{"product_id":"like-a-cat-loves-a-bird-the-nine-lives-of-muriel-spark-9781399742528","title":"Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA spiky and delicious new literary biography of the great twentieth-century writer Muriel Spark\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"R\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eemarkably shrewd and surprisingly amusing\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eWILLIAM BOYD, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This is a deeply stylish, astute and illuminating biography of a fascinating writer\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eFRANCESCA WADE, author of \u003ci\u003eSquare Haunting\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Utterly charming. A book as elegant, sharp-witted and mischievous as its subject\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eCLARE POLLARD, author of \u003ci\u003eDelphi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Like a Spark novel, the moment my eyes met the page I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading . . . A magnificent piece of work\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eROBIN INCE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\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\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\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. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\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\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eLUKE TURNER, author of \u003ci\u003eOut of the Woods\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\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\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eFRANCESCA REECE, author of \u003ci\u003eGlass Houses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A readable and fascinating book, about an under-appreciated literary giant\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eLUCINDA HAWKSLEY, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of Princess Louise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399742528\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 14 Jul 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 22(H)x14.2(L)x3.2(W)440\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 440\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Bailey\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer and researcher from Manchester. He is a Doctor of Literature, and the author of \u003ci\u003eMuriel Spark's Early Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e (2021) and the co-editor of \u003ci\u003eBritish Women Short Story Writers\u003c\/i\u003e (2015). His day job involves working to support the development of other writers, as well as publishers, bookshops and literature festivals.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cb\u003eFirst-class . . . a witty, stylish read\u003c\/b\u003e -- 'Best Books of the Summer' * The Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRemarkably shrewd and surprisingly amusing\u003c\/b\u003e -- William Boyd * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eClever ... Spark's nine lives, also presented as a \"series of flickering sparks\", neatly capture both the slipperiness and the picaresque quality of this most elusive of subjects ... \u003cb\u003e[Bailey's] Spark is a likeable monster and his wit and playfulness are well suited to his subject. He is a good close reader and this is a biography that will delight those who admire Spark's 22 novels and intrigue those who are new readers\u003c\/b\u003e or who know only\u003ci\u003e The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie\u003c\/i\u003e -- Paula Byrne * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eBailey's slippery Spark is chaotic, complex, often hilarious, and constantly shapeshifting. His kaleidoscopic portrait illuminates Spark's life and work from every angle, yet - crucially - allows her the freedom she craved to confound and elude those who would try to pin her down. \u003cb\u003eThis is a deeply stylish, astute and illuminating biography of a fascinating writer\u003c\/b\u003e -- Francesca Wade, author of SQUARE HAUNTING\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInventive not inventing\u003c\/b\u003e ... Bailey's approach isn't a conventional \"life\" so much as a hybrid of literary criticism, personal appreciation and a novel -- David Robinson * The Scotsman *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fresh take\u003c\/b\u003e on the well-known facts of Spark's life and work. James Bailey's title reveals his \u003cb\u003esingular \u003c\/b\u003eperspective...A \u003cb\u003elively, quirky \u003c\/b\u003eaddition to the corpus of work on Spark which, as with the others, will send readers back to her inimitable novels * The Herald *\u003cbr\u003eAstute . . . a welcome addition for anyone caught in the mental claws of one of the most elusive and brilliant writers of modern times -- Martin Chilton * Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncisive . . . memorable\u003c\/b\u003e -- Ysenda Maxton Graham * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eUtterly charming. A book as elegant, sharp-witted and mischievous as its subject.