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Miss Brill

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( 2,482 ratings, 283 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Miss Brill is a poignant short story about an English teacher living in France who spends her Sundays observing people in a public garden. Through her eyes, the narrative explores themes of loneliness, connection, and the delicate boundaries between perception and reality. As she eavesdrops on conversations, the story delves into the subtle emotions and inner life of Miss Brill, leading to a quiet yet profound moment of self-revelation.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this story for its exquisite use of language and insightful exploration of human nature. It offers a poignant glimpse into the life of a lonely woman as she observes the world around her, revealing themes of isolation, connection, and the passage of time, all conveyed with subtle irony and emotional depth.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. This title features stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

Vanity and creeping loneliness permeate these three short stories by the modern master of the form.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Little Black Classics - the new series to celebrate Penguin's 80th anniversary

"And again, as always, he had the feeling he was holding something that never was quite his - his. Something too delicate, too precious, that would fly away once he let go."

Three sharp and powerful short stories from Katherine Mansfield, one of the genre's all-time masters.

Introducing Little Black Classics - 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

Series: Penguin Little Black Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Miss Brill is often praised for its poignant and delicate portrayal of the inner life of its protagonist. Readers and critics have highlighted its ability to capture the nuances of loneliness and self-discovery. Katherine Mansfield's use of subtle symbolism and vivid imagery has been commended for reflecting the depth of human emotion within the mundane moments of everyday life.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141398655

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 February 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 9.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 161.0mm

Weight: 53g

Pages: 64

About the Author

Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923). Mansfield's works available in Penguin Classics are The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield and The Garden Party and Other Stories.

Also by Katherine Mansfield

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    This classic has been released in the Popular Penguin format to mark 50 years of publishing in New Zealand. The format reaches further back to 1935, when Allen Lane founded Penguin Books with a clear vision: 'We believed in the existence of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it.' Innovative and...
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  • A Dill Pickle
    90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books She drew a long, soft breath, as though the paper daffodils between them were almost too sweet to bear. Katherine Mansfield was a magician of the short story, whose work was described by Virginia Woolf as 'the only writing I have ever been jealous of'. These eight tales show her gift...
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  • The Garden Party and Other Stories
    The Garden Party and Other Stories comes with an introduction by Lorna Sage. Innovative, startlingly perceptive, and aglow with colour, these fifteen stories were written towards the end of Katherine Mansfield's tragically short life. Many are set in the author's native New Zealand, others in England and the French Riviera. All stories are revelations of the unspoken, half-understood emotions that...
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  • Wild Places
    Wild Places is a gorgeous hardback collection of Katherine Mansfield's best stories, selected by her biographer Claire Harman. This beautiful new hardback edition captures Mansfield's most vivid and distinctive tales. Katherine Mansfield was the only writer whom Virginia Woolf envied. She transformed the short story genre with her work, creating stories that are miraculous in their intensity yet seemingly so...
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  • The Garden Party
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  • Katherine Mansfield's Short Stories
    The complete classic stories by New Zealand's most famous writer. Unlike many selected editions, this is a complete collection of all 75 of Katherine Mansfield's finished stories taken from her five books: Bliss, The Garden Party, The Doves' Nest, Something Childish, and In a German Pension. Virginia Woolf claimed that Mansfield's writing was 'The only writing I have ever been...
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  • Bliss
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics - irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Katherine Mansfield's perceptive and resonant writing helped to define the modern short story, observing apparently trivial incidents to create quietly devastating revelations of inner lives. Graceful, delicate and burning with emotion, Mansfield's stories were integral...
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  • Katherine Mansfield: Selected Stories
    Here in one volume are twenty-three of the finest stories by Katherine Mansfield. Considered one of the finest short-story writers of the twentieth century, Mansfield was from a young age heavily influenced by Anton Chekhov, a master of the form. This new selection, with an introduction by the novelist Emily Perkins, ranges across Mansfield's oeuvre and shows the New Zealander's...
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  • The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield
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  • The Garden Party and Selected Short Stories
    When her wealthy family prepares to host a lavish summer party, the young, hitherto sheltered Laura Sheridan suddenly feels a kinship with the staff and the helpers hired to set up the venue for the festivities. As she learns of the death of one of their working-class neighbours, this burgeoning sense of class consciousness is heightened by a realisation of...
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  • The Fly
    "Now one could imagine that the little front legs rubbed against each other lightly, joyfully. The horrible danger was over; it had escaped; it was ready for life again." Deft, subtle, and bitingly ironic, Katherine Mansfield's short story is a highly concentrated depiction of grief and cruelty. Taking as its narrative occasion a brief meeting between two bereaved fathers, The...
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  • Selected Stories of Katherine Mansfield
    Selected Stories of Katherine Mansfield celebrates the exceptional influence Katherine Mansfield had on the modernist short story. Mansfield (1888-1923) was a pivotal figure whose work profoundly impacted writers such as Virginia Woolf and D.H. Lawrence. This collection presents, for the first time, draft manuscripts of some of her most important stories, offering scholars and students alike vivid new insight into...
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