First edition of the author's fourth book, a comic novel dubbed 'a small masterpiece' by O'Brien's biographer Anthony Cronin. Dedicated by the author to Graham Greene, 'whose own form of gloom I admire...'. With the ownership signature of academic and scholar Donal Cruise O'Brien, son of Conor Cruise O'Brien, the Irish politician and scholar.

First edition, first impression; 8vo; ownership signature to front free endpaper, else unmarked internally; publisher's red and black cloth, gilt lettering to spine, light spotting to top edge, with the unclipped pictorial dustjacket by Sean O'Sullivan, slightly toned, particularly to spine, slight rubbing and dust-soiling, mild spotting to rear panel, tiny chips to extremities with associated creasing, else very good.