Take a photo of a barcode or cover
gail_naomi 's review for:
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark
Wow! This novel was not what I expected. As a reader, I started out liking Miss Brodie, a different kind of educator, willing to break rules and seemingly interested in actual learning rather than rote test taking. However, as the novel progressed there were little hints that perhaps Miss Brodie's influence on her charges was not entirely positive. Eventually she is revealed to be a charismatic but manipulative woman who is creating a cult of personality in her "Brodie set" (the students she favors), and will influence them in not entirely positive ways.
Spark's narrative plays with the timeline by skipping back and forth through the present (Edinburgh 1930s) and the future, showing us glimpses of what is to come, hinting tantalizingly at some "betrayal," and revealing new elements of the characters as the story progresses. I found this really effective and it's left me with a lot to consider, especially as I am a teacher myself.
Spark's narrative plays with the timeline by skipping back and forth through the present (Edinburgh 1930s) and the future, showing us glimpses of what is to come, hinting tantalizingly at some "betrayal," and revealing new elements of the characters as the story progresses. I found this really effective and it's left me with a lot to consider, especially as I am a teacher myself.