What was she thinking notes on a scandal

Small Things Like These. A Little Hope. The Waiting. O Beautiful. The Survivors. Get the Book Marks Bulletin Please enter an email address so you can get access to our awesome newsletter! Graphic Novels. Literature in Translation. View all 9 comments. Jul 15, Leanne rated it it was amazing Shelves: read-in , favourites , i-saw-the-movie , top This is a story about scandal - but more deeply, it's a story about loneliness.

Pure, desperate, bone-aching loneliness. As I wrote that, I realized it was a weak, paraphrased version of the most powerful passage in the book. And that's the difficulty of reviewing Notes on a Scandal - everything I try to say, Heller has already said, and much more powerfully. And she manages to do it all neatly and beautifully - there are no bloated metaphors or silly comparisons, only acute observations and lay This is a story about scandal - but more deeply, it's a story about loneliness.

And she manages to do it all neatly and beautifully - there are no bloated metaphors or silly comparisons, only acute observations and layered themes. Instead of a scandalous account of the affair from the point of view of one of the participants, it is told by Barbara - the self-appointed narrator of Sheba's fall from grace. This gives the events an unemotional tone; Barbara doesn't really understand what actually attracted Sheba to Connolly, and therefore you don't either.

You start to understand that Barbara is a strange, desperate, overly attached woman - but you can't help but sympathize with her. At the beginning, Barbara claims the story is about Sheba, not herself, but Barbara's story is the more compelling one, the one that starts to seep in and take over. I did wish the ending had been a little more sinister - I was expecting more of an explosion, but I should have known it would only be quietly disconcerting.

Finally, one of my favourite quotes other than the aforementioned one on loneliness : "I'm a child in that respect: able to live, physically speaking, on a crumb of anticipation for weeks at a time, but always in danger of crushing the waited-for event with the freight of my excessive hope. I am a self proclaimed lover of sweeping, lengthy novels, but this didn't need to be any longer. It was perfect in its length.

It tells its story, it unsettles you and makes you reflect, and then it's done. Jul 05, Melody Sams rated it really liked it. I had a distaste for both Sheba and Barbara from the film, so I expected to feel the same way about the book characters.

Turns out, this was only partially true. I found myself entirely unsympathetic towards Sheba and her completely depraved self-absorption. However, Barbara was a different story. I was saddened by her inner dialog and felt she was deserving of pity. She was in no way the cold, heartless snoop that was depicted in the film. Instead she was a terribly lonely person who was desperate for a companion. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good scandal story. This was one of the longest standing, unread members on my shelves and it feels like such an accomplishment to have now actually read it!

As the title suggests, this novel is a compilation of the observations from Barbara Covett upon the scandalous affair between new teacher and friend, Sheba Hart, and one of their students. Barbara's examination has much to tell the reader about both the scandal this focuses on, and also the lonely individual wielding the pen.

I know many a reader with whom the s This was one of the longest standing, unread members on my shelves and it feels like such an accomplishment to have now actually read it! I know many a reader with whom the score of unlikable characters would have been cause to set this novel down with distaste, but I loved this exploration into the villainous psyche.

Every character had some unlikable attribute awarded to them, in varying degrees, which made this sordid and twisted tale all the more intriguing. Heller displayed an aptitude for human understanding. Provided was a complete portrait of each of the characters, along with the mechanisms that moved them, to give life to the individuals and aid comprehension for their calculated actions.

This felt, on times, like a psychological study, so astutely and devotedly did Heller commit to the study of her cast. My only small source of discontent was that few other elements muddied the waters of this text, than were provided in the synopsis. The delicious wickedness won me over, however, and I was undeniably hooked, throughout.

View 2 comments. This was an incredibly dark, gritty, realistic novel that perfectly portrays destructive behaviour and manipulative relationships. The story is narrated by Barbara, an older secondary school History teacher, who becomes obsessed with a new Art teacher Sheba Hart.

When she finds out that Sheba has begun having a relationship with one of her pupils, she acts as her confidante, drawing the two 'friends' ever closer. However, Barbara's manipulative personality takes them to further dark places. This This was an incredibly dark, gritty, realistic novel that perfectly portrays destructive behaviour and manipulative relationships. This book was very well-written in that the characters, the situation, and how the storyline panned out was all incredibly realistic.

Although set in London, the setting felt more and more claustrophobic the further Sheba fell into the destructive, illegal relationship. Barbara was a fantastic, deplorable narrator, who conversely you also can completely feel sorry for, and although the book isn't enjoyable to read, it is definitely entertaining.

