{"product_id":"9781399742528","title":"Like a Cat Loves a Bird","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e'This is a deeply stylish, astute and illuminating biography of a fascinating writer'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFRANCESCA WADE, author of \u003ci\u003eSquare Haunting\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Utterly charming. A book as elegant, sharp-witted and mischievous as its subject'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCLARE POLLARD, author of \u003ci\u003eDelphi\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'She was, if you believe what you read in the papers: a genius, a survivor, a bad mother, a fickle friend, a closeted lesbian, a tyrant, a loner, an eccentric, a recluse, a gossip, and an arch-manipulator. She would politely encourage you not to believe what you read in the papers.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuriel Spark was one of literature's great shapeshifters. That mercurial quality is found in her strange, brilliant, cruel novels - with their plots featuring pensioners receiving telephone calls from Death, the devil going clubbing in Peckham and a fascist schoolmistress leading her coterie of girls astray - but it is also true of her as a person.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs sly, nimble and elegant as Spark's own work, \u003ci\u003eLike a Cat Loves a Bird \u003c\/i\u003eis a thrilling new perspective on a remarkable life and career that spanned much of the twentieth century. From her childhood in Edinburgh to her final years in Tuscany - via South Africa, London, New York and Rome - it traces a light-footed journey around the world and through her strange and magnificent bibliography. It tells an irresistible story of transformation, wit and fierce determination and makes a passionate case for this vital modern artist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'You don't have to be a Muriel Spark fan to enjoy the sharp wit of \u003ci\u003eLike a Cat Loves a Bird\u003c\/i\u003e, a fascinating and nuanced exploration of the sacrifices some make to focus on their art'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLUKE TURNER, author of \u003ci\u003eOut of the Woods\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Vital, fun and immediate . . . full of engaging and astute literary analysis of Spark's work as well as scintillating, vivid biography'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFRANCESCA REECE, author of \u003ci\u003eGlass Houses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A readable and fascinating book, about an under-appreciated literary giant\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLUCINDA HAWKSLEY, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of Princess Louise\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Sceptre","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57019982381429,"sku":"9781399742528","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0289\/5334\/6096\/files\/9781399742528.jpg?v=1775129301","url":"https:\/\/goldenharebooks.com\/products\/9781399742528","provider":"Golden Hare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}