mercedes's Reviews (299)

I love the magic of used books. As I started reading Muriel Spark’s wonderful ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’, I noticed, in my old and worn 1965 copy, a train ticket, dated 13 March 1986, from London to Edinburgh—where this book takes place. Perhaps it has been used as a bookmark, maybe the book itself was bought at the train station, or taken along to get the full effect of the story. 

The magic of this book didn’t end there. Coming in at 128 pages, Spark packs this little story full of so much vivacity and character. It is deeply humorous and yet has a lot to reflect on, with much that makes you smile in the beginning and leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth by the end. I adored going on the journey of navigating life and school with the six girls of ‘the Brodie set’, who each have such distinct personalities throughout the short narrative. Highly recommend giving this a go if you haven’t read it—it’s an underrated one. 

 

this was so badly written i can't...

open to reread another time - dnf because my loan was almost up at the library

Great Expectations… what a journey. Equally amusing and heartbreaking, and expertly crafted. We grow along with Pip as we read about his life, from a young boy to an esteemed man of money and prospects. Dickens crafts an incredible bildungsroman—every character feels so alive, his descriptions are inspired, and the growth of Pip as a character is engaging, yet fills you with a simmering feeling of dread that doesn’t leave until the book is finished. A masterful creation and a new favourite 🤍 I actually think I may have enjoyed this more than Jane Eyre (a book I had the chance to do my end of year assignment on, contrasting it with Great Expectations—I end up choosing a different assignment option, but this was a close second).

p.s. (spoiler warning) I read Dickens’ notes and he wrote, in regards to Pip and Herbert, ‘the one good thing he did in his prosperity, the only thing that endures and bears good fruit’ and… AAH! Pip and Herbert’s relationship is beautiful and that note makes it even more so.

 

Most life-changing book I've ever read. Everyone should read this!