Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This novel is about a group of upper class people in their 70's up to 100 years old. A number of them are getting crank phone calls telling them they're going to die. It is about frivolous, self-centered individuals some of who carry on affairs for decades and others who continuously change their wills. At the end, I wondered "what was the point".
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
felt like a darkk comedy movie. like, i can really picture the scenes. some things make me laugh, but this is so much less interesting than other books i wanna read. i've read some reviews and decided not to continue bc i don't think i would like it even if i finished it
Quite enjoyable read, though the ending falls flat.
If you want to spend your time reading about old people who whine about how they feel, or if they should be In a nursing home, or whether they should remove someone from their will, this is your book! There were small bits throughout that hinted at a mystery, but the result is crammed at the end. This may have worked in 1959, but was quite tedious in the 21st century.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Dame Lettie, her brother Godfrey, Godfrey's wife Charmian, their respective lovers, Taylor their former housekeeper, and Inspector Mortimer are all over seventy years-old, all somewhat excentric, all slightly unhinged (aren't we all well before then), and although all were well-off during their working years they now worry about the cost of living in a care home for decades, and becoming senile.
So when each of them begins to receive an anonymous call that tells them 'remember to die', chaos ensues. It sets some panicking, others investigating, some regain a clearer memory, and others put shady plans into motion.
Meanwhile, Alec Warner, a common friend to this cast, is checking everbody's pulse, temperature, and is chronicling old age.
Memento Mori is a dark comedy, it rides on macabre humour throughout, and Spark is pitiless in the way she explores the transitory stage during which we witness the loss of our physical and intellectual abilities, the shame we feel, and the expectance of death.
Spark has an amazing ability to bring to life so many people in such a short space and make their darkest paradoxes emerge in great depth.
So when each of them begins to receive an anonymous call that tells them 'remember to die', chaos ensues. It sets some panicking, others investigating, some regain a clearer memory, and others put shady plans into motion.
Meanwhile, Alec Warner, a common friend to this cast, is checking everbody's pulse, temperature, and is chronicling old age.
Memento Mori is a dark comedy, it rides on macabre humour throughout, and Spark is pitiless in the way she explores the transitory stage during which we witness the loss of our physical and intellectual abilities, the shame we feel, and the expectance of death.
Spark has an amazing ability to bring to life so many people in such a short space and make their darkest paradoxes emerge in great depth.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How can I even try to describe how this novel made me feel?
It is so beautiful, so funny, so human, so much to the point.
In older paintings we often saw a skull, or even dead animals. This way the artist reminded us of the ‘memento mori’ , ‘remember to die ’.
This type of painting has been replaced by abstract work, our lifes get longer and we put old people away. Do we remember our own mortality, do we prepare for our death? Muriel Spark does a great job of reminding us.
I cannot wait to reread.
It is so beautiful, so funny, so human, so much to the point.
In older paintings we often saw a skull, or even dead animals. This way the artist reminded us of the ‘memento mori’ , ‘remember to die ’.
This type of painting has been replaced by abstract work, our lifes get longer and we put old people away. Do we remember our own mortality, do we prepare for our death? Muriel Spark does a great job of reminding us.
I cannot wait to reread.