{"product_id":"like-a-cat-loves-a-bird","title":"Like a Cat Loves a Bird","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"\u003c\/i\u003eThis is a deeply stylish, astute and illuminating biography of a fascinating writer\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFRANCESCA WADE, author of \u003ci\u003eSquare Haunting\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Utterly charming. A book as elegant, sharp-witted and mischievous as its subject\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCLARE POLLARD, author of \u003ci\u003eDelphi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\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\/b\u003e\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\u003cb\u003e - \u003c\/b\u003ewith 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 \u003cb\u003e- \u003c\/b\u003ebut 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\u003e is 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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\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\u003e\u003cb\u003eLUKE TURNER, author of \u003ci\u003eOut of the Woods\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\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\u003e\u003cb\u003eFRANCESCA REECE, author of \u003ci\u003eGlass Houses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A readable and fascinating book, about an under-appreciated literary giant\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLUCINDA HAWKSLEY, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of Princess Louise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483530469749,"sku":"9781399742528","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399742528.jpg?v=1786178705","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/like-a-cat-loves-a-bird","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}