The Complete Short Stories

* Completely, searingly original. There is nobody remotely like her Independent * Glittering, concise, funny and beautifully written Telegraph * None could equal the cool perception with which she chronicles the darker mysteries of the human conidtion -- John Mortimer Evening Standard * One of the most decisive and unmistakable voices in contemporary fiction - youthful, witty, sly, maternal, intimate, and alive with opinion -- Stephen Schiff New Yorker * My admiration for Spark's contribution to world literature knows no bounds. She was peerless, sparkling, inventive and intelligent - the creme de la creme -- Ian Rankin * It is perhaps her short stories that demonstrate her gifts best: wit, perception, acute characterisation, elegance and precision. They mark her out as one of the finest writers of her generation Observer * A wholly original presence in modern literature -- Andrew Motion * Muriel Spark's novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards, decisive as a smashed glass is decisive -- John Updike New Yorker * Dullness is as alien to her as inelegance New Statesman and Society * You've got to hand it to Canongate. When it comes to repackaging their back catalogue, they're in a class of their own. ... What have [the Canons] in common? Nothing - except for a subtle yet powerful branding ... the way they are marketed has a touch of genius. Scotsman