A bunch of old people getting mysterious phone calls reminding them of death's imminence may sound more like a bad Japanese horror film than the premise of an entertaining yet intellectually weighty novel, but Muriel Spark pulled it off. Prior to the publication of Memento Mori she'd spent most of her 50-odd years editing and writing and getting no recognition (much as the present writer), but this was her breakout novel garnering her both critical and popular interest and acclaim. The great Graham Greene praised this novel as the best he'd read since the War (meaning World War II, cause he's old). Not just a spooky story or suspense thriller, this darkly comic novel investigates the meaning of death, life, and fear in the modern age.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
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