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Great Granny Webster is Caroline Blackwood's masterpiece; this is dull by comparison. Not that the prose is not as exuberant or witty, it's just that Corrigan is too long. The problem I think is the daughter Nadine, who lacks any spark of humanity, has no affinity with her mother, husband or even her children. Her friend Sabrina is better and I suspect a proxy for Blackwood herself. Generally, that side of the novel is much less engaging and could be cut back. On the other hand, Mrs Murphy, a far more interesting character, could be given more to do. You can certainly admire the conceit: that the aim of the book is to understate and conceal the talents of the principal characters, but that's not compensation enough. Having the full personalities revealed would make for a better book.