The Driver's SeatThe Driver's Seat
Score Classic
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
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Girls of Slender Means
Strangers on a TrainGood to know
It's short and unsettling.
By the numbers
- 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
Reads as
Adventurous, Gripping
More by Muriel Spark
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Books of the 1970sTop 25 · 143 ranked

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Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked

Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked

Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked

Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick 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.