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Muriel Spark
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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie MP3 CD – Unabridged, January 1, 2006

by Muriel Spark (Author), Nadia May (Reader)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 3,558 ratings
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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. 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, preaching the value of art, passion, and daring. She is also passionate 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 creme de la creme. 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. Told from the unsympathetic perspective of one of Miss Brodie's students, this novel explores themes of innocence, betrayal, and the tension between cold rationality and unchecked emotionalism.
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  1. Print length
    200 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Blackstone Audiobooks
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.44 x 0.54 x 7.42 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1433206153
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1433206153
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (January 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • MP3 CD ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1433206153
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1433206153
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.36 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.44 x 0.54 x 7.42 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 3,558 ratings

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Muriel Spark

Muriel Spark

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Muriel Spark (1918–2006) was a prolific Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet whose darkly comedic voice made her one of the most distinctive writers of the twentieth century. Spark grew up in Edinburgh and worked as a department store secretary, writer for trade magazines, and literary editor before publishing her first novel in 1957. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), considered her masterpiece, was made into a stage play, a TV series, and a film. Spark became a Dame of the British Empire in 1993.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
3,558 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Zachary Littrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Your favorite fun, inspirational, romantic, petty, fascistic teacher
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2017
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I thought a lot about popular teachers I've had. How charming they can be, how cool and inclusive they can be, and how they have the strong tendency to be tremendous arses.

I adored Miss Jean Brodie. Her fun and artistic atmosphere is a haze around her personality warts, like a keen fascination for twentieth century fascism. Her enlightened diatribes underscore a sharp pettiness, and her five favorite pupils shape their lives in accordance to, and reaction against, her philosophies that can be boiled down to: "Love me."

Originally, I was going to give this 4 stars. The last line is so unnecessarily cliche, the focus wobbles around, and characters that have a lot of color become caricatures towards the end. But the more I think on its faults, the more I realize that the story of Jean Brodie could not have been written any other way. When it comes time to draw a portrait of a former object of affection, a whole messy mix of emotions are bound to come out.

(If you've seen the movie, a lot of the plot beats are the same. But there is definitely some new emotional beats to explore in the text)
31 people found this helpful
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Christine
4.0 out of 5 stars "Follow Me"
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2022
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Jean Brodie is a force to be reckoned with! As a teacher in a prestigious school, she carefully chooses and grooms her "set". She tells these impressionable girls that they will become " the creme de la creme" if they follow her lead. Her unorthodox teaching methods are actually to not teach at all, but rather tell stories about her life and impart her opinions about life, religion, love and politics to her students. In fact, she keeps a division problem on the board in case of an unannounced visit from the headmistress. She is eventually betrayed by one of her own.
The symbol of Miss Brodie as a charismatic leader is relevant for our times. The character tells the students not to give in to "team spirit", but to seek to express their individuality - yet openly admires the facists. This becomes her undoing... She cannot be taken down for personal reasons, but rather her politics.
This was an interesting book. I would have liked a bit more development into the " set" as they got older, especially Sandy.
3 people found this helpful
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Gabby M
3.0 out of 5 stars A Twist On The "Inspiring Teacher" Tale
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2021
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For most of us, any formative teachers we may have had were people whose influence on us was in the classroom, where their inspiration was related to learning about the world. In Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, however, things are different. The titular Ms. Brodie cultivates a group of girls at their school in Scotland, seeming to be one of those "inspirational" teachers often idealized in books and film: she believes that what happens outside of the classroom can be just as important if not more so than what happens inside of it. She invites them (brainy Monica, pretty Jenny, sporty Eunice, sultry Rose, observant Sandy, and the poor scapegoat, Mary) to her home, takes them on cultural outings. But along with art and history, Ms. Brodie is also a big fan of fascism. And her interest goes beyond just being a role model for her girls...as they grow up, she begins to manipulate them.

Ms. Brodie is a single woman, and falls in love with Mr. Lloyd, the married art teacher. Their mutual affection is never consummated, so even while Ms. Brodie carries on a relationship with the bachelor singing teacher Mr. Lowther, she schemes to get one of her girls to have an affair with Mr. Lloyd in her stead, confiding in Sandy about her plans. While Rose is her intended proxy, it is Sandy who winds up sleeping with him, and who adopts his Catholic faith and becomes a nun. It is from the convent that she is recounting her youth and the role Ms. Brodie played in her life.

This is a brief work, only about 150 pages. As such, many of the characters are flat, even most of the "Brodie set" outside of Sandy. But generally speaking, it paints a vivid portrait of a time, and a place, and the people involved. Jean Brodie is a character who soars off the page, complex and interesting and so deeply flawed. For all her bluster and bravado and determination to avoid pity, she's ultimately a pitiful figure. And one who's careless of the damage she causes, inspiring a student to run away to fight for Franco, which leads to her death. On a lesser level, Sandy's assignation with her art teacher does not leave her without damage.

