Another edition's cover
Cover of another edition of this book. The Hamish Hamilton 1985 jacket has not been photographed yet.
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 23 Oct 2026.
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Hamish Hamilton, London, 1985, 263 pages, 25 cm, ISBN 0 241 11688 0; this is the first edition of the novel. Later British editions are not firsts: the Corgi paperback (1986), the Charnwood large print edition (Leicester, 1987) and the Macmillan hardback reissue (1998, ISBN 0 333 74802 6).
Read the full guide to Hamish Hamilton first editions, decade by decade, and check your copy's copyright page against it. Our number line decoder reads the printing from the row of numbers.
We have not yet confirmed the issue points that tell this first impression from later ones. Until we do, compare your copy's title page and copyright page with the publisher, place and year above: any later printing or edition statement means it is not this one.
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The cover image shows this book but may not be this edition or printing.
Hamish Hamilton, London, in 1985, in hardback.
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 23 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →7 min readTo identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
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