Chateau Lloyd

Old trade paperbacks are more than a good value; they're often a time capsule.  Yes, there's the text of the book, but the blurbs, the quotes from reviewers and even the advertisements in the back that really set it in a specific time and place.

I bought A Burnt-Out Case simply because I wanted to read more of Graham Greene.  I knew nothing about the book, but the pull-quote featured on the cover assured me that it was his best work.

Well, I've only read three of his books and, I think it's in third place.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.  It's quite the page-turner and if I had been able to read it on a reliable basis, I would absolutely have gotten more out of it.  When you're reading a novel, taking days off at a time really disrupt the flow.

The plot is interesting if a bit contrived:  a famous Catholic architect grows tired of the world and seeks seclusion and meaning at a leper hospital in the Congo.  The title is derived from the name the doctors give to lepers who have lost all their fingers and toes and have become disease-free.  Such a person is a "burnt-out case," and it soon clear that the main character (known only as "Querry") is spiritually the same.

It is full of vivid description and Green's affectionate satire of Catholic clergy.  It starts slow, and picked up speed as it moves towards yet another unpredictable ending.  I appreciate Greene for that.  His endings are surprising, but never contrived.  They could have been "just so," but are not.  I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.