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Cover of The Driver's Seat by Muriel SparkThe Driver's Seat
Classic · Fiction, Classics, Travel

The Driver's Seat

by Muriel Spark
1970 · 103 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 3 hours to read · about 6 days at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Lise walks out of her office, buys a gaudy new outfit, changes her voice and flies south, sitting between two men on the plane: one delighted by her, one deeply disturbed. So begins an unnerving journey.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's short and unsettling.

By the numbers

53.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers9 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Adventurous, Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 47 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Driver's Seat worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,977 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Driver's Seat about?

Lise walks out of her office, buys a gaudy new outfit, changes her voice and flies south, sitting between two men on the plane: one delighted by her, one deeply disturbed. So begins an unnerving journey.

How long does it take to read The Driver's Seat?

About 3 hours (103 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Driver's Seat?

If you liked it, try The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark or Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith.