The Man Within (Penguin Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Graham Greene (Author), Jonathan Yardley (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0143039210 | ISBN-13: 978-0143039211 | Publication Date: April 26, 2005

Graham Greene’s first published novel represented for the author “one sentimental gesture towards his own past, the period of ambition and hope.” It tells the story of Andrews, a young man who has betrayed his fellow smugglers and fears their vengeance. The Man Within offers a foretaste of Greene’s recurring theme of religion and the individual’s struggles against cynicism and the indifferent forces of a hostile world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Strikingly original ... a perfect adventure story of psychological treasure. (The Nation)

From the Inside Flap

Graham Greene?s first novel, written when he was twenty-one and published in 1929, tells the story of Andrews, a young man running and hiding from fellow-criminals he has betrayed, and Elizabeth, the young woman who shelters him and persuades him to give evidence in court. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143039210
• ISBN-13: 978-0143039211
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first achievement, March 24, 2003

By 

Macro Micro (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Within (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) (Paperback)

*The Man Within* follows a fellow named Andrews through his horrifying experiences of paranoia and self-doubt, made all the worse by the fact that some people want to kill him. Andrews is wanted by the police in connection to the murder of an officer, pursued by his former co-smugglers because of his betrayal, and loathed by the locals because of his testimony against a group of popular criminals. There is only one person - the angelic Elizabeth - who provides him with any support, but she also creates for Andrews his biggest dilemma: to face death for someone whom he may never be able to love, or to find a new life, but without the one person who would make it worth living.

The writing does not show Greene at his peak, but it does demonstrate an early ability to craft brilliantly complicated characters and problems of morality in a manner similar to Dostoevsky..

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically Entertaining, April 26, 2005

By 

brewster22 "brewster22" (Evanston, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Within (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) (Paperback)

I'm usually leery of favorite authors' first and last books. They never seem to be up to the standard of the books that come between. In Graham Greene's case, his last novel, "The Captain and the Enemy," certainly holds true to that rule of thumb. However, "The Man Within," his first, holds its own with any of Greene's fabulous later novels. This has all of the elements that would later become Greene trademarks: the conflicted and flawed male protagonist, the murky mood of intrigue and corruption, the delightful local flavor. You can just see Graham Greene novels filmed in crisp black and white (as many of them were). "The Man Within" is an excellent intro to Greene's work for a Greene neophyte and a welcome treat for die-hard fans.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A classic Greene novel, May 22, 2000

By 

"cranor" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Within (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) (Paperback)

The Man Within is a fantastic book about love and fear. It has elements of action, courtroom drama and good old-fashioned romance. The main character constantly assures us that he is a coward and unworthy of the love given him by the farm girl Elizabeth and also of his former associate whom he betrays in the begining of the book, yet he continues to perform uncharacteristic acts of bravery. His motives for these acts of bravery bring into question the true nature of courage and greatness. This book is surprising at every turn and yet every event, and every conversation makes total sense. It's a difficult book to put down, and you'll probably want to read it again.