LOITERING WITH INTENT - Hardcover

Spark, Muriel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0370309006 ISBN 13: 9780370309002

Publisher: Random House UK, 1987

Synopsis

A book with many autobiographical references that was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 1981. "[A] note of rejoicing, frequently sounded in 'Loitering with Intent,' may presage a new verve and expansiveness in Mrs. Spark's fiction. The corrosive sense of evil which ate some of her previous novels to such spindly and enigmatic shape has been diluted; although this present novel still does not invite us very deep into the emotional states its complications of plot out line in air, the possibility of such an invitation lies within its benevolent and reminiscent mood." John Updike, New Yorker

About this title

About the Author

Muriel Spark (1918-2006) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the author of over twenty novels, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, as well as critical biographies, radio plays, children's books, poetry, and short-story collections. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993 and a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 1996.

From AudioFile

Heroine Fleur Talbot loiters at what Spark calls the "grubby edges of the literary world," gathering material for her novel while working for the mysterious Autobiographical Association. Spark's involved plots, unhurried pace, and willingness to poke at the intricate eccentricities of human behavior are well served by Nadia May's reading. May easily manages the story's complex, numerous strands: Fleur's frequent discussion of the writing process, art's mirroring of life, and the book's many characters. It's a credit to May that we can keep track of the wealth of personality and detail Spark offers; May's throaty narration is particularly well suited to portrayals of the story's many elderly characters, especially the wonderfully eccentric Lady Edwina. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House UK
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0370309006
• ISBN 13: 9780370309002
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224