Best of the Backlist Book Club: "The Tenth Man" by Graham Greene

Led by Georgia Court, we discuss a morally complex tale about a man at the mercy of deadly forces while being held in a German prison camp. The Best of the Backlist Book Club is led by Georgia Court, meant for reading what lasts, not just what's latest. October's selection is The Tenth Man by Graham Greene. Set in occupied France during World War II, the novel begins with a chilling bargain: when a wealthy lawyer is chosen for execution, he offers everything he owns to anyone willing to die in his place. What follows is a taut, morally complex story of guilt, cowardice, identity, and the possibility of redemption from one of the twentieth century's great novelists. We will meet in person at our store location at The Mark, 117 S. Pineapple Ave. The book club is $18, which includes a copy of The Tenth Man by Graham Greene to be picked up at Bookstore1 any time before our meeting. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK: “What a plot! They don't make movies like this anymore—or novels, either, except by Graham Greene” —(USA TODAY) From the author of the classics Brighton Rock and The Quiet American, a morally complex tale about a man at the mercy of deadly forces while being held in a German prison camp during World War II—featuring a new preface by Michael Korda and an introduction by the author. When Jean-Louis Chauvel, a French lawyer incarcerated in a German prison camp, is informed by his captors that three prisoners must die, he devises a plan for survival. Offering everything he owns to a fellow prisoner if he will take Chauvel’s place, he manages to escape the firing squad but soon discovers that he will continue to pay for this act for the rest of his life. An unforgettable and suspenseful novel that “deserves a place at the top of the list of world’s best literature inspired by the war” (Houston Chronicle), The Tenth Man will haunt you long after you turn the final page. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Graham Greene was recognized as one of the leading English novelists of the twentieth century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene’s best-known works include Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, and The Power and the Glory. In addition to his careers as a journalist and novelist, Greene also wrote screenplays with his most successful effort being The Third Man. The Tenth Man was also written during his time at MGM. He was a member of the Order of Merit and a Companion of Honour and died in 1991.