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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Writing style - I didn't care for it. Omniscient narrator - ugh. Each character is defined by certain characteristics that are repeated over & over - Sandy has tiny eyes, Rose is "known for sex", etc. I GET it. Characters in this short novel are not well developed & mostly struck me with an overwhelming sense of sadness & futility. Jean Brodie stands out as a memorable character in the midst of them, no doubt that was the intent. Spark does a great job with her. But unlike many readers, I don't find Brodie to be ultimately a fascinating woman liberating her pupils from their tradition-bound Scottish girls' school curriculum. I have to wonder if Spark meant her to be as horrific as I found her! She verbally abuses her students (calling them boring, stupid and ugly). She uses class time to discuss her real & imagined love affairs. She has an affair with Mr. Lloyd, the art teacher, & then breaks it off, but keeps him dangling for years. She takes her teenage students to Mr. Lloyd's home & lets them "model" for him, deliberately playing cat & mouse with their lives. She's disappointed when Mr. Lloyd has an affair with the "wrong" girl! She becomes an admirer of Hitler & Mussolini & discusses their greatness in class. Whereupon Spark apparently decides she's had enough of this horrible woman, & ends the book just in time, since I also had had enough of her! Off with you, Miss Brodie.
Not really sure what I thought about this. It was pretty readable, but it didn't exactly set my world on fire.
Unpleasant People Behaving Badly
I lost track of all the ways this teacher does wrong by her students. The nonlinear storytelling is an interesting experiment, but I feel like it saps all the drama and suspense, so all you’re left with is the unpleasantness.
I lost track of all the ways this teacher does wrong by her students. The nonlinear storytelling is an interesting experiment, but I feel like it saps all the drama and suspense, so all you’re left with is the unpleasantness.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is a lot to say about this short book, novella, many others have done so and rather well. I will then keep this short and say the irritating Miss Brodie deserved to be betrayed if only for her insufferableness. I say that about Miss Jean Brodie but at the same time she is to be pitied, all her life she strives for more and yet nothing comes of any of it. So much more to say about this book but as said much has been written and much better.
Muriel Spark is a sharp writer, deft and clever.
Muriel Spark is a sharp writer, deft and clever.
A keen character study of an unconventional, flawed human being. Coming of age stories thrown in for good measure, and an insightful depiction of a particular place and time. Recommended.
I wanted to like this book more than I did, since the movie with Maggie Smith was fun to watch. The writing was chunky and sometimes I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. It was a tedious read for me. Thank goodness it was just over 100 pages.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a quirky short novel that was a "Parnassus New to You" novel recommended by Lindsay. The main character, Miss Jean Brodie, is loved by her students and appears to be a relatively simple woman, but they find that she is much more complex person as they get to know her better. This book spans several decades, and I need to watch the movie with Maggie Smith.
o doubt, many people will be more familiar with the cinematic version of 1969, but I must say the book is far better, for the usual reasons (nuance and depth not the least).
Upon some reflection on our recent reading habits, we have deliberately chosen a ‘feminine’ novel to mix things up a bit. I have been worried about Henry’s escalating assertive masculinity, and figured that a book written by a woman, set in a girl’s school and ostensibly about a ‘strong’ women in her prime would offer a counter balance to the raging testosterone that has taken over the house.
Having not read any Murial Spark previously, let’s just say that I was taken by surprise. I was taken aback by the complexity of the narrative and plot. This is a book rich and original in style. In terms of delivering a ‘feminine’ voice, I guess it did that. I am not sure if it delivers a message that will be helpful for Henry to hear however! You see, the feminine voice was overwhelmingly Machiavellian in its intent, with all of her characters (except, of course, all of the men and the regrettably stupid Mary McGregor) exhibiting rather base moral frameworks and motivations.
What struck me most was the rather tragic figure that Miss Jean Brodie – a woman in her prime – eventually becomes. It is also an intriguing reflection on the costs of focusing all of one’s attention on the crème de la crème. I will refrain from saying more and risk spoiling the book, for I recommend it highly to all readers.
What I would like to briefly do is reflect for one moment on the notion of one’s prime. I once believed that my prime occurred between the ages of 19 and 24. Yet now I am starting to recognise that this period is better understood as perhaps my early prime. It has been no doubt my physical prime, but I am starting to think that I have another prime to look forward to.
Thus, despite the novel being exceptionally bleak in tone, I do take some solace in Miss Brodie’s exhortation to her students from early in the novel:
There may be hope for me yet!
Upon some reflection on our recent reading habits, we have deliberately chosen a ‘feminine’ novel to mix things up a bit. I have been worried about Henry’s escalating assertive masculinity, and figured that a book written by a woman, set in a girl’s school and ostensibly about a ‘strong’ women in her prime would offer a counter balance to the raging testosterone that has taken over the house.
Having not read any Murial Spark previously, let’s just say that I was taken by surprise. I was taken aback by the complexity of the narrative and plot. This is a book rich and original in style. In terms of delivering a ‘feminine’ voice, I guess it did that. I am not sure if it delivers a message that will be helpful for Henry to hear however! You see, the feminine voice was overwhelmingly Machiavellian in its intent, with all of her characters (except, of course, all of the men and the regrettably stupid Mary McGregor) exhibiting rather base moral frameworks and motivations.
What struck me most was the rather tragic figure that Miss Jean Brodie – a woman in her prime – eventually becomes. It is also an intriguing reflection on the costs of focusing all of one’s attention on the crème de la crème. I will refrain from saying more and risk spoiling the book, for I recommend it highly to all readers.
What I would like to briefly do is reflect for one moment on the notion of one’s prime. I once believed that my prime occurred between the ages of 19 and 24. Yet now I am starting to recognise that this period is better understood as perhaps my early prime. It has been no doubt my physical prime, but I am starting to think that I have another prime to look forward to.
Thus, despite the novel being exceptionally bleak in tone, I do take some solace in Miss Brodie’s exhortation to her students from early in the novel:
“One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognise your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur.”
There may be hope for me yet!