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Driver's Seat
Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
33 posts | 37 read | 50 to read
Driven mad by an office job, Lise flies south on holiday -- in search of passionate adventure and sex. In this metaphysical shocker, infinity and eternity attend Lise's last terrible day in the unnamed southern city that is her final destination.
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review
CarolynM
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

What a weird and wonderful little book! My rational mind thinks I should be disturbed by it, but Spark‘s black humour somehow made the story palatable. I picked it up today meaning just to have a look at it, but I read the first page and didn‘t put it down until I finished. Only 100 pages, but still…

BarbaraBB Yes, that black humor! Loved it! 1mo
vivastory That has been the case with me & most of the Sparks novellas I've read. Once I start I'm immediately hooked. 1mo
Cathythoughts Sounds great. Stacked. I love this cover❤️ 1mo
See All 8 Comments
Ruthiella I thought this book was so weird! 🤯 1mo
LeahBergen Oh, good! I have this waiting on my shelves. 👍 (edited) 1mo
quietjenn Oo, sounds promising! 1mo
Aimeesue Great review! Spark is one of my faves - so dark and odd 🖤 1mo
Rissreads I just got this in the mail, I‘m looking forward to it! 3w
67 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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CarolynM
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Gifts from my husband ❤️

Freespirit Lovely man😊 1mo
squirrelbrain He‘s a keeper! Happy Birthday! 🥳 1mo
LeahBergen Nice haul! 🥰 1mo
See All 22 Comments
LeeRHarry Very nice! Happy birthday! 🎉x 1mo
batsy How lovely ❤️ Happy birthday? 😘🧁🎈 1mo
kspenmoll Wonderful! Happy Birthday!!🎈🎉 1mo
MrsMalaprop What a lovely stack 📚. Am guessing it‘s your birthday. Hope it‘s been lovely 🥳 1mo
Lindy Happy birthday! I spy The Driver‘s Seat — that one is unforgettable. 1mo
Tamra Happy Birthday and Bookday! 🥳 1mo
youneverarrived Happy Birthday 🩷 1mo
BarbaraBB Echoing @Lindy re the Muriel Spark. Happy birthday dear Carolyn! 🌸💖 1mo
Reggie What a nice guy! 1mo
Ruthiella Happy Birthday! 🥳🥳🥳 1mo
quietjenn Awesome! Happy birthday! 🎉 1mo
Jeg Happy birthday. Georgia Blain , lovely. Hope you had a great day. 🎂🎂🎂 1mo
CarolynM @Freespirit @squirrelbrain He is, both those things, for so many reasons🥰 1mo
CarolynM @LeeRHarry @batsy @kspenmoll @MrsMalaprop @Tamra @youneverarrived @Ruthiella @quietjenn Thank you all for the birthday wishes 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘 1mo
CarolynM @Lindy @BarbaraBB Thank you both😘😘 I want to read all the Muriel Sparks. This one sounds particularly good. (edited) 1mo
CarolynM @Jeg Thank you, Joy😘 I‘m very pleased with all of them, but maybe that one especially. 1mo
Centique A belated Happy Birthday! What a beautiful pile of books - he has done a wonderful job 🙌 I will send you an email soon! 1mo
CarolynM @Centique Thank you, Paula😘 1mo
Rissreads Oooooo, I have this book on its way in the mail 1mo
69 likes22 comments
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Sapphire
Pickpick

Thankful to reading a review here. Quite odd story but a perfect weekend kindle read.

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MinnieTimperley
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

Excuse the pun but Spark certainly takes the reader for an anxiety inducing ride as we follow the increasingly erratic Lise in an unnamed Mediterranean city in her search for a boyfriend who may or may not exist.

BarbaraBB Such a fun read. 2y
58 likes3 stack adds1 comment
review
Brimful
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Pickpick

What a weird and wonderful novel! The story of a victim of a crime who bizarrely seems to be in ‘the driver‘s seat‘. A tilt I think at the conventional thinking that surrounds the social and sexual revolutions of the sixties. Spark is an original and unpredictable thinker who has no qualms about discomforting her readers. I found this in a charity shop and will keep looking out for second hand copies of the rest of her books.

