Notes on a Scandal
10 journalers for this copy...
I thought this was an excellent book demonstrating Heller's great writing ability. At first sight, the novel appears to be about a (female) teacher's relationship with an underage male pupil. While this notion is certainly disturbing, it was the narrator's relationship with the aforementioned teacher, which was actually darker, in many ways.
There has been a great response to this bookring so I look forward to reading all your reviews. The running order is as as follows:
goatgrrl- Canada
boreal- New Zealand
jubby- Australia
EDDI- Australia
jellicle- Australia
Rampallion- USA
sweetsangria- USA
Rrrcaron- USA
tabyorky- UK
redhouse- UK
pinkrosymolly- UK
Back to Csndyfloss- UK
There has been a great response to this bookring so I look forward to reading all your reviews. The running order is as as follows:
goatgrrl- Canada
boreal- New Zealand
jubby- Australia
EDDI- Australia
jellicle- Australia
Rampallion- USA
sweetsangria- USA
Rrrcaron- USA
tabyorky- UK
redhouse- UK
pinkrosymolly- UK
Back to Csndyfloss- UK
Journal Entry 2 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, August 24, 2004
It's here, it's here! I am so looking forward to reading this book :^). Thanks so much, Candyfloss. I promise to have it read and on to the next reader within the next 2 - 3 weeks. Best wishes from New Westminster, British Columbia. (At left: the Fraser River, as seen from the top of my street.)
Journal Entry 3 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Monday, August 30, 2004
Notes on a Scandal is told in the first person by the aptly named Barbara Covett, a single, retirement age history teacher at St. George's Comprehensive school in London. Then, in the first pages of the book, the reader is introduced to the school's new pottery teacher: beautiful, upper-class Sheba Hart, daughter of a famous economist and wife to Richard, a lecturer in Communications Theory at a second-rate university. We know from the back cover (and from nearly every review of this book in print) that Sheba will assume centre stage in this story when she commences an illict affair with a fifteen year old male student. What we can't predict is the role to be played by Miss Covett ...
Here's a heartbreaking lesson from the life of the goatgrrl: beware of making friends with the pathologically lonely. Zoe Heller has created in Barbara Covett a wonderfully suspicious narrator (her unreliability is reminiscent of that of the narrator in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day), and it's only gradually that it dawns on us that something is amiss. Notes on a Scandal is a great story about love, need, jealousy and obsession, and all the dark places they take us. Highly recommended. Thanks, Candyfloss!
Here's a heartbreaking lesson from the life of the goatgrrl: beware of making friends with the pathologically lonely. Zoe Heller has created in Barbara Covett a wonderfully suspicious narrator (her unreliability is reminiscent of that of the narrator in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day), and it's only gradually that it dawns on us that something is amiss. Notes on a Scandal is a great story about love, need, jealousy and obsession, and all the dark places they take us. Highly recommended. Thanks, Candyfloss!
Journal Entry 4 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Monday, August 30, 2004
I'll be mailing Notes on a Scandal to boreal, as soon as I confirm the address I have for her is still correct! Thanks again, Candyfloss -- this book got me through a long journey yesterday (read it cover to cover during a Vancouver - Toronto - Ottawa marathon flight.).
This arrived in the mail today -thanks Goatgrll and Candyfloss. I will make a start on this as soon as I have finished my current book -shouldn't be too long.
I found this book quite compelling, there was a sort of menace throughout and you didn't quite know how it was all going to end. Like Goatgrll I was reminded of Remains of the Day -the narrator (Barbara) had the same sort of snobbishness and tone.
Thanks for the opportunity to read it. I will post it to Jubby as soon as I have the address.
Posted to Jubby on 15th September -Enjoy!
Thanks for the opportunity to read it. I will post it to Jubby as soon as I have the address.
Posted to Jubby on 15th September -Enjoy!
Received in the post today.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Journal Entry 8 by jubby at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, October 2, 2004
Released 19 yrs ago (10/2/2004 UTC) at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
I took this book with me on holidays, and really couldn't put it down. I am a slow reader, so we would be driving through the most increible scenery, and I would be there unable to wait, reading.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this writer. She has an incredible way of deftly describing characters, their actions and scenes concisely.
I have worked in a private high school myself, and was amazed with the spot-on characters, behaviours ans politics.
This woman can write.
I have to read more of her stuff.
I my humble opinion, this book is better than the Booker prize winning 'Vernon God Little'.
Have posted off to EDDI.
Thank you Candyfloss.
I took this book with me on holidays, and really couldn't put it down. I am a slow reader, so we would be driving through the most increible scenery, and I would be there unable to wait, reading.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this writer. She has an incredible way of deftly describing characters, their actions and scenes concisely.
