Loitering with Intent
Art, reality and the strange ways the two imitate one another  are at the core of Muriel Spark's delightful Loitering with  Intent, first published in 1981. Would-be novelist Fleur Talbot  works for the snooty, irascible Sir Quentin Oliver at the  Autobiographical Association, whose members are all at work on  their memoirs. When her employer gets his hands on Fleur's  novel-in-progress, mayhem ensues when its scenes begin coming  true. Generating hilarious turns of phrase and larger-than-life  characters (especially Sir Quentin's batty mother), Sparks's  inimitable style make this literary joyride thoroughly  appealing. ( June 28)Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.