Muriel Spark (1918–2006)

Lise is thirty-four years old, “neither good-looking nor bad-looking”, who leaves her job in an accountant’s office for a holiday in the south. (It is never stated precisely where.) When we first meet Lise she is shopping for vacation clothes and it is obvious that something isn't quite right. She is on the point of buying a new dress until the salesgirl points out that the fabric is a specially treated so that won’t stain. Lise flies into a rage literally ripping it off before storming out of the shop and buying a garish outfit in another shop.

As we follow Lise on her holiday, it soon becomes apparent that she is looking for something, or more precisely, someone, some as-yet-nameless person who will fulfil her deepest desires. She restlessly wanders through airports, shops, parks, and city streets, constantly searching.

It quickly becomes clear that Lise is not in any conventional sense looking for romance and companionship, what she is seeking is the man who will murder her, and when she finds him she will ensure that he does the job right.

‘She told me to kill her and I killed her. She spoke in many languages but she was telling me to kill her all the time. She told me precisely what to do."

But what exactly is 'The Driver's Seat'? Is it a crime story? A horror tale? A psychological drama?, A critique of feminism? A savage satire of a consumer culture in which we can shop for anything, even our own death? Is it “the indecent exposure of fear and pity, pity and fear.”?' All these are certainly present but what it certainly is, is a deeply disturbing and thankfully short read. It has a good opening but goes nowhere in the end and I found it quite boring. Not a bad read but definitely not a classic.… (more)

I've had this novel on my list for years and since I am having problems figuring out what I'm actually in the mood to read, I thought I'd finally dive in.

For those not familiar with the story, Miss Jean Brodie is what would have been considered a teacher with progressive ideas during the 1930s. She mentors a small group of elite students, taking them on field trips, inviting them to her house and confiding all types of details about her personal life. (I think presently, Miss Brodie's actions would be construed as a severe breach of personal/professional
boundaries.) As events unfold, Miss Brodie insists that she is in her prime and has chosen to dedicate her life to her students. In exchange, there is an unsaid expectation of loyalty from her curated "Brodie Group." Of course Miss Brodie's teaching tactics do not sit well with the other more conventional teachers and the headmistress.

The thing that struck me about Miss Brodie was she often employed the same tactics some of the other teachers used, which was telling students what to think, instead of teaching students critical thinking skills. At one point Miss Brodie states, "Who is the greatest Italian painter?" "Leonardo da Vinci, Miss Brodie." "That is incorrect. The answer is Giotto, he is my favourite." What a load of baloney thought I, as this is a completely subjective opinion not based on any fact or scientific methodology of assessment. Yes, Miss Brodie often introduced the students to unconventional subjects but she either filled in the blanks with her opinions (presented as facts) or she really didn't provide any deeper understanding of a subject, leaving the students to fill in the missing details with all sorts of conjecture. By the end of the book, I didn't really have much respect for Miss Brodie and I thought most of the students were a bunch of spoiled brats.

Mural Spark did present a thought provoking and well crafted story wrapped up in a short book. She lost me a few times with the random flash-forward scenes, until I figured out what was going on. Not a masterpiece in my opinion, but a classic worthy of reading. It does make one think, especially given how schools in certain states are currently trying to prevent teachers from addressing a whole host of subjects and are continuing to ban books that don't mesh with their warped myopic views based on some alternative reality.
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