HAMILTON, Patrick. Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse. London: Constable. 1953. 8vo. First edition, first printing. Publisher’s dark blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in the dust jacket which goes uncredited. A very good copy. The cloth clean and bright with mild fading to extremities. The binding tight and square, the topstain bright with a handful of faint spots to endpapers. Ink ownership inscription of Scottish author Bruce Marshall to front endpaper, else clean throughout, the textblock very slightly toned throughout from paper quality. The dust jacket unclipped (12s 6d net) with several small chips around spine head and a few nicks and light rubbing to other corners and some edges. Still, a presentable copy.
Hamilton’s second volume in his Gorse Trilogy—though several characters from previous novels appear here—and likely the last novel he physically wrote; the final instalment, Unknown Assailant (1955) had to be dictated, with a sad irony, while he was drunk and on account of his excessive drinking. Indeed, much of the action here plays out in the pub, where an absurd gang are stalked upon by the eponymous Gorse, a suave psychopath with menace in his veins.
HAMILTON, Patrick. Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse. London: Constable. 1953. 8vo. First edition, first printing. Publisher’s dark blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in the dust jacket which goes uncredited. A very good copy. The cloth clean and bright with mild fading to extremities. The binding tight and square, the topstain bright with a handful of faint spots to endpapers. Ink ownership inscription of Scottish author Bruce Marshall to front endpaper, else clean throughout, the textblock very slightly toned throughout from paper quality. The dust jacket unclipped (12s 6d net) with several small chips around spine head and a few nicks and light rubbing to other corners and some edges. Still, a presentable copy.
Hamilton’s second volume in his Gorse Trilogy—though several characters from previous novels appear here—and likely the last novel he physically wrote; the final instalment, Unknown Assailant (1955) had to be dictated, with a sad irony, while he was drunk and on account of his excessive drinking. Indeed, much of the action here plays out in the pub, where an absurd gang are stalked upon by the eponymous Gorse, a suave psychopath with menace in his veins.
