Greene, Graham.

8vo (190 x 124mm.), first English edition, original red cloth stamped in gilt, original pink dust-jacket, cloth folding box, some slight spotting along edges, short tears to edges of jacket (one at head of lower cover with some slight loss), neat repairs to lower hinge of jacket

Wobbe A13a

Condition is described in the main body of cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A superb copy of what many consider the author's great masterpiece, extremely rare in the dust-jacket. Few copies have survived in the jacket, although the book itself is not uncommon, with 8,000 copies being sold at the time. Despite the slight wear at the edges this jacket is extremely bright and in very good condition.

Unsure whether the work was one of his "serious" novels or one of his self-styled "entertainments" Brighton Rock was inspired by a gruesome murder in Brighton in 1934, and has at its heart the portrayal of the bloodthirsty young gangster Pinkie Brown, who "courts damnation with the zeal of a saint seeking salvation", using religion "to enhance the pleasure of doing evil", and then daring God "to save him as a perverse test of divine mercy" (Michael Shelden).