The novelist Muriel Spark has died. She was a natural writer of great dramatic gift. A Catholic convert whose works often concerned theological issues, it is particuarly poignant to think of her this Easter Day. I remember with special pleasure The Mandelbaum Gate and, of course, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
UPDATE: The NYT obit is fascinating, especially regarding the relationship with her son.
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2 Comments
1. Yehudit:I was first introduced to Muriel Spark by reading the “Mandelbaum Gate,” when I bought a used paperback from a street vendor. I have since read almost everything she wrote. I think my favorites are “The Girls of Slender Means” and “A Far Cry From Kensington.”
Apr 16, 2006 - 12:00 pm 2. Yehudit:I think you are only born Jewish if your mother is, if your grandmother is but not your mother, I think you would have to convert.
I always sensed that Spark was ambivalent about her Jewish heritage (much like Madeleine Albright when she found out). But I thought she was fair about Israel and its relation to the surrounding Arab states in “The Mandelbaum Gate.” She wasn’t kind to any of the parties, which is her style.
Apr 16, 2006 - 12:12 pm