Cards of Identity. Dennis (Nigel) Modern First Edition

FIRST EDITION, a few faint spots to prelims, recurrent at final leaf, pp. [iv], 370, crown 8vo, original red cloth, backstrip lettered in gilt and darkened, touch of rubbing to extremities of cloth, free endpapers browned, dustjacket with Lucian (here spelt 'Lucien') Freud design to front panel, gentle browning to backstrip panel and borders, a couple of light marks to rear panel and a few little nicks, very good. Inscribed by the author on the flyleaf: 'To Con and Theo, With love & grateful thanks from Nigel'. Presentation copies of Dennis's work are scarce. A satirical novel, admired by Auden, with psychology its primary target. It describes the activities of the Identity Club, who prey upon the insecurities of modern man to advance and enact their theories. The narrative draws on a number of literary forms in order to bring down its prey - including a Shakespearean drama, and detective fiction at its denouement when a policeman appears to bring down the Club. Given that the work is built around psychological case-studies, the choice of Lucian Freud - grandson of the Father of Psychoanalysis - for the dustjacket artwork allows its narrative game to extend beyond the usual textual parameters; his design, a single-storey house of cards atop which a pair of circumspect eyes, would seem to refer to the instability of identity as a theme of the novel.