by Muriel Spark
First published 1997
From the colonial outposts of Africa to the mating customs of the homeland, Muriel Spark's "Open to the Public" offers a wry, incisive glimpse into the lives of the English. In stories ranging from the darkly comic "Bang-Bang You're Dead" to the poignant "A Member of the Family," Spark's precise, evocative prose captures the hopes, hypocrisies, and haunting sorrows that lie beneath the genteel veneer of her characters. Whether at home or abroad, these tales reveal the universal truths that bind - and divide - us all.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, 20th-century, african-literature, contemporary, british-literature
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, wry
Tropes: character-study, social-commentary
Setting: Africa, England
Period: 20th-century
376 pages · Hardcover · New Directions