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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
'Miss Brodie’s special girls were taken home to tea and bidden not to tell the others, they were taken into her confidence, they understood her private life and her feud with the headmistress and the allies of the headmistress. They learned what troubles in her career Miss Brodie encountered on their behalf. “It is for the sake of you girls—my influence, now, in the years of my prime.”'
Muriel Spark was born in Edinburgh as the First World War came to a close. 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' is her best known novel and was chosen by Time in 2005 as one of the hundred best English-language novels from 1923 to present.
This book presents a compelling character in Jean Brodie, the purveyor of the Brodie Set of girls. These chosen few receive the unorthodox teachings of Miss Brodie: knowledge of the Italian Renaissance painters, the fascisiti and Mussolini, the decor of A.A. Milne's home and even the love life of the teacher - which all occur in her prime. The other teachers in the Junior school are mistrustful of her; except the only two male teachers, Mr White and Mr Lowther. She is smitten by Mr White but cannot share more than a kiss with him as he is married. She instead uses Mr Lowther as a substitute and attempts to live vicariously through a select few girls of the Brodie set in enticing Mr White.
Sandy, the protagonist (although Spark lets us see a few perspectives and corresponding flash-forwards), is as captivated by Miss Jean Brodie as the rest of the girls and acts as her main confidante. At first pass, it is somewhat surprising to discover that it is she who would betray her to the headmistress Miss MacKay. On reflection though, it might be that she was hurt that Miss Brodie selected Rose as Mr White's lover rather than she, or it could be that she saw the danger of Brodie's approach and wanted to thwart the formation of new sets of girls. This latter reason is perhaps given evidence by her choice of psychology at university, her entry into the nunnery as Sister Helena, and writing a book called 'The Transfiguration of the Commonplace.'
Spark ensured that Miss Brodie was kept at a distance, and was balanced by that heft of complexity that great characters share. I agreed with many of Miss Brodie's thoughts on education, but at other times scorned her treatment of some of the girls. She long ago broke the teacher-student barrier, and of course, should have been sacked for shepherding some of her girls to Mr White. An enjoyable read with an intriguing use of structure.
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Interesting characters, found myself flipping between rooting for characters and then disliking them and then feeling intrigued by them. Poor Mary tbh she deserved better, was rooting for her and wasn’t a fan of how everyone treated her just cause she was considered dumb. Miss Brodie is definitely flawed but so interesting to read about!
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
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
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An influential teacher and her "crème de la crème" six students. Miss Jean Brodie takes a special interest in this core group of girls, continuing over the course of years to mold and influence them, but also to confide in them. This group of girls come to be known as the Brodie set. It is a peculiar relationship that many today, and honestly at the time as well (1930's Scotland), would call the inappropriate. Miss Jean Brodie speaks to the idea of predestination, but is it God that is foreordaining these girls' lives or just Miss Jean Brodie herself?
This is a difficult book for me to rate and review. This book started out a little slow with convoluted motivations, but then Spark would drop a sentence that was compact and revelatory, and... disturbing? For much of the book I was thinking, why, just...why? But what I think I at first missed was that we were getting a clear view of the minds of developing young ladies, and they needed to grow and question things for themselves over time. This is such a short book, but with relatively long chapters, making the reading seem longer than it is to begin with and then like it was over before realizing it. This wasn't as humorous as I anticipated, but was more twisty and ultimately darker than expected. A ponderous snack-sized tome that makes me curious to pick up another book by Spark.
Is Miss Jean Brodie "brat"? She is a little messy, in some ways unconventional and unapologetic, so kind of boss, but a little too manipulative and fascist which I don't think fits with the definition of "brat".
------- After some time, this book is kind of sticking with me more than I expected. I find myself thinking about the titular character, but also formative influences and the ambiguity of others' motivations, and just the fact the Muriel Spark so brilliantly yet simply subverted my expectations.
This is a difficult book for me to rate and review. This book started out a little slow with convoluted motivations, but then Spark would drop a sentence that was compact and revelatory, and... disturbing? For much of the book I was thinking, why, just...why? But what I think I at first missed was that we were getting a clear view of the minds of developing young ladies, and they needed to grow and question things for themselves over time. This is such a short book, but with relatively long chapters, making the reading seem longer than it is to begin with and then like it was over before realizing it. This wasn't as humorous as I anticipated, but was more twisty and ultimately darker than expected. A ponderous snack-sized tome that makes me curious to pick up another book by Spark.
Is Miss Jean Brodie "brat"? She is a little messy, in some ways unconventional and unapologetic, so kind of boss, but a little too manipulative and fascist which I don't think fits with the definition of "brat".
------- After some time, this book is kind of sticking with me more than I expected. I find myself thinking about the titular character, but also formative influences and the ambiguity of others' motivations, and just the fact the Muriel Spark so brilliantly yet simply subverted my expectations.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sandy would have been a brat summer girlie change my mind