CarolynM She's an author I alwasys look for in second hand bookshops 🙂 2y
Brimful @CarolynM when else does you look for? I tend to look for earlier work of Booker prize winners. Picked up both of Galgut‘s previous shortlisted books that way 2y
CarolynM The ones who come immediately to mind are Angela Thirkell, Penelope Lively, Anne Fine and recently Barbara Pym. 2y
Brimful All good suggestions! Thanks 2y
9 likes4 comments
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Brimful
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They don‘t want to be all dressed alike anymore. Which is only a move against us. You couldn‘t run an army like that, let alone the male sex. With all due respect to Mr Fiedke,may he rest in peace, the male sex is getting out of hand. Of course Mr Fiedke knew his place as a man, give him his due.

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Liz_M
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

Lise seems ordinary. A single woman of average looks, working in middle management at an unremarkable firm, heading south for vacation. But from the beginning, there are hints that something is not quite right. And Lise becomes inexplicable, especially as only actions and events are described. Early on Spark reveals the ending, leaving us to puzzle out how and why. But I found the tone too detached and didn‘t much care. It needs a second reading.

BarbaraBB For the reasons you mention I really liked this one and thought it quite original. 3y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB I maybe should not have read it on election day. 3y
BarbaraBB That may be true, I feel the same about the book I read! 3y
21 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Bertha_Mason
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark

For a "suspense novel," this book sure is dragging along for me.

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Billypar
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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#BehindtheWheel #MayMovieMagic
I had The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in my hand at the bookstore last weekend, but I put it back, thinking that there was another Muriel Spark novel I wanted to read first. Had I checked my TBR, I would have realized it was this one. Intriguing plot involving a woman trying to escape both her life and general persona, leading to a drama while sitting between two men on an airplane (so, I guess title is a metaphor? 🤔)

Cinfhen I read this one last year. Very impressive and quite enjoyable. Thinking you‘d really like it, Vinnie 5y
BarbaraBB Great choice. I loved this book - and any by her! 5y
See All 9 Comments
RohitSawant 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 5y
batsy I can't wait to read this! 5y
Billypar @Cinfhen I do really want to read it too- I should have still gotten it while I was at the shop- I was feeling frustratingly disciplined 😋 5y
Billypar @BarbaraBB I've only read her short stories, which she's not even know for as much, but they still made me want to read everything she's ever written. 5y
Billypar @batsy I would say 'me too', but apparently I've waited two years already 😳 #somanybookssolittletime 5y
Aimeesue Spark! ❤️❤️❤️ She's one of my favorites. I love Memento Mori - the audiobook is excellent. 5y
42 likes1 stack add9 comments
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zsuzsanna_reads
Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

I originally gave this book 4 stars, but decided to upgrade it to 5. I have read it during the summer and still keep thinking about it occasionally.

A young-ish English woman - one of the most disturbing I remember reading about and so vividly realised - with an eclectic dress sense goes on summer holiday. The rest is an entirely unpredictable psychological suspense story that is not a thriller.

Definitely recommended.

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HardcoverHearts
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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It‘s been an exciting night. Thomas and Simon from The Readers podcast are in town (my town!) for a Reader‘s Retreat and we met up for drinks, dinner and a stroll around City Lights Booksellers. I have never had as much fun in a bookstore as I had with about 19 other hardcore readers. There was a lot of touching of covers, breathing in books and handing them off to one another to check out. I ended up coming home with these gems!

LeahBergen Ohhhh! You are at The Readers Retreat?? Lucky! 👏🏻👏🏻 6y
Tamra Butcher‘s Crossing 👍🏾 6y
HardcoverHearts @LeahBergen I couldn‘t believe it when they announced that it would be here and right after I got back from my vacation! I knew I couldn‘t travel again so soon after just being out for almost 2 weeks, so it was a gift that they are in my backyard. I feel extremely lucky. 6y
LeahBergen I hope you update us with any other events you attend with them this weekend. Have fun! 6y
Zelma I am so envious. I love their podcast and enjoyed all the planning chat for the retreat. 6y
43 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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peggyriley
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Pickpick

Wacky.