I have worked in a private high school myself, and was amazed with the spot-on characters, behaviours ans politics.
This woman can write.
I have to read more of her stuff.
I my humble opinion, this book is better than the Booker prize winning 'Vernon God Little'.
Have posted off to EDDI.
Thank you Candyfloss.
Received today from jubby. thanks.
Couldn't put it down. Ready to mail it on. PM'd candyfloss about the fact that the next person is not in Australia but no response so I guess I'll have to mail internationally. Will PM next person.
On its way to rampallion.
On its way to rampallion.
Arrived today! Thank you very much! Will start immediately.
EDDI, I know it says on your profile that you don't send books outside Australia, so thanks very much for making an exception!
EDDI, I know it says on your profile that you don't send books outside Australia, so thanks very much for making an exception!
What a fantastic book. I could not put it down. I loved all the symbolic names--Covett, Bathsheba Hart, Pabblem. The unreliable narrator reminded me more of The Talented Mr. Ripley than it did of The Remains of the Day. I felt sorry for her even as she was by turns pathetic and cruel. I will have to look for Zoë Heller's other novel.
If you are interested in reading a nonfiction account of a similar scandal from the teacher's perspective, you might look for Heather Ingram's book: http://bookcrossing.com/journal/899733 . Heather Ingram is similar to the fictional Bathsheba Hart in some ways--naïve, sheltered, well-educated, always a "good girl," stayed in a relationship that had gotten stale, had no common sense when it came to taking a risk because she had never before taken a risk in her life.
There's also To Die For by Joyce Maynard, which is a fictional account of the Pam Smart case in Massachusetts.
Thanks again for sharing this book. I will send it along soon.
If you are interested in reading a nonfiction account of a similar scandal from the teacher's perspective, you might look for Heather Ingram's book: http://bookcrossing.com/journal/899733 . Heather Ingram is similar to the fictional Bathsheba Hart in some ways--naïve, sheltered, well-educated, always a "good girl," stayed in a relationship that had gotten stale, had no common sense when it came to taking a risk because she had never before taken a risk in her life.
There's also To Die For by Joyce Maynard, which is a fictional account of the Pam Smart case in Massachusetts.
Thanks again for sharing this book. I will send it along soon.
Journal Entry 13 by rampallion at Controlled Release in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, November 9, 2004
Released on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 at about 12:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Controlled Release in Controlled release, to another bookcrosser Controlled Releases.
RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to sweetsangria today by first class mail. Delivery confirmation # 03041560000749211511 . Check www.usps.com for updates.
RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to sweetsangria today by first class mail. Delivery confirmation # 03041560000749211511 . Check www.usps.com for updates.
This showed up today. I love the cover. I'll try to get to this ASAP. It looks like a quick read.
I enjoyed reading this alot. I thought both main characters, Sheba and Barbara, were sad, desperate,selfish women. From the very beginning I found Barbara's attachment to Sheba and their friendship creepy. As said before, this book is not so much about Sheba's affair with a student as it is about the relationship between these two women. It seemed that as Sheba's life unraveled more and more, Barbara's improved....she found herself no longer alone with somebody to take care of. "She seemed to me like some magical lake in a fairytale: nothing could disturb the mirror-calm of her surface. My snide comments and bitter jokes disappeared soundlessly into her depths, leaving not so much as a ripple."
sending to Rrrcaron.
I received this in the mail today. I hope to start it soon.
Ruth
Ruth
I really enjoyed this book. I got caught up in both of their drama's. Sheba's obsession for Connelly, and Barbara's desperate need for Sheba, and the outcomes of each, kept me turning the pages to find out more! Thanks for sharing this book. I will send on to tabyorky as soon as I receive an address.
Ruth
Ruth
Received in the post today. Will put in my tbr pile and pass on to the next person as soon as possible.
Journal Entry 20 by tabyorky from Doncaster, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 26, 2005
This was an interesting book and I enjoyed it. Hard to put down once I had started reading it.
Sent redhouse a pm but already read it so sent a pm to the next person.
Posted book to pinkrosymolly today.
Journal Entry 23 by pinkrosymolly from Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Monday, June 6, 2005
Arrived innthe post to day - thanks!! Will put on top of mount TBR!
Journal Entry 24 by pinkrosymolly from Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Sunday, July 31, 2005
Like the other journallers i found this hard to put down!! I too was expecting the book to focus on the relationship of a teacher and a pupil but no it was more about the creeping obsession of the narrator with the teacher in question. A brilliantly written book with a great last chapter - keeps you on your toes to the end!!!
