Page turner: 7/10
Heart tugger: 8/10
Thought provoker: 7/10
Overall: 4 stars

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is charming. It is witty, well constructed, emotionally mature, and just … Delightful.

I say all of these things in a way that I hope doesn’t make it seem too ‘girly’ or trivial. Because, although the book isn’t about a great epoch of history, or moment of huge political significance it still holds its own with regards to depth and strength.

The book is about a Miss Jean Brodie – primary school teacher, art-appreciator, lover, influencer, and overall woman in her prime of life – and her relationship with those around her. Her ‘set’ of six girls who are under her spell (to varying degrees) are all profoundly affected by her, even in ways they themselves (I think) don’t quite appreciate even as adults looking back. It is mostly set in the 1930s (Miss Brodie is quite a fan of Mussolini – he is so organized!) and there is something of an Art Deco feel to the whole book. I am not sure if describing a work of literature as ‘Art Deco’ is some form of metaphor-synesthesia … But it works. Either that or I have been unduly influenced by the cover art of the book, which I think is beautiful.

Brodie herself is somewhat irresistible if not necessarily loveable, and her girls are outlandish on the surface but still somehow very real. You can’t help but to feel part of them all.

It is perhaps obvious to say that the author, Muriel Spark, is a woman, and sadly not that many female authors feature on the various award-winning book lists.  I count 7 on the Modern Library’s top 100. In this case this book also centres on the lives and livelihoods of women and what they would and should become. Brodie is a  mix of ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ but Spark knows what she is on about and foibles and prejudices are subtly noted.  Miss Brodie is definitely not what I expected her to be in the opening pages, as as she and the book both develop it is clear how masterful, calculated, and clever Spark is. The author shies from nothing – heck, one of the girls is ‘known for sex’ – and misses even less. And in my head (again, this could be the delightful cover art) she writes with an almost-smile a la Mona Lisa, who is also mentioned in the novel.

Clocking in at a very slim 128 pages, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is well judged, well edited, and … well enjoyable. Besides, it is only 128 pages means even if you don’t take my word for it you have very little to lose!