\u003c\/b\u003e If you love literary biography, you'll feel like the cat that got the cream -- Clare Pollard, author of DELPHI\u003cbr\u003eWhat an exciting piece of writing - \u003cb\u003elike a Spark novel, the moment my eyes met the page I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading\u003c\/b\u003e - it will be quite impossible for anyone to read this and not immediately feel the urgent need to read everything she wrote. \u003cb\u003eA magnificent piece of work\u003c\/b\u003e -- Robin Ince\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou 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. Bailey toys with Spark as the title implies - but there's an implication too that so does she, with her biographer and her readers, on the page, and from beyond the grave -- Luke Turner, author of OUT OF THE WOODS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBeautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e ... a r\u003cb\u003eeadable and fascinating\u003c\/b\u003e book, about an under-appreciated literary giant -- Lucinda Hawksley, author of THE MYSTERY OF PRINCESS LOUISE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVital, fun and immediate\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003ci\u003eLike a Cat Loves a Bird\u003c\/i\u003e is lithe and compelling, and full of engaging and astute literary analysis of Spark's work as well as scintillating, vivid biography. \u003cb\u003eA must-read for devotees\u003c\/b\u003e -- Francesca Reece, author of GLASS HOUSES\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eLike A Cat Loves a Bird\u003c\/i\u003e, James Bailey has given his reader \u003cb\u003ea sparkling and witty exploration of Spark's life and work\u003c\/b\u003e and a serious and complex study of the slippery, playful connections between art and artist. Spark remains as curious and elusive as ever, and \u003cb\u003eBailey treats the reader to tantalising glimpses of one of our finest novelists without ever reducing her. I loved this book\u003c\/b\u003e -- Jenn Ashworth, author of THE PARALLEL PATH\u003cbr\u003eBailey must be commended for getting as close as anyone can to capturing the slipperiness of this elusive, restless novelist, an intellectual monster who privileged her writing above all else, who came and went as she pleased, like one of her favourite felines, stalking and toying with her characters, forever on the prowl for a life less ordinary. -- Nicholas Shakespeare, author of IAN FLEMING: THE COMPLETE MAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eI cannot imagine a book I'd rather read\u003c\/b\u003e, one that brings Spark's fascinating life and works together in electrifying detail and dynamic structure. Bailey somehow evokes Spark's enigmatic style when weaving together the many histories that compose her artistic biography. It's \u003cb\u003eas entertaining as a thriller and as enlightening as a whole course in Spark Studies, which should exist with James Bailey as the don\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Holly Pester, author of THE LODGERS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLike Spark herself, this book is razor-sharp yet full of mystery\u003c\/b\u003e. James Bailey traces the flicker between love and art, devotion and destruction, with extraordinary sensitivity. His portrait of Muriel Spark reveals a woman both brilliant and brutal, propelled by wit, ambition and moral daring. It's a study of artistic power and emotional risk, of how genius can illuminate and consume. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLike a Cat Loves a Bird\u003c\/i\u003e is as luminous and unsettling as the woman who inspired it\u003c\/b\u003e -- Sophie Haydock, author of THE FLAMES\u003cbr\u003eMuch like Spark herself Bailey carries the reader away on an amorphous adventure with \u003ci\u003eLike a Cat Loves a Bird\u003c\/i\u003e, his impish wit sugaring profound insights. \u003cb\u003eStudious but never tedious, stylish and compassionate, this biography is essential reading for die-hard Sparkheads and apprentices to the trade alike\u003c\/b\u003e -- Lauren J. Joseph, author of AT CERTAIN POINTS WE TOUCH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eScholarly and enticing at the same time\u003c\/b\u003e - an irresistible and compelling 'behind the scenes' window into the mind and times of Muriel Spark -- Helen Lederer\u003cbr\u003eBailey's portrait of Spark left me missing her company after the last page was turned, yet newly appreciative of her work. \u003cb\u003eLively, incisive and immersive, this is an enthralling study of invention and self-invention\u003c\/b\u003e -- Sarah Marsh, author of \u003ci\u003eA Sign of Her Own\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[Bailey] has great fun in exploring possibilities, imagining scenarios, creating scenes and celebrating [Spark's] enigmatic writing. Still, there are facts here, and you will learn a lot, not only about Spark, but about the changing (and depressingly persistent) sensibilities of the 20th century -- Vikki Reilly * Scotland on Sunday *","brand":"James Bailey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48979752222937,"sku":"9781399742528","price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399742528.jpg?v=1784470262","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/like-a-cat-loves-a-bird-the-nine-lives-of-muriel-spark-9781399742528","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}