Brighton Rock, Graham Greene — 1st US Edition, 2nd Printing

£64.00

Brighton Rock, Graham Greene — 1st US Edition, 2nd Printing

Name: Brighton Rock, Graham Greene — 1st US Edition, 2nd Printing
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4205-RM-F-VG-4
Price: 64.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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£64.00

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Publication: New York, The Viking Press, 1938

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [vi], 358.

Condition Report: Very Good. Publisher's original two-toned binding, featuring vibrant orange cloth boards and a black cloth spine, remains vivid, with no heavy sunning present. Very minor rubbing to the spine extremities and corner tips. The silver tooling to the spine retains a bright sheen that contrasts handsomely against the black cloth. The black topstain is still present, though it has softened slightly with age and minor dust accumulation, while the untrimmed fore-edge maintains its intended rustic texture. Internally, the text block is clean and firmly seated, with pages exhibiting only faint, age-appropriate marginal toning. A neat previous owner's signature ("V. Richards.") is inked to the front free endpaper, but the volume is otherwise free of markings or significant blemishes.

Catalogue Note: This early American printing was rushed to the presses in July 1938, a mere month after the true first printing in June, indicating the immediate commercial demand for the novel. Interestingly, the American title page retains the subtitle "An Entertainment," a classification Greene frequently utilised to distinguish his faster-paced thrillers from his more serious Catholic novels. However, Brighton Rock famously straddled this divide, eventually coming to be recognized as the first of his major religious masterpieces.

Finding early 1938 printings of this watershed novel in robust, original condition without severe structural wear or heavy fading to the cloth is becoming increasingly difficult on the open market. This copy serves as an excellent, highly presentable representative of Greene's breakout American success.

Set against the gritty, atmospheric underbelly of a pre-war British seaside resort, Brighton Rock follows the chilling trajectory of Pinkie Brown, a ruthless teenage gang leader with a distorted, terrifying sense of Catholic morality. When Pinkie murders a journalist, he becomes entangled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with Ida Arnold, a relentless, life-affirming woman determined to seek justice. To secure his alibi, Pinkie manipulates and marries a naive, fiercely loyal waitress named Rose, dragging her into his dark world of sin and damnation. A masterful exploration of good, evil, and the limits of divine grace, Graham Greene's dark thriller remains one of the defining psychological crime novels of the twentieth century.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Graham Greene

Book Publisher: Viking Press

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Crime & Mystery

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 366

Book Publication Year: 1938

Book Publication Date: July 1, 1938

Book Binding: Cloth

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: New York, United States

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.