The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

By: Muriel Spark

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

In the classic work that launched a play, a movie, and a song, Muriel Spark tells the darkly intriguing story of an eccentric Edinburgh teacher and the intense relationship she develops with six of her students.

The scandalously outspoken Miss Brodie makes big waves in the conservative Scottish school, preaching the value of art, passion, and daring. While her bold values inspire an almost cult-like reverence in her young protégées, her politics, rivalries, and frank sensuality lead ultimately to her downfall.

Told from the unsympathetic perspective of one of Miss Brodie's students, the novel explores themes of innocence and betrayal and the tension between cold rationality and unchecked emotionalism.

©1961 Muriel Spark (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A perfect book." (Chicago Tribune)

"Admirably written, beautifully constructed, extremely amusing, and deeply serious." (Saturday Review)

"A gloriously witty and polished vignette." (Times Literary Supplement)

A Strange Little Novel

Adherents of this work claim it to be a compelling detailing of the “spiritual education” of our younger generations. I found this not to be the case. Like so much of the rest of the canonical literatures this work has not aged well. Our current younger generations will find little to relate to while reading this novella.

Noah Balfour
02.06.24

"There was a Miss Jean Brodie in her prime"

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this short novel. It is a very well written story about innocent impression, that evokes sympathies that change as the 'girls' grow up.
I kept reminding myself that the book was published in the early 60's, but i'm not sure it required such reminders, being so much ahead of its time.
unlike the initial impression, i found in the book, much beyond the 'growing up' aspect.

It was especially touching, to recognize the author in 'Sandy', and realise that Spark was inspired by her own 'Miss Brodie in her prime'.

Nadia May made the story come alive.

The novella deals with students development. It also highlights the destructive nature of Political correctness. It's the perfect education novel for our times.

Gets better with every listen

Insightful and poignant portrayal of a childhood influenced by the creative depictions of Miss Brodie’s worldview in between the world wars. The layers of irony, humor and humanity are exposed with each listen. A Spark of brilliance.

A classic for good reason

The writing of the book really pulls you into participation in the allegory itself. And you don’t realize until it’s much too late. Incredibly written but be advised: not as lighthearted as it may seem at first.

how can you resist

being fascinated and appalled, horrified and empathetic towards Jean Brodie. She I a woman with too much energy,ambition, and intelligence to move like a sleepwalker through life within her social assignment, a shadowy passenger in history.

Intriguing Book

This is an intriguing book. Sure to stir up memories of high-school drama and first discovering the deeper layers to adult life. Excellent narration.

The Prime of Muriel Spark (and Nadia May)

Muriel Spark tells this story all at once. A 10-year- old girl is introduced, described, and then we see her 28 years later, talking to her husband, or suddenly transported from the classroom to her birthday tea with a friend the week before. We're told who dies years before they do. We know the denouement well before the last sentence.

The technique may sound “experimental”, but the effect is far more enjoyable than some literary innovations the 20th century foisted on an unsuspecting public. With its scene shifts and leaps in time, the narrative can sound as fractured and scattershot as Miss Jean Brody’s teaching method—or her views on art, life and her “girls”. But the ultimate sense of well-rounded completeness is akin to that we derive from a good three-volume Victorian novel—minus several hundred pages. Nadia May reads this one as if the story was written for her.

engrossing short novel

Still haven't seen the Maggie Smith film, but the novel is fascinating In a wry way , which makes me want to see how it could have been adapted from the novel to capture the nuance. The performance was pitch-perfect.

Meh

This book is the exception that proves the rule that a book is better than the movie. Skip the book and go watch Maggie Smith as Miss Jean Brodie.