The Ballad of Peckham Rye Book

Muriel Sparks playfully takes on the Mephistopheles' theme. A devilish, sexually attractive young man who enjoys getting people to feel the bumps on his forehead where his horns were surgically removed creates mayhem in a small working-class community in Peckham, south London.
It begins with a groom at the altar telling the priest no, he will not accept the bride as his lawful wedded wife. The narrative then jumps backwards to provide explanations how he arrived at this maverick decision.
This is probably her most bonkers novel. I suspect she had a lot of fun writing it, sped through it but didn't perhaps spend much effort thinking it through. Superficially, it's quite enjoyable but it lacked depth for me. It doesn't ultimately add up to much. That said, there are plenty of fabulous observations and as usual I was impressed by how effortlessly and trenchantly Sparks takes command of her subjects. As writing it's often terrific; as a novel though a bit lame. 3.5 stars.