20th Century Burnt Out Case: Amazon.ca: Graham Greene: Books

Product Description

Querry, a world-famous architect, is the victim of an attack of indifference, no longer finding meaning in art or pleasure in life. Arriving anonymously at a Congo leper village, he loses himself in work for the lepers. As he helps the lepers, so he approaches a self-cure.

From the Back Cover

“Mr. Greene’s extraordinary power of plot-making, of suspense and of narration…moves continuously both in time and space and in emotion.” –The Times

"Graham Greene had wit and grace and character and story and a transcendent universal compassion that places him for all time in the ranks of world literature.” -- John Le Carré --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Do I just have a sick sense of humor?, Jun 30 2004

By	Cilly - See all my reviews

I'm reviewing this book because I see it differently from all other reviews I've read. I've seen it described as bleak, disenchanted, dis-everything, but they never mention the humor.

Yes, I think this book is funny. Scathingly, satirically, mercilessly funny. Now, I honestly don't know how I'd describe this book to a friend: "This guy gets sick of life in general and drops out to live in a leper colony in Africa...you'll laugh your head off!" Doesn't sound right, does it?

I guess it's just schadenfreude, taking delight from another person's pain. Which isn't as awful as it sounds; most of the pain Querry goes through is high irritation caused by people insisting that they know his true nature...and as far as the guy is concerned, they couldn't be more wrong. It's a comedy of errors, like Candide or The Lavender Hill Gang:
"You're loving! You're saintly! You have strong faith in God. Hey, I hear you're going to build a church!"
"What in the hell are you talking about? I think religion is a crock, I seduce and dump women, and people in general make me retch. I'm a jerk!"
"And you're so humble, too."
"AAAGH!"

These people see what they want to see in Querry; he keeps trying to set them straight and fails; he keeps giving up and walking away. Querry regards it as a pain in the posterior, but he doesn't lose any sleep over it. You can laugh at it the way you'd laugh at someone trying to hang wallpaper one-handed or supervise a roomful of screaming preschoolers. It's hopeless. When the reporter shows up to write a baloney-filled article about Querry's 'saintly' quest, Querry seems to find the guy a bit refreshing--because the reporter's a liar, but at least he *knows* he's a liar! (The reporter creates whatever his audience wants to hear; think Rita Skeeter. There, I've compared a Graham Greene novel to Harry Potter. The Internet will now explode.)

I say, read this book with an eye to the ridiculous side of the plot. There's a lot here to like; gorgeous sarcasm, black humor, and a character with an attitude from Hell. It bites like a wolf right down to the last line on the last page, and I loved it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Where is YOUR leproserie?, Jun 28 2004

By A Customer

Although set in a Catholic Mission, it would be a mistake to pigeon-hole this as a Catholic novel by a Catholic author. We struggle today with the same questions Querry did ~ vocation vs. job, identity, image, purpose and faith. Like Querry, it is only by a journey to the seemingly inaccessible darkness will we find the people and the challenges that allow access to redemption and transformation. This would be a rewarding choice for your book club's next selection as it invites the reader to take a hard look at their expectations of themselves, society and God.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Only for True Greene Buffs, like me..., Feb 24 2004

By	S. Henkels (Devon, Pa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This short tale of a well known architect who wants peace and quiet in a different world is definitely not everyone's cup of tea! And the title is about perfect! But for an exploration of a burnt out Englishman seeking solace and quiet in the tropics, and in a leper colony no less, this is hard to beat! You can feel the heat, the insects, and general overall misery. Greene was an inveterate traveller to these parts, and knew his subject. Whether the hero , Quarry, ever attains his much sought after "redemption" is up to the reader, but this book ,along with several similar ones in the vast Greene oevre, is a good,safe substitute to a trip to the haunted, disease ridden, tropics.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars An Outpost for the World Weary
If you were universally glorified by people who did not know you--who could not see your flaws because of their own--Would you accept the society that failed to understand you... Read more

Published on Jan 28 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Moving and Involving Book
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.

The plot of this book will sound odd in summary. You have to read it to understand. Read more

Published on Nov 3 2003 by LZ-1

4.0 out of 5 stars Greene's "Heart of Darkness"
There are many similarities between this novel and Conrad's masterly novella. The protagonist, Querry, like Marlowe, is making a voyage of discovery into the deepest interior of... Read more

Published on Aug 31 2003 by Bruce Kendall

4.0 out of 5 stars Effective, in an understated way.
An ecclesiastic architect and ladies man decides all is vanity, and his life's work, despite the accolades garnered, is trash. Read more

Published on Mar 23 2003 by algo41

4.0 out of 5 stars The unescapable stupids
This is a very good novel, and it is very good because it touches eternal subjects and so will be able to be read and understood for many years to come. Read more

Published on Jul 23 2002 by Guillermo Maynez

5.0 out of 5 stars Pendele
Greene employs themes of faith and unbelief of all kinds in this novel. As with most of Greene's serious works, it's not easily read; if you want to be comfortable, try his... Read more

Published on Nov 7 2000 by Melissa Johnson

4.0 out of 5 stars Scared of lightning.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as I have so many of Greene's others... in fact, this one is my favorite so far. Read more

Published on Oct 24 2000 by Cipriano

2.0 out of 5 stars Mid-life crisis stinker from briliant writer
Imagine this for a plot:

Unable to withstand his immense popularity with young, married women in Europe, and heartily bored of his work, the misunderstood aging Artist flees... Read more

Published on Oct 5 2000 by Jay Stevens

5.0 out of 5 stars critical
I feel that to write that I enjoyed the book is to completely ignore one of its dominant themes. Is not Querry's presence in Africa a revolt against the affirmation of the... Read more

Published on Sep 19 2000 by Timothy Baird

5.0 out of 5 stars As symbolistic as you want it to be
This was the first book I ever read from Greene. I loved it so much that I did read many more, all of which unfortunately paled in comparison. Read more

Published on Mar 21 2000