A SORT OF LIFE (First edition - second printing)
Language: English
Published by The Bodley Head, London, 1971
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used





Seller: Orlando Booksellers, Lincoln, United KingdomOrlando Booksellers
AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2000
Condition: Used - Near fine
£ 18.00
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Second printing of the true first edition - with the corrected state of text reading 'J. M. Barrie' instead of 'Sir John Barrie' on p.177, line 4. Dustwrapper designed by Michael Harvey. ***Near fine in forest-green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still beautifully bright. Boards clean and unmarked. Head and tail of spine just slightly creased. Corners sharp. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Page block edges nice and clean - the top edge sprayed mauve by the publisher to match the dustwrapper (now faded). Internally also near fine with no inscriptions. No foxing. Pages clean. No creases or tears. ***In a near fine colour-printed dustwrapper, which has not been corner price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of £1.80 net. The dustwrapper is complete with no discernible faults. No creases, chips or tears. No fading, even to the spine. Dustwrapper bright. ***203mm x 135mm. 216 pages. ***'Graham Greene writes: "An autobiography is only 'a sort of life' - it may contain less errors of fact than a biography, but it is of necessity even more selective: it begins later and it ends prematurely. If one cannot close a book of memories on the deathbed, any conclusion must be arbitrary, and I have preferred to finish this essay with the years of failure which followed the acceptance of my first novel. In another sense too a book like this can only b e ' a sort of life', for in the course of sixty-six years I have spent almost as much time with imaginary characters as with real men and women. There is a fashion today among many of my contemporaries to treat the events of their past with irony. It is a legitimate method of self-defence. 'Look how absurd I was when I was young' forestalls cruel criticism, but it falsifies history. We were not Eminent Georgians. Those emotions were real when we felt them. Why should we be more ashamed of them than of the indifference of old age? I have tried, however unsuccessfully, to live again the follies and sentimentalities and exaggerations of the distant time, and to feel them, as I felt them then, without irony.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***Second printing of the true first edition, complete in its original dustwrapper, in very nice near fine condition. Not an uncommon book, but hard to find now in such nice condition. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.…
Seller Inventory # 9635
- Title
- A SORT OF LIFE (First edition - second printing)
- Author
- Graham Greene
- Publisher
- The Bodley Head, London
- Publication year
- 1971
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Dust jacket
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0370003276
- ISBN 13
- 9780370003276
- Illustrator
- Jacket design by Michael Harvey
- Edition
- First Edition
- Printing
- Second Printing
- Seller catalogs
- First Editions, Literature
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
"The setting of his life is beautifully observed and conveyed. I have never admired his writing more - the masterly skill and economy; the excitement he manages to pump, not just into the narrative, but into the very sentences, which throb and glow themselves" (Observer)
"A subversive hero, self-consciously seeking out (in Browning's words) 'the dangerous edge of things,' who lived everywhere and nowhere, a man whom few people ever knew... Greene was a restless traveler, a committed writer, a terrible husband, an appalling father and an admitted manic-depressive" (New York Times)
"This is the work of a remarkable man determined to show he is not particularly remarkable...his fame is secure" (Daily Telegraph)
"Greene wrote some of the most commanding English novels of the twentieth century and some of the slickest commercial thrillers" (Newsday)
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Orlando Booksellers
Lincoln, United Kingdom
AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2000
Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
| Item | 8 to 12 business days | 6 to 8 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 20.00 | £ 25.00 |
Payment methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Paypal
Store description
We specialize in 20th Century literature, and in particular, Modern First Editions. We would be interested in buying such books, whether individual items or collections. We are particularly interested in Bloomsbury writers, Beats & Counter Culture and 20th C photography monographs. Our books can be viewed as a whole on ABE, or by choosing one of a number of catalogues that we have set up for particular interests, such as Crime Fiction & True Crime, Collectable Paperbacks, Children's Literature etc.…
Specialty
Modern First Editions, Literature, Literature in Translation, Bloomsbury Group, Counter-culture, Antiquarian, Collectable Paperbacks, Art & PhotographySeller's business information
Orlando Booksellers
1 Rasen Lane
Lincoln, United Kingdom LN1 3EZ
Terms of sale
Mastercard, Visa and PayPal accepted. We also accept personal cheques for UK sales, made out to Orlando Booksellers (UK pounds). Proof of postage is obtained for all items, however, we cannot be responsible for items lost or damaged in transit. Therefore, on higher value items, we offer the option of tracked (insured) shipping which offers peace of mind for both the bookseller and the customer. [See Shipping Terms section below for more information]. We always pack our books extremely well to protect them from any possible damage. Any title found not to be as described may be returned, provided this is done within fourteen days of its receipt. We are happy to offer a 10% discount on book prices for fellow booksellers. Orlando Booksellers is a partnership - Alison Smith and Chris McKee. Our VAT Registration number is 629 3707 21.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Orlando Booksellers, Lincoln, United Kingdom, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging materials; any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only; for the UK, our standard rate is for first class, and the priority rate includes tracked (signed for) delivery; for International sales, our standard rate is for Airmail delivery, and the priority rate is for tracked (International signed for) delivery. We would prefer that you choose the priority rate (tracked option) for higher value books of say £50 or more. Please note that we will always reduce shipping fees where appropriate e.g. for smaller (lighter) books when we accept your order. For heavier books and sets etc. we will often 'soak up' the extra cost, but on occasion, we may need to charge more than the quoted shipping fee. However, customers will always have the option to either accept or decline the revised order amount. We will also reduce the overall shipping fee for multiple orders. We will endeavour to ship all books within two business days of receiving your order.