The Case Of Sergeant Grischa

The Case of Sergeant Grischa – Arnold Zweig (Penguin Books, 1986 edition)

Here’s a battered old Penguin paperback of Arnold Zweig’s The Case of Sergeant Grischa, a First World War classic first published in 1927. This isn’t a cheery tale of heroism and gallant charges — it’s a grim, satirical, and deeply human story about a Russian POW who escapes only to be sucked into the bureaucratic machinery of the German war machine. Think Kafka meets the trenches.

This 1986 Penguin edition has the cover design you probably remember from your university reading list, and yes, our copy has definitely been read before (several times, judging by the spine creases). Pages may be tanned, corners may be scuffed, but the words are all there — and still sharper than any bayonet.

Perfect if you’re into classic anti-war novels, Penguin orange spines, or just enjoy the smell of slightly foxed paper on a rainy evening. As always at Crappy Old Books: it’s a bit scruffy, but it’s honest.

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