The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Sep. 9th, 2025 07:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark is an odd little novel, published in 1961 and set in a girls' school in the first half of the 1930s. It follows teacher Miss Brodie and the six girls she selects to be part of 'her set', taking them on trips and inviting them round for tea. Miss Brodie is unconventional in her educational approach, which prompts the enmity of the headmistress, who is always trying to find a reason to fire her.
The book charts the progress and eventual outcomes for all six girls, as well as delving into their theories and speculations about Miss Brodie's love life. It's about power, manipulation, the imagination and vulnerabilities of adolescence, and one woman's obsession to become important through her influence over her students.
It's quite scattershot in its approach, jumping forward suddenly in time on various occasions to reveal the ultimate fate of various of the characters. It also repeats a lot of phrases and details over and over, in characterising Miss Brodie especially, but also the attributes she assigns to the girls.
It was an interesting read, though I wouldn't necessarily say it was overly enjoyable.
The book charts the progress and eventual outcomes for all six girls, as well as delving into their theories and speculations about Miss Brodie's love life. It's about power, manipulation, the imagination and vulnerabilities of adolescence, and one woman's obsession to become important through her influence over her students.
It's quite scattershot in its approach, jumping forward suddenly in time on various occasions to reveal the ultimate fate of various of the characters. It also repeats a lot of phrases and details over and over, in characterising Miss Brodie especially, but also the attributes she assigns to the girls.
It was an interesting read, though I wouldn't necessarily say it was overly enjoyable.
