SPARK, Muriel ~ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

FIRST UK PRINTING. Macmillan & Co Ltd., London: 1961

8vo, aqua cloth lettered in gilt to spine; together in the iconic dustwrapper designed by Victor Reinganum (13s 6d net); THE BOOK near-fine, with slight bruising and sunning to the spine tips, and light spotting to the outer edges of the text block; THE WRAPPER very good plus, in superior condition to those often found, very light shelf marking to the lower panel and some light nicking and chipping to the spine tips and edges the only defects. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition, first printing. 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' is perhaps the novel for which Muriel Spark is best known today. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930s, the plot follows a schoolmistress and her pupils in 'The Brodie Set' as she decides to educate them on matters outside of the curriculum, including art, politics and the rise of Hitler, as well as love and heartbreak. First published in 'The New Yorker', the character of Jean Brodie was based upon Christina Kay, Spark's teacher for two years while she was studying at James Gillespie's School for Girls. Kay reportedly hung not only posters of Renaissance paintings on the wall, but also of Benito Mussolini. Spark later wrote of her: "What filled our minds with wonder and made Christina Kay so memorable was the personal drama and poetry within which everything in her classroom happened." The novel brought Spark international fame, and has since been adapted into stage (starring Vanessa Redgrave), radio, and most famously film (the 1969 release starred Maggie Smith, won won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance). Seldom found in this condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good +