I was of two minds about the length. On the one hand, I wish there had been more time to develop the other girls, and the relationships between them as well their connection to Ms. Brodie. On the other hand, I don't know that the plot would have the same power, the same feeling of a drive toward the inevitable conclusion, if it had to persist over a longer period of time. This is a solid book, and an unusual twist on the stories about teachers who change lives. I'd recommend it for a quick, engaging read.
15 people found this helpful
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CS
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Wise
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2019
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”Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life.”

This story unfolds over three decades in the life of the delightfully charming Miss Brodie, who is, after all, in her prime, and has had many experiences in her life which she wants to share with the young women, girls, really, who she has been tasked with enriching their minds. Mind you, she isn’t your ordinary teacher, and she has several of these young women with whom she shares a close relationship. It is unveiled slowly, moving backward and forward over time, as these young women begin their tutelage by the inimitable Miss Jean Brodie, who is (in case you forgot) in her prime, sharing her stories of love and such, basking in the close bonds she’s formed.

”One’s prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full.”

There will be a betrayal by someone, perhaps one of the girls, perhaps the art teacher, a man whom Miss Brodie has shared a very warm friendship over time, or perhaps someone else.

”Outwardly she differed from the rest of the teaching staff in that she was still in a state of fluctuating development, whereas they had only too understandably not trusted themselves to change their minds, particularly on ethical questions, after the age of twenty.”

This is a relatively short book, I believe around 120 pages or so, and was worth every minute of the time invested, and more. Miss Jean Brodie is one very memorable character, and I’m so glad I finally made time for this one.
18 people found this helpful
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Zee Kay
5.0 out of 5 stars Good experience
Reviewed in India on April 16, 2024
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The book is a known classic. This edition is a good print. Slightly thinner pages but pretty much manageable.
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Zee Kay
5.0 out of 5 stars Good experience
Reviewed in India on April 16, 2024
The book is a known classic. This edition is a good print. Slightly thinner pages but pretty much manageable.
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Devoed
5.0 out of 5 stars Never knew the Scottish could write- or read
Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2018
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The only time a grown man can read about teenage girls’ sexual fantasies and sexual encounters and not be put on a national list.
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AlisonW
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2016
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This book has been on my radar for years, but for some reason I’ve never got round to it or seen the iconic film version. I have read Spark’s ‘The Driver’s Seat’ which was brilliant and strange and shocking, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this.
It’s also brilliant and strange and shocking. Spark is a writer who refuses to be bound by convention. She writes in the way she wants to write and this book is wonderful because of that. Miss Jean Brodie is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever read about, and the way she speaks and behaves are skilfully portrayed. The narrative moves back and forth, showing the teacher and her girls at various stages from when they are ten right through to when they are adults.
The way Brodie manipulates and influences the girls is shocking at times, as is the behaviour of the girls themselves (and some of the other teachers). And the casual cruelties, particularly directed at poor, unfortunate Mary, reveal so much about human relationships. The interactions between the characters also reveal a lot about the conventions and social issues of the time, in the years leading up to the Second World War.
The book is short but it packs so much in. The economy of the writing shows real skill. Spark manages to say a great deal in a few words – a lesson that many writers could do with learning. Her use of language is the epitome of every word having meaning. There are no whimsical meanderings here.
Intelligent, dark, subtle and skillful – genuinely a classic.
3 people found this helpful
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ivan h.g
4.0 out of 5 stars really good
Reviewed in Spain on November 2, 2013
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It's even better than I thought, It starts as an innocent chronicle of the life of Jean Brodie and ends as a terrifying story
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Paola
4.0 out of 5 stars un bel libro, con una sorpresa...
Reviewed in Italy on October 21, 2013
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Avevo bisogno di ritrovare questo libro, di cui possedevo già una copia ma che nel tempo ho smarrito, ed ho fatto fatica a procurarmelo in quanto pare sia fuori stampa. Sono quindi stata contenta di trovarne una copia nuova, ad un prezzo contenuto, ed ho fatto poco caso che provenisse dalla Germania. La sorpresa è stata scoprire che si tratta di una edizione scolastica annotata, con riferimenti bibliografici e ben 19 pagine di commento critico (il libro vero e proprio è lungo 164 pagine). Peccato che tutto questo sia rigorosamente in tedesco, e quindi non fruibile per me.
Il testo comunque è molto gradevole, scritto in maniera leggera ma intelligente, ambientato in una scuola femminile, con un'insegnante che plasma le sue studentesse, anticipando di molto altre opere sullo stesso filone (mi vengono in mente i film "L'attimo fuggente" e "Mona Lisa Smile"). La rivista "Time" qualche anno fa ha definito questo volumetto uno dei migliori romanzi in lingua inglese dal 1923, peccato che in inglese sia quasi impossibile trovarlo...
One person found this helpful
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