I read "According to Mark" with special interest as it is a novel about a man writing a biography-- and I am myself writing a biography. Penelope Lively raises all sorts of interesting issues such as: Can the subject change the course of the biographers life? Does the past still exist? This is the eighth novel Ive read by Lively, and she does not disappoint.I highly recommend this novel by this intelligent, amusing and, yes, lively writer!
I am sorry that this one is out of print and hope that it will be reissued soon! I think this is one of the great Penelope Livelys finest novels. Its a page-turner, a skillful interweaving of infidelity, the English countryside, travels abroad, meditations on the writing of history and books, and realistic observations of such foibles as romantic delusion and academic pompousness. Ultimately it is a forgiving tale. I couldnt relate to any one particular character but felt I recognized them all.
