About this book
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, author Muriel Spark’s best-known work, is the story of an eccentric Edinburgh teacher who inspires cult-like reverence in her young female student-followers, referred to as “the crème de la crème.” Proud and cultured, Miss Brodie makes her distaste for conventional education known to the girls and she instead instills in them her own passion for art, music, men, and all things Italian. At first, her ideas dazzle and seduce the girls; however, Miss Brodie’s hubris—her excessive self-confidence—also exposes the girls to a new world of adult games and boundary crossing. Miss Brodie’s character is loosely based on Christina Kay, who taught Sparks for two years at James Gillespie's School for Girls.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is so short that it was first published, in its entirety, in the New Yorker. (Macmillan later reissued it in novel form). The novel has been adapted several times. Perhaps most notable is the 1969 film adaptation, starring Maggie Smith who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is ranked 76th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 79th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novel. It is also included in TIME’s “100 Best Novels” (since 1923).
From the rear cover
Now in a special edition marking the 100th anniversary of the author's birth, Muriel Spark's classic novel, widely hailed as one of the 20th century's best.
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 cr�me de la cr�me. 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.
First Edition Identification
Macmillan first published The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the UK in 1961.
Details
- Title The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- Author Muriel Spark
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 160
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Harper Perennial, New York
- Date 2009-02-10
- ISBN 9780061711299 / 0061711292
- Weight 0.3 lbs (0.14 kg)
- Dimensions 8 x 5.3 x 0.4 in (20.32 x 13.46 x 1.02 cm)
- Reading level 1120
-
Themes
- Topical: Coming of Age
- Library of Congress subjects Scotland, Psychological fiction
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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