Mar 18, Britany rated it really liked it Shelves: books-to-film , Sheba Hart quite the name! She floats in stealing all the attention in the teachers room, and Barbara Covett Ironic name? Barbara tells us this story from her detailed and slightly creepy perspective.

She's detailing the relationship Sheba has with the others at St Georges, including an inappropriate one with a student. We learn this at the very beginning, then Barbara goes back and forth, until both storylines converge Sheba Hart quite the name! We learn this at the very beginning, then Barbara goes back and forth, until both storylines converge. Barbara is a older, single woman with a cat- Portia. She's desperately lonely and really craves a friend. Sheba is equally lonely in her marriage with two kids, and confides in Barbara, the only one she can divulge information to.

At first, the writing was thoughtful and something to savor. As the book moves forward, the writing is perfectly constructed to illustrate these characters. Their flaws, their weaknesses and their motivation as they make decisions that will impact each other's lives. This book is one for ripe for discussion- morally and literary. I'm disappointed with the quick ending, felt a little rushed, but this is one that I will pick up again because there are so many phrases I want to read all over again.

This book was a delicious but also a disturbing story about an illicit affair between Sheba, a bored, middle-aged teacher and her male student, and before I continue with my thoughts, I can freely admit, this book was excellent. The narration is told in the perspective of Barbara, an older teacher who works at the same school as Sheba, and who appears to have more than just friendly intentions towards her.

Barbara is lonely and also very manipulative, and she quite honestly, is a case herself. I This book was a delicious but also a disturbing story about an illicit affair between Sheba, a bored, middle-aged teacher and her male student, and before I continue with my thoughts, I can freely admit, this book was excellent. I enjoyed her idea of her humour, though, however dark the subject matter. Her obsession with Sheba is obvious from the outset, and further into the book, things rapidly become creepy.

The writing in this book was well above what I expected. It was excellent. Maybe I was expecting something more seedy, but actually, I was pleasantly surprised. Why do people do the things they do? This was gripping, but also really rather grim and depressing, but damn, it made for a great read.

May 26, Annet rated it really liked it Shelves: dark. Read this before the movie was done. Read it during ski-ing holiday. Very well written, intriguing book. Jul 10, Alex rated it it was amazing Shelves: , perfect-novels.

Here's the crazy thing that happens in Zoe Heller's funny, crushing, brilliant Notes on a Scandal, and it's not the part where a teacher fucks her student. You'd think it would be, right? Pretty, gauzy pottery teacher Sheba has an affair with her teenaged student, and there's your book. It's narrated by a lonely old spinster named Barbara, who's been ignored on the sidelines all her life.

You think she's the fifth business - a sideline reporter, a bystander. But here's the crazy thing: slowly bu Here's the crazy thing that happens in Zoe Heller's funny, crushing, brilliant Notes on a Scandal, and it's not the part where a teacher fucks her student. But here's the crazy thing: slowly but inexorably, Barbara takes over. And here's the really crazy thing: you're into it. Halfway through, you realize that you're more interested in Barbara than the student-fucking.

What Sheba is is pretty straightforward. She got married too young, to someone too old. Now she's starting to get old herself. She misses her youth. She misses being pretty. She's not a deep thinker. She gets herself in trouble. Barbara is a lot more complicated. Is she gay? Probably, in that way that people used to be where they were so deeply closeted they didn't even know they were gay. Sheba's husband probably nails it when he accuses her of being an incubus, a kind of demon who comes secretly and steals the life energy of sleeping women.

She's buttoned up, strict, hilariously bitchy, and desperately lonely. Heller's descriptions of loneliness are devastating. She asks you to imagine how it feels "to sit in a darkened flat on Halloween night, because you can't bear to expose your bleak evening to a crowd of jeering trick-or-treaters.

And it turns out that the most compelling thing in the book is Barbara's desperate need for companionship, and the lengths she's willing to go to to get it. She'll sacrifice everything just to be part of something, and she does, and she is. She's not fifth business after all; she is the business.

Dec 31, Scarlet rated it it was amazing Recommended to Scarlet by: Samadrita. Shelves: booker-longlist-shortlist , 5-starred-perfection , for-my-future-library , most-loved , lush-writing , challenge. I read this book in early March, then struggled for the next 10 months to write a befitting review because I was so intimidated.

