Holly Martins - A pulp Western writer who travels to post-WWII Vienna to take a job with his old friend Harry Lime, only to find Lime has been killed in an accident.

Harry Lime - An opportunistic racketeer who makes a dramatic entrance partway through the film. His famous "cuckoo clock" speech rationalizing his profiteering during the war is one of the most memorable moments.

Major Calloway - A British military police officer investigating Harry Lime's criminal activities and death.

Anna Schmidt - Harry's lover who initially assists Martins but later betrays him to protect Lime.

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The novella explores moral ambiguity, themes of loyalty, morality, and the consequences of one's actions. Martins struggles with his loyalty to Lime and the truth about his friend's criminal activities. In the end, Martins agrees to help lure Lime out of hiding so he can be arrested.

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Despite Greene's claim about it being meant for film, the novel is viewed as an accomplished literary work. Contemporary reviewers suggested the book's reputation might even outlive the film's.

Though not explicitly about espionage, the novel is often associated with spy fiction due to its setting and the backgrounds of those involved in its creation.

There's some debate about how to classify the work - whether as a novel, novella, thriller, or "urban western".

Overall, while the film adaptation may be more widely known, the novel "The Third Man" is generally perceived as a significant work in Greene's oeuvre, appreciated for its storytelling, character development, and vivid portrayal of post-war Vienna.