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A Burnt-Out Case
London: Heinemann, [1961]. Item #06480
A Cornerstone Collection by Graham Greene
GREENE, Graham. A Burnt -Out Case. London: Heinemann, [1961].
First edition. Octavo (7 3/4 x 5 1/8 inches; 197 x 130 mm.). [viii], [12], 3-256 pp.
Publisher's black cloth over boards, spine lettered in silver, original pictorial dust jacket printed in gray, blue, orange and white, minimal wear t extremities. A fine copy in a near fine dust jacket.
A major later novel by Graham Greene, widely regarded as one of his most introspective and philosophically searching works. Set in a remote leper colony in the Congo, the novel follows Querry, a disillusioned architect who seeks anonymity and spiritual escape, only to confront questions of faith, purpose, and the possibility - or impossibility - of redemption. The title refers to a medical term describing a patient in whom the disease has run its course, leaving a state of emotional and spiritual exhaustion.
Written after Greene’s travels in the Belgian Congo, the novel reflects his deepening engagement with themes of belief, moral ambiguity, and the tension between action and withdrawal. Often seen as a companion in spirit to The Heart of the Matter and The Power and the Glory, A Burnt-Out Case marks a turning point in Greene’s later career, its austere tone and stripped narrative reflecting a writer at the height of his powers.
Price: $450.00