The Quiet American

Originally published in 1955, it is still fresh and relevant, and at 180 pages it is a masterclass in conveying so much, with an economy of words. And it is how Greene uses these words — nothing is wasted; nothing is for mere trimming or padding; every word is chosen with care.
The story is set in Vietnam, during the French Colonial war. We meet our three main characters: Fowler, our narrator, is an older man; cynical, a British foreign correspondent; Pyle is a young idealistic American diplomat and Phuong, a Vietnamese women who both men love (in their own way) and want to possess.