Amazon.com An unqualifiedly great novel from the writer most likely to be compared to Jane Austen， this is a very funny， perfectly written book that can rival any other in its ability to capture the essence of its characters on the page. Mildred Lathbury， the narrator of Pym's excellent book is a never-married woman in her 30s--which in 1950s England makes her a nearly-confirmed spinster. Hers is a pretty unexciting life， centered around her small church， and part-time job. But Mildred is far more perceptive and witty than even she seems to think， and when Helena and Rockingham Napier move into the flat below her， there seems to be a chance for her life to take a new direction. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. From AudioFile Over thirty and bordering on spinsterhood， Mildred Lathbury lives a quiet life in an unfashionable section of London until Helena and Rockingham Napier， an anthropologist and her flag-lieutenant husband， move into the flat below. Mildred captivates us with her wry， keen account of the roiling of new and old relationships. Juliet Stevenson's Mildred is outstanding. Equally impressive are her distinctive portrayals of the disparate and colorful characters. In Stevenson's reading， we're treated to vivid， comic， finely wrought theater. J.H.L. (c)AudioFile， Portland， Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. See all Editorial Reviews