Please note that these ratings solely represent the complete review 's biased interpretation and subjective opinion of the actual reviews and do not claim to accurately reflect or represent the views of the reviewers. (.) This Ballad triumphs because it makes no concessions' - Kay Dick, Times Literary Supplement 'In fact, the perfection of this shorter novel challenges that convention which stigmatizes as 'slight' fiction pruned of extraneous length.'Beneath its darkly gleaming surface her novel suggests a good deal.' - The Times.'The idea of the wise madman has always been a good one but somehow this time Miss Spark hasn't found it right for her own very individual talent.' - John Metcalf, Sunday Times.It is untroubled by exceptional courage or intelligence or sensibility or beauty of language, but it does contain dialogue that seems authentic and fresh.' - Gerald Sykes, The New York Times Book Review Her novel is plainly written to sell - and to avoid controversies that might hamper sales.

(.) Miss Spark is not protesting against anything, or championing anything either.

'The wackiness is cumulative, the style dead-pan and blow-by-blow, and above all no overt attempt is ever made to get a laugh.

The Penguin Classics edition has an Introduction by William Boydī+ : odd fun, of distinctively Sparkian sort.

General information | review summaries | our review | links | about the authorĭie Ballade von Peckham Rye - Deutschland Sometimes the novels chosen are new, often they are from the backlist and occasionally re-issued from way back.Trying to meet all your book preview and review needs. But to keep ourselves on our toes, we have a rule that author gender is alternated, girl-boy-girl-boy, and the continents always rotated (with occasional glitches). Too good to be true? The catch is that the bookshop gets to choose what the book group reads. Each month the discussion is lively and unpretentious, with naughty snacks and plenty to drink. You don’t even have to have had read the book. The title to be read and discussed is sign-posted and on sale for the whole of the previous month (with a discount for those who make it known they intend to come) and everybody is welcome, whether first-timer, part-timer or regular-timer.

With rare exceptions such as bank holidays, the book group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm.

Now past its tenth year the Crow Book Group has grown into a regular social event.

The ballad of peckham rye