Greene, Graham: 1904-1991

The Third Man, 1950 - Chapter Summaries

Different editions sometimes divide the book differently, so chapter numbering may vary slightly.
Chapter 1
Rollo Martins, an American writer of Western novels, arrives in postwar Vienna to visit his old friend Harry Lime. He learns that Harry is believed to have been killed in a traffic accident just before his arrival.
Chapter 2
Martins attends Harry Lime's funeral and meets Major Calloway, a British police officer. Calloway hints that Harry was involved in serious criminal activity, but Martins refuses to accept the accusations.
Chapter 3
Martins begins asking questions about Harry's death because the witnesses give conflicting accounts. He becomes suspicious when he hears that there may have been a mysterious "third man" at the scene of the accident.
Chapter 4
Martins meets Anna Schmidt, Harry's girlfriend, who is devastated by Harry's death. Together they try to understand what really happened, even though they have different views of Harry's character.
Chapter 5
Calloway shows Martins evidence that Harry profited from selling diluted penicillin on the black market. Martins is shocked but struggles to accept that his friend could have caused so much suffering.
Chapter 6
Martins continues investigating despite warnings from the police. He realizes that someone is trying to prevent him from uncovering the truth.
Chapter 7
Martins unexpectedly sees Harry Lime alive in the streets of Vienna. Harry disappears before Martins can speak to him, revealing that his death was staged.
Chapter 8
Harry secretly meets Martins and explains his actions with little remorse. He believes that making money is more important than the lives destroyed by his crimes.
Chapter 9
Calloway asks Martins to help capture Harry. Martins is torn between loyalty to his old friend and his growing awareness of Harry's guilt.
Chapter 10
The police set a trap, with Martins acting as bait. Harry attempts to escape through Vienna's underground sewer system while the police pursue him.
Chapter 11
Harry is cornered in the sewers and is fatally wounded. After Harry’s second funeral, Anna walks past Martins without speaking to him, leaving him alone and showing that some losses cannot be undone.