A compelling reappraisal of Spark's approach to literary experimentation Offers a distinctive reappraisal of Spark's fiction, which challenges the rigid critical framework that has long been applied to her writing Interrogates how Spark's literary innovations work to facilitate moments of subversive satire and gendered social critique Presents nuanced re-readings of some of Spark's major works, as well as lesser-discussed texts such as her only stage play, Doctors of Philosophy, and early short stories Draws upon detailed archival research to offer a unique insight into the social contexts and personal preoccupations that informed Spark's writing This book presents a detailed critical analysis of a period of significant formal and thematic innovation in Muriel Spark's literary career. Spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, it identifies formative instances of literary experimentation in texts including The Comforters, The Driver's Seat and The Public Image, with an emphasis on metafiction and the influence of the nouveau roman. As the first critical study to draw extensively on Spark's vast archives of correspondence, manuscripts and research, it provides a unique insight into the social contexts and personal concerns that dictated her fiction.