{"product_id":"2026200009332-secondhand-the-rotten-elements","title":"The Rotten Elements","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good to fair. Jacket: No dust jacket - paperback. Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Rotten Elements is the second volume in Edward Upward's acclaimed Spiral Ascent trilogy, a semi-autobiographical work of modern literary fiction set against the turbulent political landscape of post-war Britain. The novel chronicles the deepening ideological crisis of Alan Sebrill, a schoolteacher and committed Communist Party member, as he grapples with the party's increasingly rigid orthodoxy and its conflict with his artistic ambitions. Written with a precise, unflinching introspection, Upward illustrates the painful tension between personal integrity and political loyalty, presenting Sebrill's gradual disillusionment as both an intimate human drama and a sweeping indictment of institutional dogma. The narrative captures the moral and intellectual fractures within the British left during the 1950s with rare authenticity, drawing on Upward's own experiences as a party member to deliver a portrait that is as psychologically acute as it is historically resonant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48887997399259,"sku":"2026200009332-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/164160ec-26c0-4851-916c-e7a1ed0c8682.png?v=1781751981","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200009332-secondhand-the-rotten-elements","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}