A Far Cry From Kensington - Muriel Spark

Spark's prose is so controlled it would be easy to miss the profoundly human and troubled nature of the characters and situations she describes. Her narrative technique, too, is supremely judged and the result is a great read containing both insight and laughs.

Incidentally, the book is set in the London publishing world of the 1950s and it reminded me strongly of working at Foyles Bookshop in the 1990s. The stories I could tell about that madhouse...not fit for a family blog.