The Human Factor

By: Graham Greene

Narrated by: Tim Pigott-Smith

Brought to you by Penguin.

A leak is traced to a small sub-section of the secret service, sparking off the inevitable security checks, tensions and suspicions. The sort of atmosphere, perhaps, where mistakes could be made? For Maurice Castle, it is the end of the line anyway, and time for him to retire to live peacefully with his wife and child. But no-one escapes so easily from the lonely, isolated, neurotic world of the SIS.

‘Graham Greene's beautiful and disturbing novel is filled with tenderness, humour, excitement and doubt’ The Times

© Graham Greene 1978 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Such a great narrator!

Funny, interesting, and touching ‘spy’ story. But really such a great narration that it was a breeze to listen to!!!

An ambiguously pathetic life as a Spy

The main protagonist's dialogue is thinly disguised initially, but the character development marches on like a winter's cold and biting wind. Unfortunately the main theme centers around the divided self: one capable of self abandonment for a noble cause, yet laying barren the contrasting ego ideal encompassing self centered preservation above all.. The end of his achievements, as he knew them, came abruptly. Just as if he were walking from a warm house with lit blazing logs crackling in the fireplace, into a dark, cold, and unforgivenly perilous wilderness he must now combat alone, in the solitude of a wicked winter's blustery wind.