Katherine Mansfield

Miss Brill

Every Sunday, Miss Brill puts on her fur and goes to the public gardens to sit in her favourite seat, listen to the band and watch the crowd. Today the band sounds gayer than usual, and she feels she has a part in the show. Then two young people sit down beside her.

B215 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

Miss Brill

Fräulein Brill

Although it was so brilliantly fine—the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques—Miss Brill was glad that she had decided on her fur.

Obwohl es so strahlend schön war – der blaue Himmel mit Gold bestäubt und große Lichtflecken wie über die Jardins Publiques verschütteter Weißwein –, war Fräulein Brill froh, dass sie sich für ihren Pelz entschieden hatte.

The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now and again a leaf came drifting—from nowhere, from the sky.

Die Luft war unbewegt, aber wenn man den Mund öffnete, spürte man eine leichte Kühle, wie die Kühle eines Glases mit Eiswasser, bevor man daran nippt, und hin und wieder trieb ein Blatt herab – aus dem Nichts, vom Himmel.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

Miss Brill · English (original)B2 Intermediate · 1,931 words · ~15 min · Audio
Miss Brill · GermanB2 Intermediate · 1,982 words · ~15 min · Audio
Δεσποινίς Μπριλ · GreekB2 Intermediate · 1,891 words · ~15 min
Miss Brill · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 1,965 words · ~15 min · Audio
Miss Brill · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 2,157 words · ~15 min · Audio
मिस ब्रिल · HindiB2 Intermediate · 2,300 words · ~15 min
Miss Brill · IndonesianB2 Intermediate · 1,827 words · ~10 min
Miss Brill · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 1,913 words · ~15 min
ミス・ブリル · JapaneseB2 Intermediate
브릴 양 · KoreanB2 Intermediate · 1,477 words · ~10 min
Miss Brill · DutchB2 Intermediate · 2,047 words · ~15 min
Panna Brill · PolishB2 Intermediate · 1,716 words · ~10 min
Miss Brill · PortugueseB2 Intermediate · 2,013 words · ~15 min
Domnișoara Brill · RomanianB2 Intermediate · 1,993 words · ~15 min
Bayan Brill · TurkishB2 Intermediate · 1,473 words · ~10 min
Cô Brill · VietnameseB2 Intermediate · 2,684 words · ~20 min
布里尔小姐 · ChineseB2 Intermediate

Questions

Which languages can I read Miss Brill in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

What level is it?

The original English is B2 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 1,931 words: around 5–20 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Is it free?

Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

Miss Brill

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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