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Loitering with Intent

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About this listen

 "How wonderful to be an artist and a woman in the twentieth century," Fleur Talbot rejoices. Loitering about London in 1949, with intent to gather material for her writing, Fleur finds a job "on the grubby edge of the literary world", as secretary to the odd Autobiographical Association. Are they a group of mad egomaniacs, hilariously writing their memoirs in advance, or poor fools ensnared by a blackmailer? Rich material, in any case.

But when its pompous director, Sir Quentin, steals the manuscript of Fleur's new novel, fiction begins to appropriate life. The association's members begin to act out scenes exactly as Fleur herself had already written them in her missing manuscript. And as they meet darkly funny, pre-visioned fates, where does art start or reality end?

©1981 Copyright Administration, Ltd. (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks Women Feel-Good Witty Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

"I read this book in a delirium of delight. In Loitering with Intent, Miss Spark returns to the early flawless form of Memento Mori and The Comforters....Robust and full-bodied, a wise and mature work, and a brilliantly mischievous one." (The New York Times Book Review)

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Fascinating story, great characterisation and portrayal of post war London. A great flow to the story and some unexpected dark twists and turns. Very frank and interesting.
Fluer and Lady Edwina two favourites!
The narration is excellent , Nadia May becomes every character entirely!

Unusual and fascinating! Brilliant narration by Nadia May

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A really nice listen for free. Will look for more Muriel Spark I had forgotten her

Great this is included

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I have not read/listened to any books by Muriel Spark. This is not a book I would have normally come across had it not been the one selected for a book club. It is a witty and irreverent commentary on the English literary society in the late 1940s. The writing is full of ‘spark’ reflecting the author’s last name. I wouldn’t quite know how to describe it but am definitely glad I listened to it. Well narrated as well.

A surprising but interesting listen

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This is a pretty good (for her, so exceptionally good for anyone else) Muriel Spark novel, full of the insight and pettiness that make her so brilliant, and as chilly and funny and weird as one expects. But this is audible so I'm rating the performance, which is really first rate. The narrator captures the protagonist's pomposity as well as her brilliance and perspicacity. I had a great time. Would seek out the narrator as well as Spark.

Great reading, exactly the right tone

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I was disappointed by the book and the reading.

Transporting me into 1950s London - a place laden with observations of Cluedo style characters & class division - ultimately a place I didn't particularly want to be.

Action is all seen through the authors arch and aspirant novelists lens and more about them and their cleverness than plot and character.

it is a little like a Time Capsule of a certain period in English social history defined by the Soho set and their interaction with a declining aristocracy struggling at the dog end of a disappearing era.

I found the performance grating mannered and redolent of 1950s repertory British Theatre. overall not a winner for me!

Dated and arcane

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