The Third ManThe Third Man
Score Classic
What it's about
In postwar Vienna, the mysterious Harry Lime, a black-market trader, is thought by the authorities to be dead.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.
You'll love it if you liked
Brighton Rock
Our Man in Havana
The Mask of DimitriosGood to know
It's a novella, first written as a film treatment.
By the numbers
- Readers6 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller4 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Graham Greene
The Heart of the Matter
The Power and the Glory
The End of the Affair
Travels with My AuntIf you like this, read next
The Godfather
Rebecca
Crime and Punishment
The Pillars of the Earth
In Cold Blood
The Name of the RoseExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked
Books of the 1930sTop 25 · 59 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is The Third Man worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #3,015 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Third Man about?
In postwar Vienna, the mysterious Harry Lime, a black-market trader, is thought by the authorities to be dead.
How long does it take to read The Third Man?
About 6 hours (255 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Third Man?
If you liked it, try Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene or The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler.