The Mandelbaum Gate (Library Edition) [Audio Cassette]

Muriel Spark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994

[This is the Audiobook CASSETTE Library Edition in vinyl case.]

The Mandelbaum Gate divides the conflict-torn realm of Jerusalem, separating Israel from Jordan. Barbara Vaughan, a stubborn young Englishwoman and half-Jewish Catholic convert, insists upon crossing the divide in order to rendezvous with her fiancé, in spite of the very real danger. Not even the threat of bodily harm and fearful admonishments of staid British diplomat Freddy Hamilton can dissuade Barbara from her ill-timed pilgrimage. Her quest sets off a series of bizarre situations and adventures, set against the backdrop of the Eichmann trial of 1961.

In The Mandelbaum Gate, Muriel Spark has created a many-faceted novel, both comic and serious, enriched by a wealth of information.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Takes the breath away . . . Pure adventure . . . Suspense as artfully maintained as anything by Graham Greene.'' --New Republic

''[Narrator- Davidson] achieve[s] successful transitions through deliberate pauses and changes of voice. Thus, we're able to follow the many tangents the author uses to enrich the story and our listening pleasure.'' --AudioFile

''English-accented Frederick Davidson turns in a memorable performance.'' --Library Journal

About the Author

MURIEL SPARK (1918-2006), was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is the author of over twenty novels as well as critical biographies, radio plays, children's books, poetry, and short-story collections. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993 and Commendeur des Arts et des Lettres in 1996.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged LIBRARY edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786106492
• ISBN-13: 978-0786106493
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,016,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page Turner, April 27, 2010

By 

Edward J. Doran "centaur62" (Palm Springs, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mandelbaum Gate (Paperback)

This novel is one of Spark's best. I first read it as a teenager and couldn't put it down. It takes place amidst the political turmoil of the Middle East in the early 1960s and the trial of Adolph Eichmann in Jerusalem. It is filled with intrigue and with almost too many things happening as Barbara Vaughan, an English spinster of partly Jewish heritage, travels to the Holy Land to be with her boyfriend, an archaeologist working in Jordan on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Crossing from Israel to Jordan she is mistaken for a spy and must go undercover as a muslim woman covered from head to toe. Check out the original review by Malcolm Bradbury in the New Yorker for more details.

8 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Readable but hard to follow and scarcely worth the effort, January 22, 2002

By 

"susanjb" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mandelbaum Gate (Paperback)

I picked this book up when I ran out of reading material over the holidays. It looked great from the book cover (but you know what they say . . .) I found it to be a tedious book, very long and somewhat dull. Worst of all, when the "weird part" takes over -- it is very hard to follow. Impossible to understand what actually befell the primary male character. I can't recommend it unless you get it for free and have lots of time on your hands.