The Comedians in Africa

In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Mr. Brown Alec Guinness owns a hotel he inherited from his mother. Returning from New York, where he tried to sell the floundering business, Brown discovers a small circle of hopeful guests among his shipmates: Major Jones from England and Mr. and Mrs. Smith from the United States.

Jones arrives with an arm’s-length mission to sell weapons to the government led by François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, but his contact has fallen from favor, and Jones is arrested, beaten, and jailed by Captain Concasseur. The Smiths have a different aim—promoting vegetarianism—but their connection, the Minister of Public Welfare, has tangled with the regime and ends up dead by his own hand at Brown’s hotel to avoid torture by the Tontons Macoute, Duvalier’s brutal secret police.

At the heart of the story is Brown’s ongoing affair with Martha Pineda, the wife of a South American ambassador to Haiti. Brown tries to help his guests navigate the treacherous political climate, and he introduces the Smiths to the new minister, who grows intrigued when he learns how much money they’re prepared to invest. Yet after witnessing several of the Tontons’ atrocities, the Smiths become disillusioned and depart Haiti.

Jones manages to provoke interest in the arms deal with the government and is released from custody, but it soon becomes clear that he cannot deliver on his promises, forcing him into hiding. Brown smuggles him into the Pinedas’ embassy for refuge, deftly outwitting the ever-watchful Tontons. Over weeks, Jones settles in as an entertaining houseguest, a development that stirs jealousy in Brown, who begins to suspect a budding affair between Jones and Mrs. Pineda.

Captain Concasseur offers Brown money to drive Jones to the airport under safe conduct, but his condition hinges on Brown’s cooperation and the expulsion of the Pinedas. Brown, aware of his own involvement with Martha, refuses, choosing a higher principle over personal safety. Though Brown claims indifference to politics, his connections run deep, and he knows figures who want to topple Duvalier, including Henri Philipot, the minister’s nephew, and Dr. Magiot. Philipot harbors a small cadre of would-be rebels, while Magiot seeks to train Jones for their cause.

Martha’s help proves pivotal as she assists in smuggling Jones out of the embassy, though Magiot has already been slain by the Tontons. It falls to Brown to drive Jones into the mountains to meet the rebels, a perilous maneuver that tests every ounce of his resolve. Along the way, Jones’s bravado and lies about Martha and his own military service come into sharper focus, fueling Brown’s suspicions.

When Captain Concasseur finally closes in, Jones is killed, and Brown narrowly survives a gunshot intended for him—only saved by Philipot’s intervention. Philipot then urges Brown to take Jones’s place among the rebels, a choice that marks a decisive turn in Brown’s life and outlook. The cost of their aid to Jones is paid in the exile of the Pinedas from the country, and as the rebels’ fate remains uncertain, Martha flies back home with her husband, left to wonder whether Brown is alive.

This tense, morally ambivalent story weaves a web of personal longing, political danger, and courageous decisions. It captures a fragile moment when ordinary people are pulled into a larger struggle for power, loyalty, and survival, painting a vivid portrait of a society in upheaval and the quiet heroism that can emerge when faced with impossible choices.

Last Updated: December 06, 2025 at 16:32