Published by Jonathan Cape, London: 1990. 8vo. 302pp. First UK 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 free from damage or wear. Inside, the pages are clean and bright with no signs of ageing or blemishes.
The book is housed in an equally smart dust jacket, which the original price of £13.99 net to the front flap. The jacket is vibrant and bright, illustrated by Huntley/Muir, with just a touch of shelf wear to the edges with a very small chip to the rear flap.
In all, this is a particularly smart example of this modern first edition by Kurt Vonnegut. The novel capture Vonnegut's unique blend of satire, black comedy and deep philosophical inquiry. It features Eugene Debs, a Vietnam veteran, who now finds himself on trial for supposedly orchestrating the biggest prison-break in history, seeing the escape of 10,000 convicts from the New York State Maximum Security Adul Correctional Institution. Vonnegut juggles his favourite themes in a novel as fresh and brilliantly off-beat as anything he's written, critically examining themes of race, war, economy, and the unforeseen impacts of technology on people's lives. Hocus Pocus is emblematic of his ability to combine deep, existential questions with accessible and entertaining storytelling, this novel is vintage Vonnegut and a celebration of his literary genius. This example is an ideal collector's edition, and will sit perfectly in any collection.