Published by Chatto and Windus, London; 1991. 8vo. 234pp. First edition, first impression. Condition: Fine/Near Fine.
Bound in original black cloth boards with title in gilt to the spine. The binding is square and tight and in very smart, clean condition, with no marks or damage, save a touch of bumping to the spine ends. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, with no blemishes or wear, and just a touch of spotting to the outer edges.
The book is housed in its original, first issue dust jacket, which also in very smart condition. There is a touch of bumping to the spine ends and slight fading to the edges, but the jacket is otherwise vibrant and bright and in excellent condition.
Overall, this is a very smart example of this modern first by Angela Carter. The novel is a richly comic tale of the tangled fortunes of two theatrical families, the Hazards and the Chances, and it sweeps the reader from Broadway in the 1890d to London in 1915, from a Hollywood adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the 1930s to London during the Blitz and reaches a sensational climax in the present day. A rambunctious family saga that spans several generations, it is also a celebration of the lore and magic of show-business. Witty, ribald, vulgar and sentimental, this novel is Angela Carter at her captivating best (blurb).