Reviews

Not having come of age in post-war England, I believe the nuances of this little gem of a novel mostly escaped me. So this story of a young woman (29-30 over the course of the novel) and her fellow rooming house inhabitants felt a little random at times. But characteristically Muriel Spark: sly wit, subtle comedy, a sense of menace and a deeply sympathetic narrator. Oh, and some sublime writing. A man is "thin and grey and his voice matched his looks. It sounded like a wisp of smoke wafting from some burning leaves hidden by a clump of lavender.""[His] words of praise were like the cry of a bird in distress, far away across a darkening lake. I had a sense he was offering things abominable to me, like decaffeinated coffee or coitus interruptus."

dreesreads's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

frazzlefran's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

michael_levy's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

agrinczel's review against another edition

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4.0

There's a review that said the person didn't understand the point of the book, or even if there was one, but liked it anyway. I couldn't give a better recommendation than that! It was really good, especially as an audio book.

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