6 likes1 stack add
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peggyriley
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Sounds like my kind of book.

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umbrellagirl
Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Next weekend I‘ll be driving across the state to visit as many independent booksellers as I can. If I can get to at least 15/20 on this map, I‘ll win a $25 gift voucher to each store! If you‘re in Connecticut and would like to join in, here are the details. https://www.rjjulia.com/event/connecticut-independent-bookstore-day-passport

tpixie Fun! Good luck!! Post your adventure!! 6y
TheWordJar How exciting!!! Have fun!! 6y
vkois88 That's really cool!! Enjoy ❤❤ 6y
See All 10 Comments
wanderinglynn That‘s so cool! Can‘t wait to hear about your adventure! 6y
Carolhreads Wow, that's awesome!!! Hope you get to all of them I wonder if some of the bookstores will open early and close later that's a lot of stores for people to travel to. :) 6y
Sungirl79 That sounds amazing!! 6y
Pamwurtzler That sounds really fun! 6y
Lreads Sounds like a fun road trip! 6y
TEArificbooks What fun! Wish I lived closer or I would ride shotgun. 6y
bookish_wookish A lot of those are really close to me!! 6y
72 likes10 comments
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shawnmooney
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

A gorgeously dark and demented novella about a woman on holiday, searching for a man who is “her type.” Among her many strange behaviors, she carries a book whose gaudy cover matches her glaringly mismatched outfit, often holding it in front of her like a shield, like an identity badge. I myself suspect the book was titled The Driver‘s Seat, by Muriel Spark.

LeahBergen I‘m going to put this on my “hunt down at a book sale” list. Our spring book sales are great for old Sparks and Brookners. 👍🏻 6y
Lindy @LeahBergen A worthwhile effort. Such a great book. 6y
Lindy Shawn, thank you. I love being reminded of books like this one that bowled me over. I blogged about it 5 years ago: https://lindypratch.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-drivers-seat-by-muriel-spark.html?m=... 6y
shawnmooney @Lindy Spark is indeed a master of “final twists”! It‘s nice to agree on this book, and I so enjoyed your review! I hope to read another of hers later this year: 6y
59 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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shawnmooney
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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BarbaraTheBibliophage 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
47 likes1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Thank you, @Wilkie for the wonderful Valentine‘s day gifts. They are fabulous! Two books on my wishlist and the other two sound right about my alley. And OMGosh, my first Persephone! The teas and chocolates look yum, love the page markers and the notebook + pen are lovely. Thank you for everything and Happy Valentine‘s Day! ❤️
#cupidgoespostal #valentinesbookexchange

Wilkie I am glad you like your gifts! Happy Valentine‘s Day and happy reading❤️ 6y
Avanders Yay!! 💖💋🌸 6y
98 likes2 comments
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Booksnchill
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

What did I just read???? 106 pages of a woman looking for “her type”- described as “superbly chilling and blithely evil”- yes, that‘s as good a desciption as I can come up with. Go read it! 😱

emtobiasz Ha! I thought about warning you when I saw you post about it this morning-- then I thought "nah, everyone has to experience this for themselves" ? Glad you liked it! 6y
Booksnchill @emtobiasz I probably would not have believed you!!! That was quite a ride!!!👍👍 6y
TricksyTails You're making me very curious about this book. 😆 6y
See All 6 Comments
Booksnchill @tricksytails it is short, weird and you should certainly read it! 6y
TricksyTails I will! With that cover, how could I resist? 6y
emilyhaldi I‘m too curious not to stack! 6y
72 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Booksnchill
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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#DogsofLitsy Whiskey and I plan to read this short 107 page novella today- well I think he plans to nap under a blanket as we have blanket weather here all week!🌬🐾

AmyG He is so cute. 6y
tammysue 😍 6y
emilyhaldi Cute! Is Whiskey a Cairn terrier?? 6y
Booksnchill @emilyhaldi whiskey is a wire haired dachshund- terrier coloring and the wire hair is similar 6y
TricksyTails Whiskey! 🐶💕 6y
72 likes5 comments
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Lmtrott
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

Startling. Bizarre. An apt cover! #MurielSpark can get under my skin in a way that only she and #ShirleyJackson can. My kind of #Halloween read. #TheDriversSeat

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BarbaraBB
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

I knew nothing about this book and just started to read. So I was completely surprised by Lise, whose thoughts we never know, which makes this book so creepy and funny at the same time.
In the end, she is certainly in the driver's seat. Recommended easy-read! #1001books Picture: my new car 🚙!

