Greene actually states that "The Third Man" was never intended to be read; it was written as a screenplay for the film and a basis on which to discuss how the plot should, or would, unfold. Despite this, it is a good read. Much of the story remains the same with only small differences here and there so we find ourselves on very familiar ground. Already, at the start, we have that sense of deja vu and yet, because it IS Greene, after all, the story maintains its hold on you and keeps you interested throughout. It is well written and you can see how strongly it influenced so much of the quick-moving atmosphere in the film. You can also see how the changes they made really were for the better but it is also very easy to note what is not there; the sounds of running in the empty square, or the hollow noises of the sewers and the roar of the water. It really is a sketch, not a full-blown work.
The short story, "The Fallen Idol", accompanied "The Third Man". This is Greene at his very best; rich language, superb attention to detail, a flowing story seen through the eyes of an interested observer. The story, of a small boy left in the care of the butler and his wife while his parents go off on holiday (with tragic results), is quite simple but enriched by the fact that we see it partly through the eyes of the child. The language Greene uses is by no means childlike. For anyone who has pretensions of becoming a writer - start here.

Reading  The Third Man made me want to rethink my previous dislike for Graham Greene, which was mostly based on reading  The Heart of the Matter in high school and hating it. I would say I was biased in favor of The Third Man because I love the movie so much, but Greene’s responsible for that too, and both are wonderful: cynical, mysterious and dark, but not without humor. However, the other story in this collection of two short novellas,  The Fallen Idol, brings me right back where I was before: thinking, “omg, this guy is just relentlessly depressing and melodramatic and so, so not for me.” So I don’t know what the deal is, really. Except in regards to one thing: The Third Man is really frickin’ good.

Vier sterren voor The Third Man en drie voor aanhangseltje The Fallen Idol.
The Third Man baadt in die heerlijke na-oorlogse spionagesfeer, deze keer Wenen, maar het had net zo goed het Berlijn van John Le Carre’s Smiley kunnen zijn. Stille straten en kille nachten, waarin je haast automatisch zelf mistbanken ziet opdoemen. Heerlijke sfeersetting, degelijke plot. Aangenaam leesvoer.

Love the way Graham Greene writes. He tells the story - no fuss, no nonsense - and tells it so well that you're there, in that time and place. Two very different stories in this volume, but both excellent.

I had a bizarre period of maybe 35 years where I thought I didn’t like Graham Greene’s writing. What a bozo. Travels with my aunt, the Stamboul train and the third man. Each time Graham Greene writes in a different style, and each time he nails it.

The third man is like a cross between Holly Roth’s The content assignment, a Maigret novel and Alexander Lernet Holenia’s Count Luna. It is superb, haunting disorienting and disconcerting.

And now I must watch the film again.

The Third Man was specifically written as a film script for what is one of the greatest films ever: The Third Man starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton against the backdrop of a sinister, corrupt, wartorn, battle-scarred Vienna during its occupation by the four Allies after World War 2. The musical score on the zither played and composed by Anton Karas is brilliant. The Austrian comedy, the scenes with Orson Welles and final scene in the huge Central Cemetery of Vienna are particularly memorable.

Greene gives wonderful notes on the background of these short stories- and how they came to be turned into excellent films. The Fallen Idol is more satisfying as it was truly written as a short story, where The Third Man was written as a screen treatment.

Малка книжка,събрала в себе си две добри истории. А тяхната история е не по-малко интересна. Грийн ги написва,като основа на сценарий за едноименния филм от 1949 г. и дълго не е имал намерение да ги публикува, но сега - когато са тук ни водят в разделената на зони следвоенна Виена, където един англичанин търси причината за странната смърт на най-добрия си приятел.

Greene's atmospheric, quietly gripping The Third Man set in post-War Vienna may never have been intended to be published in written form, but it absolutely works in this format. Expertly built suspense and excellent characterizations - this story may be short, but it packs a punch. I really need to get around to watching the movie at some point. The Fallen Idol, a short put powerful tale of a child's loss of innocence by exposure to the darker side of adult lives with all their lies and deceit, proved equally worth the read.

