20th Century Ballad Of Peckham Rye - Softcover

Muriel Spark (born February 1, 1918) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She began writing seriously after the war, beginning with poetry and literary criticism. In 1947, she became editor of the Poetry Review. Her first novel The Comforters was published in 1957, but it was The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1962) which established her reputation. After living in New York for some years, she settled in Italy in the late 1960s. She became Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1993.

Spark's 1960 satirical novel is given a fresh reading by Nick Rawlinson. This is a curious novel, and Rawlinson's reading walks carefully between performance and narration. Most surprising is Rawlinson's protean ability to flip between Irish and Scottish accents. This is a challenging novel, as Spark allows the audience plenty of latitude in deciding on the true character of Dougal Douglas. Rawlinson's rapid delivery moves the story along quickly, sometimes too quickly for Spark's dry British wit to fully bloom. This recording is a fine introduction to the canon of Muriel Spark and stands on its own as an unusual but engaging piece of modern fiction. R.F. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine