Here is the collection that first brought Ian McEwan instant recognition as one of the most influential voices writing in England today. These riveting 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. These tales disturb but are crafted with a lyricism and intensity that compel us to confront our secret kinship with the horrifying.