Spark of Genius

Short Story Collections

In one of those listings of the greatest British writers of the 20th century, I can’t recall who compiled it, Muriel Spark was ranked eighth. Muriel Spark? Then I discovered she was the woman who wrote The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – the novel itself possibly usurped by Maggie Smith’s seminal portrayal of Miss Brodie in the film. I felt somewhat guilty when I then found out that Muriel Spark was Scottish. I was born in Glasgow, so why didn’t I know more about such a heralded writer? I promptly read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as a starter. Enjoyed it very much for its characterisation of a compulsive extrovert, which led me to order The Driver’s Seat, nominated by Spark as her best book. The story proved to be quite a short one, I’d call it a novella. It was a brittle, tightly constructed tale about the planning of a murder. Less of a whodunit, rather, in the author’s words, a ‘whydunnit’.

The hardback was published by Polygon and I was most impressed by the delightful quality of the production: stylish typography, coloured endpaper, textured dust jacket – the book just has a great feel in the hand. Turns out Polygon have released twenty-two books in 2018 to celebrate the centenary of Muriel Spark’s birth. I’m keenly anticipating the arrival of five more volumes, but I fully suspect I’ll be ordering the balance. From not knowing much about this author, hopefully I’ll be able to offer some opinion on the prime of Miss Muriel Spark.

Here’s what another Scottish writer thought of Muriel Spark:

‘The greatest Scottish novelist of modern times…my admiration for Spark’s contribution to literature knows no bounds.’ – Ian Rankin