Memento Mori cover art

Memento Mori

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Memento Mori

By: Muriel Spark
Narrated by: Eve Karpf
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About this listen

Dame Lettie, a blue-blooded reformer, Godfrey - her rather irritating brother, and his once fabulous novelist wife Charmian. But who is the caller? And why are they reminding them of this final truth? It's unsettling and mysterious. The activity increases and soon a witch-hunt is in full force, with nobody beyond suspicion.

First published in 1959, Muriel Spark's startling and timeless novel is at once a crime story, a black comedy and an important meditation on mortality. Rediscover this classic as performed by Eve Karpf on the 100th anniversary of Muriel Spark's birth.

©1953 Muriel Spark (P)2013 Canongate Books Ltd Classics

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All stars
Most relevant  
As usual Muriel Spark takes a mundane situation and weaves in the hopes fears and desires of a number of well drawn characters to make a witty and entertaining end product - good performances bring out the characters

Muriel making a great story of human desires from a simple idea

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A superb reading by Eve Karpf of one of Muriel Spark’s best novels. Her repertoire of voices helps the story bubble along with wit and drama. The strangeness, humour and slightly unsettling quality of the book is captured perfectly.

A brilliant novel, a brilliant reading

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This is the fifth or sixth Muriel Spark novel I have listened to on Audible. I’m really still not sure how Muriel Spark writes novels about nearly nothing at all that draw you in completely. An excellent narrator once again helps, but the text and conversations just flow past and sound so natural and before you know it you don’t want to switch it off. I find Nevil Shute also a writer who has this ability too. I had never read a thing by either of them before I subscribed to Audible. I’ll be listening to more of both.

Muriel Spark draws you in, as always

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Wonderful characters in a delightful story with a good message. The only irritation was the reader’s constant variation in the pronunciation of the name Charmian. She should have decided on one pronunciation and stuck to it. Otherwise excellent.

Made me laugh out loud!

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I've now listened to this several times. The wicked black comedy of Muriel Spark's writing never grows stale, and Eve Karpf reads with perfect comic timing and emphasis and great vocal flexibility. Unlike some other readers, Karpf is able to convey all the combinations of age, social class and gender convincingly, without resort to caricature. It all makes for a most enjoyable listening experience.

Wonderful

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I was completed entranced by this novel and the flawless narration by Eve Karpf. Her portrayal of so many different characters was absolutely superb. Muriel Spark is in a league of her own when it comes to creating petty, embittered and truly obnoxious characters! She has a fantastic ear for the mundanity of peoples thoughts and conversations. And yet there’s an underlying narrative at the heart of the novel; the philosophical contemplation of decrepitude and death. Marvellous stuff!!

Stupendous!

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What made the experience of listening to Memento Mori the most enjoyable?

The performance was the saving grace of this listen - luckily each character was distinguishable.

Would you be willing to try another book from Muriel Spark? Why or why not?

I usually very much enjoy Spark. However, this was not quite what I was expecting - I felt it was never really resolved.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have left this book without finishing it.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps it requires a second listen.

Disappointing story, one performance.

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Any additional comments?

Very trenchant. It went all to quickly, would have loved to read/listen on and on..

What a delight!

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Oh dear what is to come . Shows an insight into old age without being sentimental

Excellent

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This book depicts older people as vile, self-absorbed, selfish and absolutely horrid, I am half way through and have not yet found a single likeable character and still do not understand what it is I am listening to! It seems to be a meandering account of dreary lives of older people, taking pleasure in suffering and death of others. I haven’t yet stumbled upon a mystery or anything at all funny about it. Well, it supposed to be a comedy after all! Call it whatever you like, but somebody struggling with old age and losing memory is not funny, we all may end up there one day. After listening to the narrator impersonating ear piercing squeals of a half- sane person, I am now done with this morbid so called “book”. Absolutely hated every single second of it. I refuse to believe that all older people are this vile and disgusting, Don’t know how on earth it has such positive reviews. I want my money back! What a vomit inducing drivel!

Morbid, disrespectful to older people and excruciatingly boring

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