The Honorary Consul
The Honorary Consul is a British thriller by Graham Greene, first published in 1973. Greene regarded it as one of his favorite works. The story is set in the run-up to Argentina’s Dirty War, in the provincial city of Corrientes on the Paraná River.
Eduardo Plarr is an English-descended doctor with a Paraguayan mother and a father who is a political rebel in Paraguay. In Corrientes, he befriends Humphries, an old English teacher, and Charles Fortnum, the ineffectual British honorary consul. Plarr also meets Julio Saavedra, a vain Argentine writer. He is drawn to Clara, Fortnum’s wife, and begins an affair with her, even as he insists he remains emotionally distant.
Two former Jesuit students, Leon Rivas and Aquino, tell Plarr they want his help to kidnap the U.S. ambassador during a trip to Corrientes, intending to exchange him for Paraguayan prisoners, including Plarr’s father. Their plan goes awry when they kidnap Fortnum instead. Plarr is forced to assist, while Fortnum is wounded and taken to a hut where a tense stand-off unfolds.
A squad of army paratroopers arrives. In the chaos, Plarr, Leon, and Aquino are killed, and Plarr’s death is blamed on the kidnappers. Fortnum survives and is briefly restored to Clara, who learns the truth of the affair. Back in London, the British Embassy removes Fortnum from his post, and he is told he will receive an OBE in the next honours list. In the end, Fortnum and Clara reconcile and name Clara’s child Eduardo, after Plarr.
The novel was adapted into a 1983 film, The Honorary Consul, directed by John Mackenzie, with Richard Gere as Plarr and Michael Caine as Fortnum. The soundtrack theme was composed by Paul McCartney and performed by John Williams.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:53 (CET).