"The Comforters," by Muriel Spark

Novel, 1957

A novel it's difficult to describe without making it sound much better than it actually is. This is a tale of polite post-war society getting snagged up in witchcraft, insanity, affairs, diamond smuggling and all sorts besides. The trouble is that addressing all these themes and incidents with a cast of what feels like dozens of characters is tricky, especially when there's a huge proportion of the writing in dialogue. Some great writing, but overall, things just don't seem to have any real coherence. Some great moments, but the sum is difficult to be wholly favourable towards.

"Symposium", by Muriel Spark

Novel, 1990

Wonderful satire offering flashbacks of a group of largely unlikable acquaintances trying to work through burglaries, prejudices, wills and weddings. This slim book starts at a cracking pace, landing the reader right into the story, but manages to build with a horror and focus sharpening towards a clever conclusion. This is a book containing a wonderfully eccentric collection of nuns, mad uncles and thieves and really grips the reader and builds a thick, stimulating atmosphere. Not a particularly cuddly read, but an enthralling one all the same.