First published when he was barely twenty-five, these stories introduce us to a young builder in despair as he enters the primeval atmosphere of a public bath; teenaged boys lolling about seaside resorts, boasting about their exploits with women; a young man and an older woman playing out the last movement of their affair; and an adolescent musician who prostitutes his talent. This book, which won raves at its first publication, shows all the hallmarks of the writer who became the award-winning film director so well known today.