity in the affections of Phuong. Thomas Fowler goes from being a self-indulgent foreigner to a conscious resident of Saigon as he realizes that to live among conflict but not get involved is a foolish game.
What the viewing reminds of is not just the complexity of humans, but that I must go back and read this book again. I first read it for an undergraduate college course. Though course work is always a drag, nothing could compare to the discussion that centered around great literature. After graduating I stopped reading literature. Caught up in the day to day, impressed by my friend's ability to read nothing but non-fiction/text book style books, I forgot how much I love a well written book. It doesn't need to be pure fiction, and I realize that in creative non-fiction the words should always be feasted on with a healthy side of skepticism. But the joy of a well crafted sentence and a story that effortlessly carries you from one character to another to explore a larger question is a joy that I left behind in the dorms and classrooms of my alma mater.
So many regrets lately. Time to remember how to take action.
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