A Far Cry From Kensington

When Mrs Hawkins tells Hector Bartlett he is a pisseur de copie , that he urinates frightful prose , little does she realise the repercussions. Holding that no life can be carried on satisfactorily unless people are honest Mrs Hawkins refuses to retract her judgement, and as a consequence, loses not one, but two much-sought-after jobs in publishing. Now, years older, successful, and happily a far cry from Kensington, she looks back over the dark days that followed, in which she was embroiled in a mystery involving anonymous letters, quack remedies, blackmail and suicide.

“'Wonderfully entertaining - full of absurd, comical, engaging characters and written with typical wit, elegance and aplomb”

The divine Spark is shining at her brightest... Pure delight - Claire Tomalin, INDEPENDENT

An outstanding novel...A FAR CRY FROM KENSINGTON has an effortless, translucent grasp of the spirit of the period - OBSERVER

Wonderfully entertaining - full of absurd, comical, engaging characters and written with typical wit, elegance and aplomb - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

One of Muriel Spark s most liberating, liberated and meditative novels. Spark is a writer who can take the meditative and make it mercurially funny, playful and mischievous - Ali Smith

Born in Edinburgh, Muriel Spark was internationally famous and received the Italia Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the FNAC Prix Etranger and the Saltire Prize, among many others. She was elected an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1978 and to L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France in 1988. She died in April 2006.

When Mrs Hawkins tells Hector Bartlett he is a pisseur de copie , that he urinates frightful prose , little does she realise the repercussions. Holding that no life can be carried on satisfactorily unless people are honest Mrs Hawkins refuses to retract her judgement, and as a consequence, loses not one, but two much-sought-after jobs in publishing. Now, years older, successful, and happily a far cry from Kensington, she looks back over the dark days that followed, in which she was embroiled in a mystery involving anonymous letters, quack remedies, blackmail and suicide.

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