Today is the last day of the year and I'm still rendered pretty much wordless. Suffice to say: What Was She Thinking is a cleverly crafted, exceedingly well-written masterpiece of a novel that masquerades as focusing on one woman's public sex scandal while simultaneously exposing the many hypocrisies and stubborn denials of all its other characters, especially the narr I read this book in early March, then struggled for the next 10 months to write a befitting review because I was so intimidated.

Suffice to say: What Was She Thinking is a cleverly crafted, exceedingly well-written masterpiece of a novel that masquerades as focusing on one woman's public sex scandal while simultaneously exposing the many hypocrisies and stubborn denials of all its other characters, especially the narrator's who reminded me oddly of the titular character in Eileen.

This is also the book that officially completes my reading goal, so yay for that! Spoilers everywhere. This book starts where you expect and ends where you have no idea what just happened. A truly gripping ride. The three characters of this book that stand out: Barbara 60, history teacher , Sheba 40, pottery teacher and Connoly 15, their student.

While the story is told in Barbara's diary, the scandal of which the title speaks is the sexual relationship between Sheba and Connolly, her pupil. You might start the book with the knowledge that you are appalled by such an idea Spoilers everywhere. You might start the book with the knowledge that you are appalled by such an idea, but trust me, this is not your typical I'm-your-teacher-and-I'm-a-pervert type of story.

Now, really, spoilers everywhere. Barbara is fucking evil. Not only is she a virgin 60 year old that has a vicious tongue, but she also makes Sheba become dependent on her in a very manipulative and subtle way, so much so that you get hints throughout the book, but by the end it's like Barbara took off her circus mask in the finale of her act only to reveal an even uglier face underneath.

She is the one that turns Sheba in, out of spite and viciousness that you can only guess under the pretense of an old teacher.

She is so lonely that she wants to be important for someone, so important that she becomes the sole carer of them, so caring that she becomes their only life-line. She picks Sheba not because they were predestined to be together, but because Sheba is Sheba is indeed a malleable character.

She morphs into whatever shape you give her. She married at 20 with her years-older-than-her lecturer because she never thought she could take care of herself. She has two children, Polly the teenager who wears t-shirts with "Bitch Goddess" imprinted on them and Ben, a little boy with Down syndrome. She secretly finds no happiness in this, but she accepts her form as it is given to her by her role as caring wife and mother of a disabled child.

When Connolly comes around and compliments her on her looks - like only a fifteen year old in which hormones are gathered up at the tip of his penis and are yelling in unison can do - she falls for it.

You might say she puts up a fight. That was not a fight, if I've ever seen one. She complacently has sex with him, after he becomes a bit of a stalker and tries to forcefully kiss her, and then falls madly in love with him. I mean, what can I say? Teenager boy who wants to fuck his hot teacher. Have we never heard this story before? I was fifteen once. If any female teacher who managed to look even remotely hot presided over my class, my friends' eyes would have a glazed look, as if they're there, but not totally there.

Probably thinking about fucking her over her desk - which, by the way, is more of a way of sexualizing power than of sexualizing the actual woman; it comes down to how a pupil would embrace the role of having his teacher, who holds power over him, to become submissive to his own desire, and that a fifteen year old would only understand as the result of having sex. Nothing surprising there. What was surprising and lovely to read, though, was Barbara's slow ascent to power.

Power over the situation, power over Sheba. This book is absolutely great in terms of character building and, even though I found myself angry at this wretched woman, I can also step back and admire the craftsmanship in penning her to her last old, withered, gray hair. Read it! Apr 25, Tia rated it it was amazing Shelves: predators. I don't give 5 stars very often. I'm so impressed with this book that I'm not quite sure where to begin.

Let's start with why I read it—I read Tampa a few months ago, and it outraged me. People including the author, Alissa Nutting compared Tampa to both Lolita and American Psycho, so I decided to finally read both of those. Before he leaves, Paul D. Finally, the ex-slave community, rebuilding on ashes, will intervene, and Beloved's tortured vision of a mother's love—refracted through a short nightmare life—will end with her death.

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Already have an account? Log in. Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials. Sign Up. Watch for her next, whatever it may be. View the Lesson Plans. Order our What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal Study Guide. Plot Summary. Chapter 1.

Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter Free Quiz. Topics for Discussion. This Study Guide consists of approximately 70 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of What Was She Thinking?

Notes on a Scandal. Print Word PDF. This section contains words approx. Themes Style Quotes.