The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: A Novel (P.S.)
by Muriel Spark
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Book Summary Information
Author: Muriel SparkEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-10
ISBN: 0061711292
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Book Reviews of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: A Novel (P.S.)
Book Review: Muriel's spark of genius
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not one to accept that a novel is worthy of "classic" billing just because everyone else says so. Each classic I read is on trial; and there is no presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Muriel Spark acquitted herself convincingly. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is brilliant for many reasons. In the beginning it lulled me into the sense of comfort I get when I'm reading a Jane Austen novel. I assumed that I would have been reading a witty coming of age tale about six Scottish girls; some witty, some not so witty and their eccentric teacher. Spark kept up the ruse long enough so that when I realized that I'd been had, I was in way too deep to bail out.
There isn't much action in this novel. It concerns itself primarily with character studies. And Spark's characterisations are uniformly brilliant. All the major players are drawn masterfully. Even relatively minor characters such as the artist Lloyd and his wife Diedre are fascinating. But Spark's genius lies in the portrayal of Miss Brodie herself and the "Brodie girl" Sandy.
This is a dark, dark novel, deceptively wrapped in the cheerful packaging of birthday and Christmas gift paper. As the story unfolded I found that Miss Brodie was not the harmless beatnik before her time which I was lead to imagine she was. She is also not a classic anti-heroine. Sandy is even darker. She is more Brodie than Brodie; unhampered in her choices by considerations of conscience or sentimentality.
Brilliant too is Spark's use of timing. The story runs seamlessly despite the frequent and unannounced shifts in time. The story never suffers for not being told in chronologically linear sequence.
If the test of a novel's effectiveness is the emotional impact it has on its reader, this is a successful novel. The dark, dark themes continued to resonate long after I put the book down. They've lodge themselves somewhere in the back of my mind where I hide unpleasant childhood memories and resounding adult disappointments for my own protection.
Summary of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: A Novel (P.S.)
At the staid Marcia Blaine School for Girls, in Edinburgh, Scotland, teacher extraordinaire Miss Jean Brodie is unmistakably, and outspokenly, in her prime. She is passionate in the application of her unorthodox teaching methods, in her attraction to the married art master, Teddy Lloyd, in her affair with the bachelor music master, Gordon Lowther, and?most important?in her dedication to "her girls," the students she selects to be her crème de la crème. Fanatically devoted, each member of the Brodie set?Eunice, Jenny, Mary, Monica, Rose, and Sandy?is "famous for something," and Miss Brodie strives to bring out the best in each one. Determined to instill in them independence, passion, and ambition, Miss Brodie advises her girls, "Safety does not come first. Goodness, Truth, and Beauty come first. Follow me."
And they do. But one of them will betray her.
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