Published by Bloomsbury Publishing, London; 1996. 8vo. 159pp. First edition, first impression. Condition: Fine/Near Fine
Bound in original red cloth boards, the biding is square and tight with gold detailing to the boards and the title to the spine. The binding is in excellent condition, with no marks or damage save a touch of bumping to the spine ends. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, free from blemishes or wear, the book appearing unread.
The book is housed in its original, first issue dust jacket. It is vibrant and bright, with just a touch of sunning and bumping to the edges.
In all, this is a smart first edition of this collection of short stories by Alasdair Gray. Mavis Belfrage is Gray's only straight novel about love. Five other tales describe folk in Britain's lowest professional class between the late 1950s and 90s. This is the least fanciful of Gray's fiction collections and will amuse readers who do not find the world comfortable and don't expect to escape from it alive (blurb).