Novels by the British writer Green (1904-). The work describes that Brown and Jones have to play the role of human comedians on the stage of life in order to survive. They took a completely different path from Dr. Mageot and Mr. Smith, and they devoted themselves to their cause. Brown lost his parents in his early years and wandered around the world. He didn't return to Haiti until he was nearly 60 years old. The turbulent life and tragic experience made him lose his faith and become numb. He thinks that love and faith are worthless. Life is to live. In order to live, you must play your role like a comedian. Out of desire and curiosity, he fell in love with Mather, the wife of the South American ambassador. He doesn't believe in Mather's true love, but he hates all the people who associate with Mather. Mather's other lover is Jones who returned to Haiti with Brown in the same boat. Like Brown, he had a hard time. He wants to get ahead and blend into the upper class. The appearance of Jones accelerated the end of the relationship between Brown and Mather. Later, Jones became a "major and guerrilla expert" by deception. Guerrillas and rebels want him to be an instructor. Jones was therefore hunted by the Haitian authorities. Brown helped Jones escape to the guerrillas out of his relationship with Mather. At the critical moment, Jones was killed to cover Brown.
This novel is based on the Latin American liberation struggle and reflects the fierce and turbulent political situation in the post-war western world. Full of strong flavor of the times. The core of the novel, as Green explored after his early conversion to Roman Catholicism, is still to explore ethical issues such as human nature, good and evil, will and fate. By describing the two core figures, Brown and Jones, Green expressed his disagreement with western civilization, social system and traditional morality. Brown, Jones, Majid and Smith, two different types of people, chose two diametrically opposite life paths, which is a portrayal of Green's inner contradictions. The author vividly described two "heroes in troubled times" with a strong sense of humor and psychological analysis. They have no ideals and beliefs and are not bound by any ethical concepts. They are real comedians in the world.