A Shorter Finnegans Wake.

Joyce's masterpiece revised by the satirist and literary critic Anthony Burgess (1917-1993). Published simultaneously in paperback, this hardback issue was done principally for libraries. As a consequence copies like this are very uncommon.

'Anthony Burgess has cut down Joyce's masterpiece to its bare essentials and has provided a sort of waking commentary, as well as a long and enlightening introduction. He hopes that readers of this small labour of love will be tempted to proceed to the whole big uncut book and learn to revel in its humour and homely profundity. It is one of the great works of the age, as well as one of the funniest. We ignore it at or peril' (blurb).

First edition thus, first impression, casebound issue; 8vo; unmarked internally; publisher's green cloth, gilt lettering to spine, spine ends and corners slightly rubbed, with the original unclipped dust-jacket, spine and edges slightly tanned, slight dust-soiling to rear panel, minor edge-wear, else very good.