ginbottle's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pleasantly drawn portrait of a cast of friends and family making the best of their twilight years with a few twists and turns thrown in.
igru23's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
georgina_bawden's review against another edition
3.0
I've never read any Muriel Spark before and it was not what I expected. Witty, with beautifully observed characters and relationships. This book is about a cast of elderly characters and how they cope with their decline. It focuses largely on a group of upper middle class artists but also includes a few servants and highlights the difference in how they spend their last years in ailing health. It is a short novel that zips along. Often reading something like this in one sitting can emphasise glibness but there is enough weight to the novel to avoid that fate here. It felt fresh to read about a bunch of older people (almost exclusively over 70) - I'm not a fan of the "having a crisis in my twenties" bollocks (I'm looking at you Not Working) that seems to dominate modern light fiction about women. Unexpectedly quite dark in places, and a little strange, but also excellent satire.
eve81's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: War
jmslib's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rachel_the_managing_editor's review against another edition
4.0
4.42 stars
This marks my first time reading Muriel Spark, and I quite enjoyed the experience. If you like your death served with yucks (as I do), this one's for you. We've got grannies obsessed with horoscopes, tangled affairs, dismissive coppers, wonderful analogies, and death as a character.
I like what Pritchett says in the introduction: "Mrs. Spark casts her comedy in the form of a thriller of pursuit. The pursuer is death."
This marks my first time reading Muriel Spark, and I quite enjoyed the experience. If you like your death served with yucks (as I do), this one's for you. We've got grannies obsessed with horoscopes, tangled affairs, dismissive coppers, wonderful analogies, and death as a character.
I like what Pritchett says in the introduction: "Mrs. Spark casts her comedy in the form of a thriller of pursuit. The pursuer is death."
theciz's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I picked this up without remembering what it was actually about, as the title sounded spooky. This book is not spooky. The opening scene sets up a mystery, but this book isn’t really a mystery novel either. What it really is, is a character study of old, posh old people in the 1950s (and more interesting than that might suggest).
I suppose the spectre of death and the horrors of aging hang over the narrative, so it’s sort of thematic? But don’t pick this up if you like resolution, you’ll only find it very perfunctorily here.
I suppose the spectre of death and the horrors of aging hang over the narrative, so it’s sort of thematic? But don’t pick this up if you like resolution, you’ll only find it very perfunctorily here.
coops456's review against another edition
3.0
A group of well-to-do elderly friends start receiving anonymous telephone calls simply stating, "Remember you must die."
If that makes the book sound like it's in the mystery or thriller genre, don't be fooled - it's much more of a character study and there's little in the way of action. The writing is so engaging that you don't really notice this until the end!
If that makes the book sound like it's in the mystery or thriller genre, don't be fooled - it's much more of a character study and there's little in the way of action. The writing is so engaging that you don't really notice this until the end!
bookishwendy's review
2.0
Like [b:The Driver's Seat|668282|The Driver's Seat|Muriel Spark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348828782l/668282._SY75_.jpg|2776383] this one was weird. However, despite some amusing moments, overall I found this a rather convoluted slog.
thomasdj's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racial slurs