Jean Stafford — Bad Characters

New York, Farrar, Straus & Company, 1964 . First edition. Cloth. A signed, first edition of this anthology of short stories from Pulitzer Prize winning author, Jean Stafford. The first edition, first impression of this work from American novelist and short story writer Jean Stafford. Signed by the author, 'To Kit and Joe Real with every good warm wish, Jean Stafford', to the front endpaper. With an additional ink inscription to the rear paste down of 'Jean Stafford is a bad character (Peter S. Boynton)', from fellow American author Peter Boynton, known for his 1966 works 'Games in the Darkening Air' and 'The Eaves Dropper&apos. In the brightly illustrated publisher's original unclipped dust wrapper. This work contains nine short stories from Stafford, alongside a novella, and displays 'the wit, sensibility and psychological penetration' common to the author's work. Stafford won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 'The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford' in 1970. Bound in the publisher's quarter cloth with paper covered board, with the original, unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, excellent, with light shelf wear and the odd small mark. Ink inscriptions to the front and rear endpapers. Dust wrapper is generally smart, with light edge wear, heavier to the spine, with a 1" section excised to the head of the spine. Slight creasing and a little soiling to wraps, with the odd spot to the reverse. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine/Very Good.