Published by Chatto & Windus, London; 1985. 8vo. 121pp. 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 excellent condition with no marks or damage and barely even a hint of bumping to the spine ends. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, free from blemishes or wear, with just a touch of darkening and speckling to the top edge.
The book is housed in its equally smart, first issue dust jacket. It is vibrant and bright and in beautiful condition, with just a little fading to the spine.
In all, this is a lovely first edition of this collection of eight short stories by Angela Carter, including "The Cabinet of Edgar Allen Poe" and "The Fall River Axe Murders". Extraordinary and diverse people inhabit this rich, ripe, occasionally raucous collection of short stories. 'The major themes running through most of the eight stories is how historical forces, focussed especially in the institutions of sexual, familial, and national power (forms of authority that are subtly interchangeable, as Carter depicts them), infect and transform the imagination of individuals.' - Rob Latham. Angela Carter wonderfully mingles history, fiction, invention, literary criticism, high drama and low comedy in a glorious collection of stories as full of contradictions and surprises as life itself (blurb). This is a beautiful example, which will complement any collection.