Background Stories to the Graham Greene and Carol Reed Movie Collaborations!

The exceptional movies, "The Third Man" and "The Fallen Idol" by Graham Greene and Carol Reed have their basis in these two original stories by Graham Greene, each with insightful explanatory prefaces by the author.

This volume combines both stories for movie buffs to see the origins of the screenplays for both films, great for identifying the primary sources the film presentations followed or deviated from in the final movies.

From the preface insights for both stories, the author's explains why many changes were needed and how they were done to improve the movie adaptations. This is a worthwhile investment for serious film aficionados or Graham Greene fans.

Those having published collections of Graham Greene's short story volumes will recognize the exact duplication of his 1935 story titled, "The Basement Room." Followers of Graham Greene will likely know that "The Third Man" did not appear in print prior to the movie, nor was it published jointly with the movie, but rather came out shortly afterwards to meet the demands of those who loved the movie but wanted the story upon which it was based

I can see now that Grahan Green was right in his original decision not to put 'The Third Man' forward for publication as a novella.

My expectations going in were fairly low. I saw it as a preliminary sketch, made in isolation, in preparation for the collaborative creative effort of making what was to become a good movie. In effect, it’s a first-pass storyboard I didn't expect it to be so lifeless that I abandoned it at 35% because I was bored.

The structure of the storytelling is clumsy and ineffective. Having events curated by a policeman who is reflecting on his memories and who slides back and forth on the timeline doesn't work well. It keeps you out of the heads of the main players and keeps the action as passive recollections and the emotions as chewed-over summaries. I think it was meant to add mystery and foreshadowing but, for me, it just made the story ponderous.

The plot is wafer-thin. It's fairly obvious from the beginning who the third man is and what Role Martins' blind spot is. This might have been OK if I was invested in Rolo's search for the truth but he's a hard man to like. His only distinguishing features seem to be weakness and bad temper. His relationship with Lime seems to be one of suppressed homosexual attraction arising from an early, apparently abusive, relationship when he and Lime were at school together. He refers frequently to 'mixing his drinks' which seems to be a coded reference to his bisexuality. Lime, as seen from the policeman's eyes and Martins' shared memories, is a narcissist and a racketeer. Martins' is his long-time stooge. The story gives me no reason to care about Harry Lime. Martins' could have been drawn as the route-for-him-because-he's-loyal-and-grieving-for-a-friend under-dog but instead, he comes across as weak, broken men, thrashing around trying to sustain the fantasy of a relationship that he won't allow himself to see clearly.

Still, I didn't set the novella aside because I didn't like the characters or the plot. I put it aside because the prose limps along and I became bored. The whole thing is only 157 pages long. I should have read it in a day. Instead, I kept putting it down and then found myself reluctant to pick it up again.

My advice: skip this and watch the movie. If the movie really hooks you and you want to see what made it work, dip into this novella and see how far they came from this beginning.

Here's the trailer for the movie. It's worth watching for the camera work and the music, even before you add Orson Welles.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9yyD...
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My review is more for The Third Man, rather than The Fallen Idol which I didn’t care for.

Set in post-war Vienna, The Third Man concerns Rollo Martins who has come to the city to visit his long-time friend Harry Lime. Upon arrival he learns that there has been an accident and that Lime has died. Before long, Martins uncovers aspects of his death which are suspicious and goes around the city looking for witnesses to once and for all find out what happened to his friend.

Greene strikes again with his wonderful prose and his well-thought out story. The Third Man is a fast paced mystery thriller which, in Greene’s own words, was designed to be on the screen rather than read – none the less it is a wonderful novella with plenty of bite. The only problem with reading a story that has been turned into a famous film is that popular culture has somewhat spoiled the mystery. None-the-less I enjoyed The Third Man and would recommend it.

I also read The Fallen Idol, which I must say I did not enjoy really. Though artistically created I felt as though the story lacked any real depth or substance.