Heiress Maggie Radcliffe owns three glamorous villas overlooking Lake Nemi—and one houseguest will stop at nothing to take it all
When American heiress Maggie Radcliffe relocates to the enchanting Lake Nemi, just south of Rome, she does so wishing to live in tune with ancient pagan rhythms of art and nature. Constantly surrounded by a cast of quirky characters, Radcliffe finds her latest guest in the form of old friend—and unrepentant grafter—Hubert Mallindaine. Mallindaine claims to be a direct descendent of the goddess Diana, whose spirit is said to rest at Nemi. As soon as he arrives, Radcliffe’s vast material wealth begins to slip quietly out the door. While Radcliffe attempts to evict Mallindaine from her house, a host of new problems arise, all threatening to destroy everything Radcliffe holds dear.
Bold and incisive, The Takeover is an acidic comedy about the clash between the conventions of old wealth and the inevitable tide of modernity.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Muriel Spark including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s archive at the National Library of Scotland.
Review
“One of our greatest living novelists.” —The Times
“[A voice] unlike any other writer’s: elegant, wise, sympathetic, satiric—at once darkly sinister and brightly chipper.” —People
About the Author
Muriel Spark (1918–2006) was a prolific Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet whose darkly comedic voice made her one of the most distinctive writers of the twentieth century. Spark grew up in Edinburgh and worked as a department store secretary, writer for trade magazines, and literary editor before publishing her first novel in 1957. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), considered her masterpiece, was made into a stage play, a TV series, and a film. Spark became a Dame of the British Empire in 1993.
Description:
Heiress Maggie Radcliffe owns three glamorous villas overlooking Lake Nemi—and one houseguest will stop at nothing to take it all
When American heiress Maggie Radcliffe relocates to the enchanting Lake Nemi, just south of Rome, she does so wishing to live in tune with ancient pagan rhythms of art and nature. Constantly surrounded by a cast of quirky characters, Radcliffe finds her latest guest in the form of old friend—and unrepentant grafter—Hubert Mallindaine. Mallindaine claims to be a direct descendent of the goddess Diana, whose spirit is said to rest at Nemi. As soon as he arrives, Radcliffe’s vast material wealth begins to slip quietly out the door. While Radcliffe attempts to evict Mallindaine from her house, a host of new problems arise, all threatening to destroy everything Radcliffe holds dear.
Bold and incisive, The Takeover is an acidic comedy about the clash between the conventions of old wealth and the inevitable tide of modernity.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Muriel Spark including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s archive at the National Library of Scotland.
Review
“One of our greatest living novelists.” —The Times
“[A voice] unlike any other writer’s: elegant, wise, sympathetic, satiric—at once darkly sinister and brightly chipper.” —People
About the Author
Muriel Spark (1918–2006) was a prolific Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet whose darkly comedic voice made her one of the most distinctive writers of the twentieth century. Spark grew up in Edinburgh and worked as a department store secretary, writer for trade magazines, and literary editor before publishing her first novel in 1957. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), considered her masterpiece, was made into a stage play, a TV series, and a film. Spark became a Dame of the British Empire in 1993.