Secondhand Modern Classics Bargain Book Box DSH1037

Secondhand Modern Classics Bargain Book Box

This exceptional collection of twenty-four vintage paperbacks features a treasury of 20th-century literature, dominated by the iconic orange spines of Penguin Classics. It includes a massive selection of Graham Greene’s most celebrated thrillers and novels, alongside the biting satire of Evelyn Waugh and Tom Sharpe. From the American South of Harper Lee to the jungles of the Congo and the playing fields of British public schools, this box offers a masterclass in modern storytelling. Whether you crave the wit of Wodehouse or the dark suspense of a noir mystery, this library has it all. Each book is secondhand and may show signs of wear.

1. Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe The ancient and traditional Porterhouse College in Cambridge is thrown into turmoil when a new Master arrives with modernizing reforms. Skullion, the stubborn Head Porter, leads the resistance in a battle of wills that exposes the absurdities of academic life. Sharpe delivers a scathing and hilarious satire of institutional ossification and the desperate lengths men go to preserve their privileges.

2. Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe In a South African town, the manic Kommandant van Heerden tries to maintain order while longing to be an English gentleman, leading to a cascade of grotesque disasters. The novel skewers the brutal absurdity of the apartheid police state with dark, farcical humor. Sharpe uses extreme caricature to expose the moral rot and incompetence of authority figures in a repressive regime.

3. Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh Paul Pennyfeather is unfairly expelled from Oxford for indecent behavior and forced to take a teaching job at a chaotic Welsh boarding school. His journey through high society and the criminal underworld introduces him to a cast of eccentric and amoral characters. Waugh’s debut novel is a brilliant, detached satire of the Roaring Twenties and the randomness of fortune.

4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding A plane crash leaves a group of British schoolboys stranded on an uninhabited island, where their attempt to govern themselves quickly descends into savagery. As the veneer of civilization strips away, the boys fracture into warring tribes ruled by fear and violence. It is a chilling allegory about the inherent darkness of human nature and the fragility of social order.

5. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh Dennis Barlow, a young British poet in Hollywood, finds himself working at a pet cemetery while courting a cosmetician at the lavish Whispering Glades mortuary. The novel satirizes the American funeral industry and the artificiality of Los Angeles culture. Waugh explores the collision between British cynicism and American sentimentality in this macabre and biting comedy.

6. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh William Boot, a quiet nature writer, is mistakenly sent to the fictional African nation of Ishmaelia to cover a civil war for a Fleet Street newspaper. He stumbles through the chaotic world of foreign correspondence, accidentally getting the scoop of the century. It is the definitive satire of sensationalist journalism and the incompetence of the press.

7. Over to You by Roald Dahl Drawing on his own experiences as an RAF pilot during World War II, Dahl presents ten short stories about the reality of flight and combat. The tales move from the adrenaline of dogfights to the haunting psychological aftermath of crashes and injuries. It captures the surreal, often spectral nature of war in the air with a stark and powerful realism.

8. The Heart of a Goof by P.G. Wodehouse The Oldest Member holds court at the golf club, narrating a series of humorous tales about the romantic and sporting misadventures of the members. From the nervous novice to the overconfident pro, Wodehouse finds comedy in every bunker and fairway. It is a delightful collection that combines the author’s love for the game with his signature verbal wit.

9. Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh Guy Crouchback, an idealistic Catholic from an old family, joins the Royal Corps of Halberdiers at the outbreak of World War II, hoping to find purpose. Instead, he encounters the bureaucracy, boredom, and farce of military life as he trains for a war that seems distant. This first volume of the Sword of Honour trilogy is a poignant study of duty and disillusionment.

10. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In the tired old town of Maycomb, Alabama, young Scout Finch watches her father, Atticus, defend a black man wrongly accused of a terrible crime. The trial exposes the deep-seated prejudice of the community while Scout learns painful lessons about courage and empathy. It is a timeless coming-of-age story that confronts the loss of innocence in the face of injustice.

11. The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene Arthur Rowe, a man guilt-ridden over the mercy killing of his wife, wins a cake at a charity fête that contains a secret spy microfilm. He is thrust into a nightmare world of espionage and paranoia in Blitz-torn London, where no one can be trusted. Greene creates a hallucinatory atmosphere where the line between sanity and madness blurs amidst the falling bombs.

12. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene Maurice Bendrix recounts his passionate and illicit affair with Sarah Miles, which ends abruptly during the London Blitz. Years later, fueled by jealousy, he hires a detective to investigate her, only to discover a spiritual rival he cannot defeat. It is an intense exploration of love, hate, and the sudden intrusion of divine grace into a secular life.

13. Stamboul Train by Graham Greene As the Orient Express steams across Europe, a diverse group of passengers—including a chorus girl, a revolutionary, and a businessman—find their fates intertwined. The journey becomes a microcosm of political intrigue and personal desperation as the train reaches Constantinople. Greene weaves a gripping "entertainment" that balances thriller elements with sharp character studies.

14. A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene Raven, a hired killer with a harelip and a grudge against the world, is double-crossed after assassinating a European minister. On the run from both the police and his employers, he seeks revenge while dragging a chorus girl into his dangerous path. The novel is a taut noir thriller that examines the psychology of an outsider pushed to violence.

15. The Quiet American by Graham Greene Thomas Fowler, a cynical British journalist in Vietnam, finds his detachment challenged by Alden Pyle, an idealistic young American determined to save the country. Their conflict over politics and a local woman leads to tragic consequences in the twilight of French colonial rule. It is a prophetic novel about the dangers of innocence and foreign intervention.

16. The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene D., a former professor representing a besieged government in the Spanish Civil War, travels to England to secure a vital coal contract. He is hunted by enemy agents and distrusted by the locals, fighting a lonely battle in a fog-bound land. Greene crafts a gritty story of loyalty and exhaustion in a world where noble causes are betrayed by commerce.

17. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene Pinkie Brown is a teenage gangster in Brighton who commits a murder and marries the witness, a naive waitress named Rose, to silence her. The novel follows his descent into damnation as he is pursued by the tenacious Ida Arnold. It is a dark, theological thriller that contrasts Catholic guilt with secular morality against a seaside backdrop.

18. A Burnt-Out Case by Graham Greene Querry, a world-famous architect who has lost his vocation and ability to love, seeks anonymity in a leper colony in the Congo. He finds a fragile peace among the patients and doctors, but the intrusion of a journalist threatens to expose his past. The book is a somber meditation on fame, faith, and the possibility of spiritual redemption.

19. The African Queen by C.S. Forester Rose Sayer, a prim missionary, and Charlie Allnutt, a gin-swilling mechanic, are thrown together in German East Africa during World War I. They embark on a perilous journey down the Ulanga River in a dilapidated steam launch to attack a German gunboat. It is an adventure story of unlikely romance and heroism in the face of impossible odds.

20. The Three Hostages by John Buchan Sir Richard Hannay is called out of retirement to solve the kidnapping of three prominent figures by a mesmerizing villain named Medina. The chase moves from the clubs of London to the rugged cliffs of Scotland, involving hypnotism and high-stakes strategy. It is a classic adventure that pits decent British pluck against a diabolical intellectual foe.

21. The Third Man / The Fallen Idol by Graham Greene This volume contains the novellas written as treatments for two famous films. The Third Man follows Rollo Martins in post-war Vienna as he investigates the suspicious death of his friend Harry Lime. The Fallen Idol depicts a diplomat's son who inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime involving the butler he idolizes. Both stories explore betrayal and the loss of childhood illusions.

22. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene Jim Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman in Cuba, agrees to work for British intelligence to pay for his daughter's lifestyle. Lacking actual sources, he invents a network of agents and reports based on vacuum parts, leading to a farce that turns deadly serious. It is a brilliant satire of the intelligence community and the absurdity of the Cold War.

23. The Runagates Club by John Buchan This collection of short stories features the members of a London dining club, including Richard Hannay, sharing tales of their past adventures. The stories range from supernatural encounters to political intrigues, showcasing the breadth of Buchan’s storytelling. It serves as a reunion for the beloved characters of his major novels in a more intimate setting.

24. Guys and Dolls by Damon Runyon Runyon captures the slang and rhythm of Broadway in these stories about gamblers, gangsters, and chorus girls in 1920s New York. The tales are filled with colorful characters like Nathan Detroit and Harry the Horse, mixing humor with a touch of sentimentality. It is a vibrant portrait of a unique American subculture that inspired the famous musical.