7 likes1 stack add
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andrew61
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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#readingwomenmonth #booksaboutmentalhealth
There are so many books about mental health and i thought instantly of stunning recent memoirs that i posted on a thread recently H is for hawk and The Outrun but instead I've plumped for muriel spark's brilliantly dark novella about a woman who goes on a holiday to Italy - i won't say any more but .

saresmoore Ooh, with a teaser like that, I can't NOT stack this! 7y
andrew61 @saresmoore ha just seen what i did, wasn't deliberate, i was tapping away on my phone, got interrupted and pressed post. Still it probably sums it up perectly 😂 7y
ValerieAndBooks This was good! I won't say anymore either 🙊 7y
diovival This book 😮❗ 7y
batsy Oooh love the only Spark I've read and I love that all of you are being so cryptic. Have to check it out. 7y
15 likes4 stack adds5 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

Read in one night. This surreal novella had me turning pages. This passage is one instance of showing how Lise is not quite right. Even when Spark uses flash-forward to inform the reader of what will happen, it still all feels very suspenseful. Definitely going to seek out more of her works! Have already read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. (Read for year 1970 of my #birthdaychallenge)

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ValerieAndBooks
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Thank you, John Lanchester, for the suggestion not to go any further in your introduction to this book. Usually I avoid reading introductions until after the end because of potential spoilers, but every once in a while I forget. Thanks again! #birthdaychallenge

LauraJ What year are you doing? 7y
ValerieAndBooks @LauraJ this one is 1970. I'm almost done already, it's very short at 103 pages, really a novella. 7y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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This finally came in the mail today! Ordered this two weeks ago. No complaints with how long it took, with it being from overseas and the holidays, but now I can proceed with the next book I chose for my #birthdaychallenge. This was published in 1970. Muriel Spark may be best known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

emtobiasz I love Muriel Spark, but her books sure are odd! 📚 7y
Cinfhen I ❤️Book Depositary 7y
ValerieAndBooks @emtobiasz this will be my 2nd of hers after Jean Brodie. It does look mind-bending but looking forward to it! 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Cinfhen I do too! I don't usually order books from anywhere (relying mostly on used bookstores) but they have great prices (and cool free bookmarks!) 7y
63 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Claire_Fuller_writer
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

An odd novella that made me laugh at times until I got about half way and then it turns even odder. Not what I was expecting, but that's a good thing

9 likes2 stack adds
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Ellen_C
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

Lise is going on holiday and is going to be murdered. In this short, dark novel, (Spark's personal favorite) we'll get a picture of a woman who is on edge and who engages in increasingly erratic behavior. The end comes as a bit of a shock and surprise. Good stuff. http://cannonballread.com/2016/08/if-we-took-a-holiday-took-some-time-to-celebra...

7 likes1 stack add
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Books_and_Scissors
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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It was my first Muriel Spark and it left me rather puzzled. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it for a book club or uni seminar... Should I read more Spark?

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Howardsimmons
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
Pickpick

Short, horrifying, funny - and deserving of a very close read. As soon as I finished it, I flipped to the beginning and started again.

3 likes1 stack add
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CherrySimpso
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark
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Pickpick

What an intense, dark and disturbing book - in the very best way. I loved this tale of a sad lady and her trip of a lifetime!

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DrBird
The Driver's Seat | Muriel Spark

If you want a good place to start with Muriel Spark, then I suggest the funny, weird protagonist of the brief but perfect THE DRIVER'S SEAT.