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dumbgirlreads's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I wish it was longer is all
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
4.0
General impressions: Biting, clever, sharp writing. A plot in which life imitates art, instead of vice versa. Characters that were not really sympathetic, in either action or thought.
I enjoyed it, and would read more of her works. I saw The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on the stage years ago and enjoyed it, as well. Sparks is now on my TBR list.
I enjoyed it, and would read more of her works. I saw The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on the stage years ago and enjoyed it, as well. Sparks is now on my TBR list.
lispeartree's review against another edition
4.0
“Un día escribiré la historia de mi vida, pero primero tengo que vivir”. Magnífica.
joelle's review against another edition
I kept seeing Muriel Spark mentioned by authors I admire and, after reading Loitering with Intent, I can absolutely see why she is so well-regarded by other writers. This short novel, which plays with the boundary between fact and fiction, author and story, was sharp, clever, and darkly funny.
rendezvouswithbooks's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Give me a Muriel and I am sure she would spark(le) for me. This was one book by her that I had been intending to read from quite a long time and finally when I did, it didn't let me down
A fine story that brings in an interesting amalgamation of author's life and a fiction world created by her. It felt like she had penned down her own experiences and weaved a story around it.
Fleur Talbot a novelist in making, works with high ended Sir Quentin Oliver and members of his Autobiographical Association. All the while writing her novel about this character named Warrender Chase. Lunatic Sir Quentin mysteriously steals her manuscript and then suddenly his life and life of members of the Autobiographical Association starts mimicking the lives of characters written in Fluer's novel.
The narrative is witty, funny and all in all very creative.
Absolutely loved it and recommend it
First Read of 2024 and what a great start
A fine story that brings in an interesting amalgamation of author's life and a fiction world created by her. It felt like she had penned down her own experiences and weaved a story around it.
Fleur Talbot a novelist in making, works with high ended Sir Quentin Oliver and members of his Autobiographical Association. All the while writing her novel about this character named Warrender Chase. Lunatic Sir Quentin mysteriously steals her manuscript and then suddenly his life and life of members of the Autobiographical Association starts mimicking the lives of characters written in Fluer's novel.
The narrative is witty, funny and all in all very creative.
Absolutely loved it and recommend it
First Read of 2024 and what a great start
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
4.0
General impressions: Biting, clever, sharp writing. A plot in which life imitates art, instead of vice versa. Characters that were not really sympathetic, in either action or thought.
I enjoyed it, and would read more of her works. I saw The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on the stage years ago and enjoyed it, as well. Sparks is now on my TBR list.
I enjoyed it, and would read more of her works. I saw The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on the stage years ago and enjoyed it, as well. Sparks is now on my TBR list.
margaret21's review against another edition
3.0
Fleur Talbot is an impecunious novelist who takes a job working for upper class pompous twit Sir Quentin Oliver, who founded the Autobiographical Association to encourage its members to record their memoirs. Fleur's job was to revise and spice up these otherwise dull recollections.
Life begins to imitate art as members of the association begin to act out events already recorded in Fleur's as yet unpublished manuscript Warrender Chase, and the skull-duggery and derring-do that fairly races through the pages is quite reminiscent of a '50's farce. In fact the 1950s are well-painted, as are the characters, from the deliciously loopy Lady Edwina, Quentin's mother, to the many and varied men in Fleur's life.
This is a crisply written book, with a plot that fairly zips along. It's something of a period piece, which I enjoyed, but was happy enough to finish and set aside in favour of some plainer fare.
Life begins to imitate art as members of the association begin to act out events already recorded in Fleur's as yet unpublished manuscript Warrender Chase, and the skull-duggery and derring-do that fairly races through the pages is quite reminiscent of a '50's farce. In fact the 1950s are well-painted, as are the characters, from the deliciously loopy Lady Edwina, Quentin's mother, to the many and varied men in Fleur's life.
This is a crisply written book, with a plot that fairly zips along. It's something of a period piece, which I enjoyed, but was happy enough to finish and set aside in favour of some plainer fare.
bryce_is_a_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
"I do dearly love a turn of events."
No one does a time slip more profitably than Spark.
No one does a time slip more profitably than Spark.