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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Set in an exclusive Edinburgh school during the 1930s, the novel follows a teacher who singles out a small group of girls whose personalities she wishes to mould.
Miss Brodie is an unconventional teacher who ignores much of the curriculum and instead instructs her pupils in the things she personally believes are important. Her passion is art, and she uses examples from her own life in her teaching, especially her love life, which keep the girls enthralled. Her set, as the girls become known, stay in close contact with her throughout their teenage years and become known for their independence, individuality and lively minds. However, Miss Brodie is mistrusted by most of the teaching staff and the headmistress is forever trying to find ways to discredit her and bring about her dismissal.
Most of the novel is written from the point of view of one of the set, Sandy, who is particularly prized by Miss Brodie for her insight. I loved the flights of fancy that Sandy would create as a young girl, imagining great love scenes between herself and anyone - real or fictional - who caught her imagination. Sandy grows up to be the most perceptive of the set, enabling her to see more of Miss Brodie's true character than the others.
Sex is a major theme of the novel, and it explores the first inklings of sex in the young mind, how it then becomes a preoccupation and finally just another aspect of life as the years pass. Miss Brodie makes a conscious decision to reject her true love (with something of the air of a martyr), who is married, and decides instead to devote the years of her prime to her girls. However, she is not as altruistic as she seems, and starts to use her girls as emissaries, seeking to live vicariously through them. Miss Brodie is not altogether sane, a fact which the insightful Sandy eventually realises.
The timeline of this book is constantly being interrupted with scenes from the future, and the eventual fate of Miss Brodie and the members of her set is revealed early on in Spark's typical throwaway style. Many of the Sparkian hallmarks are here, and there's plenty of her wonderful humour too, and overall I found this to be the most accessible of the Sparks I have read so far.
Is this Muriel Spark's best novel? I haven't read enough to judge properly and can only go by what I've seen so far, but I do think this is the most balanced of her books. There is darkness and a sense that all is not quite right with Miss Brodie, but there is also an innocence and joy from the minds of the girls when they are younger. It's written in Spark's characteristic style, but it doesn't have the weirdness of some of her more experimental works. If I were to recommend a Spark to somebody new to her work, I think this is the first one I would choose.
Miss Brodie is an unconventional teacher who ignores much of the curriculum and instead instructs her pupils in the things she personally believes are important. Her passion is art, and she uses examples from her own life in her teaching, especially her love life, which keep the girls enthralled. Her set, as the girls become known, stay in close contact with her throughout their teenage years and become known for their independence, individuality and lively minds. However, Miss Brodie is mistrusted by most of the teaching staff and the headmistress is forever trying to find ways to discredit her and bring about her dismissal.
Most of the novel is written from the point of view of one of the set, Sandy, who is particularly prized by Miss Brodie for her insight. I loved the flights of fancy that Sandy would create as a young girl, imagining great love scenes between herself and anyone - real or fictional - who caught her imagination. Sandy grows up to be the most perceptive of the set, enabling her to see more of Miss Brodie's true character than the others.
Sex is a major theme of the novel, and it explores the first inklings of sex in the young mind, how it then becomes a preoccupation and finally just another aspect of life as the years pass. Miss Brodie makes a conscious decision to reject her true love (with something of the air of a martyr), who is married, and decides instead to devote the years of her prime to her girls. However, she is not as altruistic as she seems, and starts to use her girls as emissaries, seeking to live vicariously through them. Miss Brodie is not altogether sane, a fact which the insightful Sandy eventually realises.
The timeline of this book is constantly being interrupted with scenes from the future, and the eventual fate of Miss Brodie and the members of her set is revealed early on in Spark's typical throwaway style. Many of the Sparkian hallmarks are here, and there's plenty of her wonderful humour too, and overall I found this to be the most accessible of the Sparks I have read so far.
Is this Muriel Spark's best novel? I haven't read enough to judge properly and can only go by what I've seen so far, but I do think this is the most balanced of her books. There is darkness and a sense that all is not quite right with Miss Brodie, but there is also an innocence and joy from the minds of the girls when they are younger. It's written in Spark's characteristic style, but it doesn't have the weirdness of some of her more experimental works. If I were to recommend a Spark to somebody new to her work, I think this is the first one I would choose.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't really get why this is beloved. I don't know what motivates Miss Brodie or her set at their core, and I generally dislike media where everyone seems to hate each other but also choose to spend all their time together.
I read this in the hopes of getting some Scotland vibes and setting after travel there, but it didn't feel that Scottish. I would have liked more, and more diverse perspectives. Maybe the perspectives from the characters were just too specific for that. I believe they are authentic, but they are narrow.
I read this in the hopes of getting some Scotland vibes and setting after travel there, but it didn't feel that Scottish. I would have liked more, and more diverse perspectives. Maybe the perspectives from the characters were just too specific for that. I believe they are authentic, but they are narrow.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel is a wondrously paced and constructed masterpiece. She inhabits her characters in a way that renders them as both deeply known and miraculous. It will stay with you for the rest of your life.
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced