The Man Who Loved Children

  
The Man Who Loved Children
by Christina Stead
read: 2013
Time 100 Novels, Guardian 1000 Novels

This was tough to read. It was long, and it was painful. The Pollit family was almost entirely unsympathetic, and every moment of humanity was followed by two of selfishness, ignorance, or even cruelty. At first these foibles were humorous, but things became so unpleasant that after a while that it wasn't funny any more. It's not a bad book, but the dysfunction was so relentless that I really had to grind through it.

Thunderball

Thunderball
by Ian Fleming
read: 2013

I was going to write that Thunderball seemed to be the point where Fleming was consciously writing for the big screen ... but according to Wikipedia the screenplay actually came first for this one. Makes sense.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

 
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark
read: 2013
Time 100 Novels, Modern Library #76, Guardian 1000 Novels

A short, odd novel that's funny and deeply tragic at the same time. I don't fully understand the betrayal that leads to Miss Jean Brodie's ultimately downfall. Was Sandy jealous of Brodie's personal charisma? Was it a necessary step to break free of her influence?