This year is the centenary of Muriel Spark’s birth. Born in 1918 and dying in 2006, she came to fame and fortune in 1961 with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. It is the extraordinary story of a schoolmistress working at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. She is single, passionate and quite narcissistic, considering herself in her prime. Her methods of teaching are unconventional and have an incredible influence over a small group of girls who are known as the Brodie set. Miss Brodie refers to them as her crème de la crème. The head mistress of this school holds Miss Brodie in great suspicion as often history lessons are held outside under the elm tree and the girls seem to know more about many different subjects other than those that are in the authorised curriculum. They are even aware of Miss Brodie’s love life, which she enjoys sharing with them. After all, affairs of the heart are an important part of their education.

These girls are all different and all famous for something: Monica for her mathematics which she can do in her brain, Rose for her sexuality, Eunice for her gymnastics and swimming, Sandy for her beautiful vowel sounds when reciting poetry and Jenny who is going to be an actress. We follow these girls throughout their school lives and beyond.

To many people this book is the most perfect novel in the English language. It is a joy to read but impossible for me to do it justice in a short review. But on the back of my little paperback is written, Miss Jean Brodie is ‘one of the most unforgettable characters in all literature’. If you are of a certain age and haven’t read this most celebrated novel, then treat yourself to a copy and be inspired.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom