The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jan 24, 2015 Ms. McGregor rated it liked it

Shelves: his-fic, coming-of-age, classics

A colleague passed this book onto me sort of as a joke because of the tragic character in this book that shares my name. It was a weird book. I'm not 100% sure I liked it, but I gave it 3 stars because I am definitely intrigued enough to seek out the movie. But I can't be sure if that's because of the story or because I want to watch a young Maggie Smith as the batshit Ms. Jean Brodie. ...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Kecia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1001-books, times_100_best

My favorite book of 2009, so far at least. If you have ever had a teacher like Miss Jean Brodie you will love, love, love this book! My high school french teacher was a Miss Brodie without the manipulative qualities. Madame taught us more about living well than how to congugate verbs. Whenever I see my former classmates we always ask if anyone has heard from Madame. She was the teacher who had the most influence on my young life. I could not read about Miss Brodie without Madame's presence in th ...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Shelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, historical, classic

More of a 3.5, I think. This was pretty disturbing in parts, really kind of sad, but amusing at the same time. I wasn't sure what I expected (all I knew was a few references in Ellen Emerson White's The Road Home), but this wasn't really it. *g* Miss Brodie was just horrible, but completely fascinating at the same time and her prime is not at all a positive thing. Very interesting characters all around, though. I am kind of intrigued about the movie, but I think I'd like the characters (especial ...more

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May 15, 2011 jenn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, 1001

I finally picked this up after learning it was set in Edinburgh. It's a quick read and one of the better books about the high school experience, in spite of being set in the 1930s.

Possibly not for anyone who demands a really likable main character. Miss Brodie is, frankly, kind of an ass, and watching her students outgrow her is both satisfying and shattering. ...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Kristen rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-club

Meh. The latest in our Time Magazine and Modern Library “Top 100” book lists, and picked specifically because we were tired of the male viewpoint and wanted to read one of the few female writers who made it onto the lists.

Maybe my modern sensibilities are too desensitized, and as a result I didn’t find the scandal or betrayal to be particularly cutting. I could see the betrayal and who was going to do it from a mile away, and while I could see where Sparks was going in trying to create a charac ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, owned, novella

Around the time I was reading Nick Hornby's collection of essays on reading, More Baths, Less Talking, where Hornby took a few opportunities to rave about Spark's writing, I saw this lovely little vintage edition on the spinner at my library's book store, so I had to get it. I don't know if I would have ever read it otherwise, this kind of story being slightly outside of my usual interests, but it was a lovely discovery. It reminded me a bit of a Megan Abbott tale, dealing as it did with a group ...more

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Oct 29, 2017 Rae rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2017

A psychological classic set in Scotland during the 1930s. Miss Brodie is a most manipulative educator who grooms a set of six girls and then vicariously lives through them...until she is betrayed.

Banned book and October autumnal read.

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