Angus Wilson — No Laughing Matter; As If by Magic; Setting the World on Fire

London, Secker and Warburg , 1967-1980. First edition. Cloth. A unique selection of bright first editions, being the last three novels from English writer, Angus Wilson. The first editions of these works. With the publisher's original dust wrappers. 'As If by Magic' and 'Setting the World on Fire' are unclipped, and 'No Laughing Matter' is clipped. Angus Wilson, one of England's first openly gay authors, wrote material that varied from serious to richly satirical in its portrayals of contemporary English social and intellectual life. This series comprises the following of his titles, of which were the last of his novels:'No Laughing Matter' (1967) - Chronicles sixty years in the life of an English family, with comments on the familial and social influence of the time on six unique siblings. 'As if by Magic' (1973) - A wide-ranging contemporary novel exploring sexual intrigue and the search for life's meaning. It concerns a grower of 'magic' rice and his god-daughter, whose desire for fulfillment leads her to a hippie colony on the Moroccan coast. 'Setting the World on Fire' (1980) - At the end of the Second World War, two brothers embark upon very different spheres to set the world on fire - the elder with no fears, the younger with fears to overcome. In the original cloth bindings. With the original dust wrappers. 'As If by Magic' and 'Setting the World on Fire' are unclipped, and 'No Laughing Matter' is clipped. Externally, excellent, with shelf wear only. Dust wrappers are very smart, with only slight edge wear to 'Setting the World&apos. With more notable edge wear to the other two works, and a couple small closed tears to the spine head and tail of 'No Laughing Matter&apos. Internally, firmly bound with bright and clean pages. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine/Very Good Indeed.