The Complete Short Stories (Canons) - Softcover

Completely, searingly original. There is nobody remotely like her * * Independent * * Glittering, concise, funny and beautifully written * * Telegraph * * None could equal the cool perception with which she chronicles the darker mysteries of the human conidtion -- John Mortimer * * Evening Standard * * One of the most decisive and unmistakable voices in contemporary fiction - youthful, witty, sly, maternal, intimate, and alive with opinion -- Stephen Schiff * * New Yorker * * My admiration for Spark's contribution to world literature knows no bounds. She was peerless, sparkling, inventive and intelligent - the creme de la creme -- Ian Rankin It is perhaps her short stories that demonstrate her gifts best: wit, perception, acute characterisation, elegance and precision. They mark her out as one of the finest writers of her generation * * Observer * * A wholly original presence in modern literature -- Andrew Motion Muriel Spark's novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards, decisive as a smashed glass is decisive -- John Updike * * New Yorker * * Dullness is as alien to her as inelegance * * New Statesman and Society * * You've got to hand it to Canongate. When it comes to repackaging their back catalogue, they're in a class of their own. ... What have [the Canons] in common? Nothing - except for a subtle yet powerful branding ... the way they are marketed has a touch of genius. * * Scotsman * *

From the cruel irony of 'A member of the Family' to the fateful echoes of 'The Go-Away Bird' and the unexpectedly sinister 'The Girl I Left Behind Me', in settings that range from South Africa to the Portobello Road, Muriel Spark coolly probes the idiosyncrasies that lurk beneath the veneer of human respectability, displaying the acerbic wit and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her unique talent. The Complete Short Stories is a collection to be loved and cherished, from one of the finest short-story writers of the twentieth century.