You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hilarious and witty, this tale of unparalleled influence upon younger minds is accurate and thought-provoking.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
This is two books, at first glance it is the familiar tale of a quirky schoolteacher, in the prime of her life guiding her pupils through their maturation into the creme de la creme of Scottish womanhood. Kind of a female Mr. Chips if you will. Taken at face value that could be all one might pick up from this book, but, if you start looking deeper it turns into a concise yet piecing moral tale of control, betrayed loyalty and regret. Throw a healthy slice of oblique religious overtones and sexual exploitation and this apparent light tale turns quite a bit darker
I only gave it three stars because frankly I did not like the characters too much, Miss Brodie in particular, and the storyline spoke more to a female audience which is OK, but just not my goto reading choice. That said, all the stars are for her technical skills and ability to pull of such a profound book in so short a volume. Her ability to hang such thought off what seem so quickly drawn passages is impressive and provoked much discussion at our book club.
I only gave it three stars because frankly I did not like the characters too much, Miss Brodie in particular, and the storyline spoke more to a female audience which is OK, but just not my goto reading choice. That said, all the stars are for her technical skills and ability to pull of such a profound book in so short a volume. Her ability to hang such thought off what seem so quickly drawn passages is impressive and provoked much discussion at our book club.
I've read this at least once before (though it feels like more, as I feel I know it so well) but it repays a re-reading. In its tight and tidy package, it works on so many levels - a period piece (and it's so Edinburgh), a quirky schoolteacher tale, psychologically, philosophically - all good. But there's something deeper going on, an assessment of civilisation. Miss Brodie with her "dark Roman profile", her identification with Italy, art over science, her fascism being Italian rather than German, her inability to learn Greek, instinct tussling with insight, and then her catholicism manque (Giotto, Mr Lowther, and then Sandy's virtual imprisonment).
The "Transfiguration", in Sandy's chosen name and book title, though... what's that about? Is Sandy transfigured, or Miss Brodie? Or everyone BUT them?
So much depth here. Technically it's a minor masterpiece, and you can still read it for fun. Off to rewatch the film now though I feel it strays.
The "Transfiguration", in Sandy's chosen name and book title, though... what's that about? Is Sandy transfigured, or Miss Brodie? Or everyone BUT them?
So much depth here. Technically it's a minor masterpiece, and you can still read it for fun. Off to rewatch the film now though I feel it strays.
My latest read through impressed me with the post-modernist literary style of Spark with her shifting timelines and her inscrutable, Kurtz-like Miss Brodie.
Would have been five stars but as an educator myself I was too appalled by Miss Jean Brodie!
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Miss Brodie is one of those teachers who can’t accept aging or adulthood and instead finds six “chosen” (naive) pupils who will take her strange orthodoxy as wisdom. It works fine until it doesn’t and one of her disillusioned followers outs her.
The writing style is jumpy, and combined with my interrupted listening felt herky-jerky, but that’s my fault.
Miss Brodie and her students are amusingly bizarre, but overall I don’t know what to think of the book or its themes.
The writing style is jumpy, and combined with my interrupted listening felt herky-jerky, but that’s my fault.
Miss Brodie and her students are amusingly bizarre, but overall I don’t know what to think of the book or its themes.