Djevojke skromnih sredstava

"The Girls of Slender Means" (published in 1963) is one of the best-known and most highly regarded short novels by Scottish author Muriel Spark. Set in the summer of 1945 — a brief interlude between the end of the war in Europe and the end of the war in the Pacific — the novel depicts life in London, still recovering from bombing and suffering the effects of shortages. The story is set in the May of Teck Club, a boarding school for girls under thirty who work in the capital for modest incomes. Within the walls of the home, the destinies of a diverse group of residents — from models and secretaries to poets — intertwine, who despite poverty, strict rules, and the post-war grayness, strive to live life to the fullest, dreaming of love, career, and social advancement. Spark, with her signature dark humor and satirical sharpness, depicts their everyday lives, borrowing their only evening dress, and coping with deprivation. However, behind the lighthearted and humorous facade, a darker tone gradually emerges: the key plot and the sudden tragedy of a leftover bomb explosion reveal the true character of the characters, questioning the themes of morality, selfishness, human nature and spiritual transformation. Written in an exceptionally concise, elegant and layered style, the novel "Girls of Modest Means" is a striking and ironic chronicle of a time and a masterful depiction of maturation under the shadow of historical ruptures.