Breakdown
Cleveland: The World Publishing Comapny, 1960. Bratby, John. 1st Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. Near Fine / Very Good. Item #003894
Quarter black cloth with red and black pictorial paper boards, gilt lettering to spine and front board. 336 p.p. B&W illustration by the author throughout. Slight sunning to head and bump to spine head. Dust jacket worn at extremities, a few small chips to spine ends and corners, and a few short tears to tail edge. Flaps are cropped but not price clipped. According to the author, "This is a study of a man who tries to control an animal nature. The man is James Brady, successful artist. Behind the lurid episodes, which include everything from near-rape and murder to lunacy and a bicycle chain battle, is to be found a serious and continual explanation of why James Brady enacted The Rake's Progress. Superficially read, the book will present a juicy story, but those who want a more serious side to their reading will, I hope, find that also in the book. Now and again I have drawn incidents from my own experience and distorted and exaggerated them into the regions of pure fiction. I shall be highly amused if anyone thinks this book is autobiographical, for if it was I would indeed be an Awful Mess!"
Price: $32.00