The Finishing School

By: Muriel Spark

Narrated by: Nadia May

College Sunrise is a vaguely disreputable finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rowland Mahler and his wife, Nina, run the school as a way to support themselves while he works, somewhat falteringly, on his novel. Into his creative writing class comes 17-year-old Chris Wiley, a literary prodigy whose historical novel-in-progress, on Mary Queen of Scots and the murder of her husband Lord Darnley, has already excited the interest of publishers. The inevitable results are keen envy and a game of cat and mouse not free of sexual jealousy and attraction.

Nobody writing has a keener instinct than Muriel Spark for hypocrisy, self-delusion, and moral ambiguity, or a more deliciously satirical eye. The Finishing School is certain to be another Spark landmark.

©2004 Muriel Spark (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"[Spark has] the most sharply original fictional imagination of our time...Starting her career as a poet, [she] in many ways remains one, not least in her deftness at finding images in unexpected places." (Sunday Times)
"Wittily recalls Spark's best-known work, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie....Sparks so brilliantly captures extreme states of mind (paranoia, hysteria, neurosis, psychosis) because she organizes her chaotic and centrifugal subject matter through tightly structured plots and luminously precise language." (Times Literary Supplement)

Superb

If I could give this combination of writer and narrator ten stars I would. This is the best of the best.

What Did I Miss?

I am confused as to how this received such rave reviews. I feel like there is an error on my end.

Short but Sweet

Murial Spark is a pro and she doesn't disappoint. An excellent study of interactions and dynamics and very well done. I enjoyed it.

One surprise after another

You may think you know where this story is headed, but don't be so sure. Excellent narration as usual from Nadia May.

Mediocre

This book was okay. Somewhat boring at the start but at some point became more engaging and interesting enough through to the end. Narrator was good. Nice speaking voice with very pleasant British accent. Some interesting themes, observations, and commentaries on human nature and modern day life.