The fortieth anniversary edition of McEwan's first published work, beautifully re-jacketed for a new generation of fans. Now with an Afterword from the author. Forty years on from when they were first published, these stories show McEwan's dazzling early talent. Taut, brooding and densely atmospheric, these stories show us the ways in which murder can arise out of boredom, perversity can result from adolescent curiosity, and sheer evil might be the solution to unbearable loneliness.