Carving a Statue

by Graham Greene

First Edition, Bodley Head (1964). this book is clean and bright, with no creases, no tears, and no markings. Price-clipped dustjacket has two small tears to the rear panel, otherwise it's also in excellent condition, clean & bright.

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Henry Graham Greene was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century.
Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a reputation early in his lifetime as a major writer, both of serious Catholic novels, and of thrillers (or "entertainments" as he termed them). He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. Through 67 years of writing, which included over 25 novels, he explored the conflicting moral and political issues of the modern world. The Power and the Glory won the 1941 Hawthornden Prize and The Heart of the Matter won the 1948 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Best of the James Tait Black. Greene was awarded the 1968 Shakespeare Prize and the 1981 Jerusalem Prize. Several of his stories have been filmed, some more than once, and he collaborated with filmmaker Carol Reed on The Fallen Idol (1948) and The Third Man (1949).
He converted to Catholicism in 1926 after meeting his future wife, Vivienne Dayrell-Browning. Later in life he took to calling himself a "Catholic agnostic". He died in 1991, aged 86, of leukemia, and was buried in Corseaux cemetery in Switzerland. William Golding called Greene "the ultimate chronicler of twentieth-century man's consciousness and anxiety".

Reviews

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a play by one of my favourite authors, and despite the fact that it received some criticism by theatre purists, I think it was fantastic. Greene has some great insights on the human condition, showcased in a story about a mediocre sculptor who’s never going to finish his masterpiece. Plus Jane Birkin was in the premiere.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had been Greene, with this loser on my hands, I would have quit writing screen plays. But, Greene carried on. This is a horrible play – and a horrible book too. I think even Greene knew it. I have absolutely NO idea what it is about – IF it is about anything. I’ll have to look it up in his biography to see what happened to it when it hit the stage. If it didn’t promptly close, I’ll be surprised.

[Gareth Williams]

Graham Greene was once regarded as one of England’s greatest writers but even at the peak of his fame, he was not much rated as a playwright.
This is not much like other plays but it is compelling. I really enjoyed it even if plays about relationships with and around God may not be fashionable. To me, it is really about the consequences of obsession and a fear of emotions.
It is only eighty pages but packs a punch.

[Oleon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Necesitaba despejarme, leer algo ligero y tadá. Me dejó un poco turbada.
La idea de ser existencialista y lo marcado de la perfección en el Dios Hombre
tal vez hubiera sido diferente si el personaje obsesionado no hubiera sido un HP…

[Mxj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book randomly, and don't regret it !
I fell in love with the way Greene writes, and really liked the story, despite it being short (it's for the best almost)
It made me remember Le Chef D'œuvre Inconnu by Balzac, so i recommend you these two books :)


2nd reading: I only vaguely remembered the play as it's been 2 years since I've read it - and am still utterly in love with it

[Pollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drama sencillo en tres actos. Una vez más el tema de la relación entre Dios y el hombre. Un par de sorpresas, personajes algo mecanizados, creo que hay menos símbolos de lo que pareciera a primera vista. Prescindible.