Items related to The Abbess of Crewe
Synopsis
An election is held at the abbey of Crewe and the new lady abbess takes up her high office with implacable serenity. This is a satirical fantasy about ecclesiastical and other kinds of politics. The author has also written "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "Girls of Slender Means".
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Review
Published in 1974 and inspired by Watergate, Muriel Spark's Abbess of Crewe is much more amusing and infinitely drier. It transpires that Alexandra, the title character, has bugged and videotaped the Abbey--except for the confessionals and chapel--with electronic "devices fearfully and wonderfully beyond the reach of a humane vocabulary." After her only rival decamps for London and the arms of a Jesuit, police and newspapers swoop in. All the while, the Abbess (an adherent of Machiavelli, The Art of War, and the Modernist poets) keeps her cool, sacrificing her confederates as necessary and trying to assure herself of helicopter-hopping Gertrude's loyalty. (Gertrude is off curing cannibals of their customs and calls in occasionally from places whose unpronounceable names will soon be replaced by other equally unpronounceable names.) Spark's nuns on the run are more than stand-ins for the sweaty American President and his operatives; the satire extends to Anglo-snobbism and -Catholicism. The Abbess explains to the Pope that "electronic surveillance (even if a convent were one day to practise it) does not differ from any other type of watchfulness, the which is a necessity of a Religious Community; we are told in the Scriptures 'to watch and to pray,' which is itself a paradox."
From the Back Cover
An elegant fable about intrigue, corruption, and electronic surveillance, 'The Abbess of Crewe' (1974) is set in an English Benedictine convent. Steely and silky Abbess Alexandra has bugged the convent, and rigged her election. But the cat gets out of the bag, and--plunged into scandal--the serene Abbess faces a Vatican inquiry.
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- PublisherPenguin Books
- Publication date1977
- ISBN 10 0140040749
- ISBN 13 9780140040746
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages112
- Rating
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The Abbess of Crewe
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003122138
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The Abbess of Crewe
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Softcover. Condition: Bon. Ancien livre de bibliothèque. Traces d'usure sur la couverture. Ammareal reverse jusqu'à 15% du prix net de cet article à des organisations caritatives. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Book Condition: Used, Good. Former library book. Signs of wear on the cover. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Seller Inventory # E-363-022
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The Abbess of Crewe
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ISBN 10: 0140040749
ISBN 13: 9780140040746
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Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Very Good +. Please email us if you would like further information or if you would like us to send you a picture of the book. The book i am offering may not have the same cover as the one pictured. they are stock photos from the site. Thanks for looking! Size: 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 026253
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The Abbess of Crewe Spark, Muriel
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The Abbess of Crewe
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Condition: good. Befriedigend/Good: Durchschnittlich erhaltenes Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit Gebrauchsspuren, aber vollständigen Seiten. / Describes the average WORN book or dust jacket that has all the pages present. Seller Inventory # M00140040749-G
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The Abbess of Crewe
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The Abbess of Crewe
Seller: Robinson Street Books, IOBA, Binghamton, NY, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Prompt shipment, with tracking. we ship in CLEAN SECURE BOXES NEW BOXES First thus. Pages tan else very good. Seller Inventory # bing8218151
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The Abbess of Crewe
Published by
Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1975
ISBN 10: 0140040749
ISBN 13: 9780140040746
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Pictorial Wraps. Condition: Very Good. First Thus. Front cover blurb: "A wicked satire on Watergate". Mass market paperback. Printed in Great Britain. Slight handling wear, mild marginal toning, otherwise a clean tight solid softcover copy. 107pp. SB-91. Seller Inventory # 037428
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The Abbess of Crewe Spark, Muriel
Seller: Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, Hay-on-Wye, HEREF, United Kingdom
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Condition: Poor. Used, cover has light scratches and marks, outer edges have scuffs, outer pages have gone Brown, book content is in readable condition. Seller Inventory # 063461-6
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THE ABBESS OF CREWE
Seller: Le-Livre, SABLONS, France
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Couverture souple. Condition: bon. RO60110783: 1975. In-12. Broché. Bon état, Couv. convenable, Dos satisfaisant, Intérieur acceptable. 106 pages. . . . Classification Dewey : 420-Langue anglaise. Anglo-saxon. Seller Inventory # RO60110783
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