A Place I Never Want to Be

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I found this remarkably moving and unfortunately too true.

from A Far Cry from Kensington
Muriel Spark

She was operated on next day, poor young woman, but nothing could have saved her from the galloping malignant disease that she died of within a week. I visited her twice in the hospital. S?he recognized me, but was glazed and doped. I went to her cremation at Golders Green and seeing her coffin slide away, I regretted I had ever thought ill of Mabel, or treated her like the nuisance she had been. Oh Mabel, come back; come back, Mabel, and persecute me again.

Perhaps something to remember when I'm inclined to treat people less well than they deserve.

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4 Comments

I wouldn't usually bother, but you're posting literately about Literature, so...

Go back to your May 30th Burgess post and take the apostrophes out of Finnegans Wake, pleeeeze.

And feel very free to delete this comment.

Dear Jeff,

Thank you. Force of habit in my profession, I fear. The mind process "possessive" and the fingers obey. Only in this instance incorrectly. And please, bother whenever you like. These things are small, but important.

shalom,

Steven

I've been reading some Muriel Spark, thanks to your recommendations. I have to agree with your assessment of Aiding and Abetting -- not something I would re-read; just didn't impress itself that deeply upon me. But The Girls of Slender Means is excellent, and I've been wanting to read bits aloud to innocent passersby.

Miss Jean Brodie was checked out of the library when I went, but that's next on my list.

Dear Mrs. Darwin,

If you like The Girls of Slender Means, I suspect you would enjoy A Far Cry from Kensington. I wish you joy with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. And I'm glad you're enjoying these wonderful books.

shalom,

Steven

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This page contains a single entry by Steven Riddle published on June 1, 2006 1:13 PM.

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