I had to read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark for my book club; I’m not sure I would have read it otherwise, but I’m glad that I did (mind you, it is on the Modern Library top 100 novels list and I am intent on reading 99 — I will never read Finnegan’s Wake. Never.). Very short, very sharp and very silly, I quite enjoyed it. I am not usually a fan of comic novels, especially that British ‘cleverness’ that writers like Evelyn Waugh employ (ooh, look how cleverly I dissect the obvious shortcomings of society!) but I found that Spark used just enough of drama and intrigue to offset the satirical tone. And, oh, how I wish that I’d had a teacher like Miss Brodie — a teacher who had taught less curriculum and more life knowledge; if I were ever to be a teacher that is the kind of teacher I’d want to be (although, probably a little more left of the whole fascism thing that Miss Brodie was so fond and I would want to be slightly less manipulative and selfish and childish). Now, to watch the movie (MAGGIE SMITH!!!).