Like a Cat Loves a Bird

Clever … Spark’s nine lives, also presented as a “series of flickering sparks”, neatly capture both the slipperiness and the picaresque quality of this most elusive of subjects … [Bailey’s] Spark is a likeable monster and his wit and playfulness are well suited to his subject. He is a good close reader and this is a biography that will delight those who admire Spark’s 22 novels and intrigue those who are new readers or who know only The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Paula Byrne * The Times *Bailey’s slippery Spark is chaotic, complex, often hilarious, and constantly shapeshifting. His kaleidoscopic portrait illuminates Spark’s life and work from every angle, yet - crucially - allows her the freedom she craved to confound and elude those who would try to pin her down. This is a deeply stylish, astute and illuminating biography of a fascinating writer – Francesca Wade, author of SQUARE HAUNTINGInventive not inventing … Bailey’s approach isn’t a conventional “life” so much as a hybrid of literary criticism, personal appreciation and a novel – David Robinson * The Scotsman *A fresh take on the well-known facts of Spark’s life and work. James Bailey’s title reveals his singular perspective…A lively, quirky addition to the corpus of work on Spark which, as with the others, will send readers back to her inimitable novels * The Herald *Astute … a welcome addition for anyone caught in the mental claws of one of the most elusive and brilliant writers of modern times – Martin Chilton * Independent *Incisive … memorable – Ysenda Maxton Graham * Daily Mail *Utterly charming. A book as elegant, sharp-witted and mischievous as its subject. If you love literary biography, you’ll feel like the cat that got the cream – Clare Pollard, author of DELPHIWhat an exciting piece of writing - like a Spark novel, the moment my eyes met the page I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop reading - it will be quite impossible for anyone to read this and not immediately feel the urgent need to read everything she wrote. A magnificent piece of work – Robin InceYou don’t have to be a Muriel Spark fan to enjoy the sharp wit of Like A Cat Loves A Bird, a fascinating and nuanced exploration of the sacrifices some make to focus on their art. Bailey toys with Spark as the title implies - but there’s an implication too that so does she, with her biographer and her readers, on the page, and from beyond the grave – Luke Turner, author of OUT OF THE WOODSBeautifully written … a readable and fascinating book, about an under-appreciated literary giant – Lucinda Hawksley, author of THE MYSTERY OF PRINCESS LOUISEVital, fun and immediate. Like a Cat Loves a Bird is lithe and compelling, and full of engaging and astute literary analysis of Spark’s work as well as scintillating, vivid biography. A must-read for devotees – Francesca Reece, author of GLASS HOUSESIn Like A Cat Loves a Bird, James Bailey has given his reader a sparkling and witty exploration of Spark’s life and work and a serious and complex study of the slippery, playful connections between art and artist. Spark remains as curious and elusive as ever, and Bailey treats the reader to tantalising glimpses of one of our finest novelists without ever reducing her. I loved this book – Jenn Ashworth, author of THE PARALLEL PATHBailey must be commended for getting as close as anyone can to capturing the slipperiness of this elusive, restless novelist, an intellectual monster who privileged her writing above all else, who came and went as she pleased, like one of her favourite felines, stalking and toying with her characters, forever on the prowl for a life less ordinary. – Nicholas Shakespeare, author of IAN FLEMING: THE COMPLETE MANI cannot imagine a book I’d rather read, one that brings Spark’s fascinating life and works together in electrifying detail and dynamic structure. Bailey somehow evokes Spark’s enigmatic style when weaving together the many histories that compose her artistic biography. It’s as entertaining as a thriller and as enlightening as a whole course in Spark Studies, which should exist with James Bailey as the don. – Holly Pester, author of THE LODGERSLike Spark herself, this book is razor-sharp yet full of mystery. James Bailey traces the flicker between love and art, devotion and destruction, with extraordinary sensitivity. His portrait of Muriel Spark reveals a woman both brilliant and brutal, propelled by wit, ambition and moral daring. It’s a study of artistic power and emotional risk, of how genius can illuminate and consume. Like a Cat Loves a Bird is as luminous and unsettling as the woman who inspired it – Sophie Haydock, author of THE FLAMESMuch like Spark herself Bailey carries the reader away on an amorphous adventure with Like a Cat Loves a Bird, his impish wit sugaring profound insights. Studious but never tedious, stylish and compassionate, this biography is essential reading for die-hard Sparkheads and apprentices to the trade alike – Lauren J. Joseph, author of AT CERTAIN POINTS WE TOUCHScholarly and enticing at the same time - an irresistible and compelling ‘behind the scenes’ window into the mind and times of Muriel Spark – Helen LedererBailey’s portrait of Spark left me missing her company after the last page was turned, yet newly appreciative of her work. Lively, incisive and immersive, this is an enthralling study of invention and self-invention – Sarah Marsh, author of A Sign of Her Own[Bailey] has great fun in exploring possibilities, imagining scenarios, creating scenes and celebrating [Spark’s] enigmatic writing. Still, there are facts here, and you will learn a lot, not only about Spark, but about the changing (and depressingly persistent) sensibilities of the 20th century – Vikki Reilly * Scotland on Sunday *

James Bailey is a writer and researcher from Manchester. He is a Doctor of Literature, and the author of Muriel Spark’s Early Fiction (2021) and the co-editor of British Women Short Story Writers (2015). His day job involves working to support the development of other writers, as well as publishers, bookshops and literature festivals.

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