This book attempts to tackle a subject with great potential, but instead of rising to the occasion, it fails miserably. In a world where inappropriate behavior towards minors seems normalized, if you're going to explore this taboo, don't present a mewling, puking mess of a story. I gave the benefit of the doubt to those who spoke favorably of Trump, and look where that got me. For the lover of literature, if you're going to go there, spare me the romanticization and obfuscation. The stereotypical machinations between a pseudo mother and pseudo daughter may be grand, but it's less interesting than the narrative of the young people the adults are so scared of and titillated by. If you have a villain, let them be a villain and don't whine about it.

After this, I may have to read "Lolita" out of spite. It's absurd to have to balance the symptoms of normalized abuse with reading pleasure. I won't tolerate "nice guys" making their sins boring. There was nothing engaging about the rapist, the victim, or the voyeur. I felt sorry for the latter, having gone through a similar experience with my own pet, but it wasn't enough to save the story. All these characters are in a country that once ruled the world, yet all they do is terrorize children while pretending to be the victims. The kids with Down's syndrome, the expelled kid, the teacher who preys on a vulnerable student: all are sacrificed for the sake of the monsters who won't take responsibility for their actions. These are the kind of people who are too immature to reproduce, yet they keep breeding.

I've been unconsciously reading Booker nominees, and it's ridiculous how the more sensational topics a book has, the more boring it can be. Mental disabilities, statutory rape, educational gynephobia, toxic masculinity, suicide, Rromani stereotypes: all these fuel the narrative of a family and its hangers-on. It's funny that both main women in these narratives have a manuscript they're agonizing over. I wonder how much pain needs to be inflicted on the usual demographics so that the other demographics can compose.

Oh, this book gave me the “icks” in so many ways!

It’s no spoiler to say that this book is about a prep school teacher who had an affair with one of her pupils: we learn that on page 1. But “Notes on a Scandal” is not that simple. In Sheba’s story, the line between abuser and victim is disturbingly blurry. Her unhealthy friendship with the narrator, Barbara, ends up being way creepier than her illicit affair with a boy half her age.

In fact, while she is telling us Sheba’s story, it is fair to say that Barbara is the main character. An extremely lonely, middle-aged history teacher, she decides upon meeting Sheba that she will be her friend and proceeds to become an important part of her life. As Barbara gives us tidbits of her past history, it’s easy enough to infer that she is a deeply repressed lesbian and that her interest in Sheba is a bizarre romantic attraction. While she claims to not understand why and how Sheba ended up doing what she did, Barbara is also staunchly defensive of her friend, pleading the geniality of her feelings for Steven Connelly and arguing that he is more to blame than Sheba was. But we soon come to realize that without Barbara, the situation might have turned out very differently.

This character, who basically runs on bitterness and hatred, was written in a fascinating way. I never sympathized with her, she is absolutely repulsive, but her inner monologue is as fascinating as it is disturbing. The way she manipulates Sheba into leaving other friends aside and all the other snide ways she worms her way into her life is downright creepy. And her conviction that she did it all for Sheba’s own good is the cherry on the stalker sundae.

Sheba is not really a predator. In fact, she might be the most innocent character in the book. Her child-like trust and naiveté actually got on my nerves quite a bit but it also raised many interesting questions about double-standards society holds against gender and age groups. Is Connelly the victim because he is under-aged; is Sheba, because she is a woman? It’s a fact that some teenagers are very aware of the manipulative power of sexuality and will use it. That doesn’t mean it’s OK for adults to play along, but trying to make every teenager sound perfectly innocent because of age is not entirely realistic.

3 ½ stars rounded to 4, because it really is a feat to write about such despicable human beings while keeping the novel engrossing and suspenseful. I also loved to see issues as controversial as these addressed in such a provoking way. In some ways, it reminded me a bit of “Lolita”, though nowhere near as cleverly written.

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 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.

In the US, this was published as "What Was She Thinking?" with "Notes on a Scandal" in brackets as a subtitle.

I had just finished reading Lolita (check out my review HERE). I thought it would be fascinating to explore a more contemporary take on such a challenging subject, even with the sexes reversed.

The story is about Sheba, a married, middle-class, middle-aged pottery teacher who has an affair with a 15-year-old pupil.

It is narrated by Barbara, a sixty-ish spinster who teaches at the same school. Her voice could easily have been penned by Alan Bennett, except she is far nastier than any of his protagonists.

Innocence - and Not

Unlike Humbert in Lolita, Sheba has no premeditation. Instead, she succumbs due to weakness (though that's no excuse) and excitement. In many ways, she is the most childlike character, having married very young and been coddled to some extent ever since, first by her husband and more recently by the manipulative Barbara.

Although Steven is a victim, he is also sexually assertive (as Humbert claims Lolita is), and Sheba is prey to both him and Barbara (described as a succubus by Sheba's husband). The fact that Sheba started dating her husband when he was her lecturer perhaps makes her feel that having a sexual relationship with Steven isn't crossing such a huge boundary.

Compared with Lolita and others

Lolita was a child, a victim of both rape and psychological abuse. So was Stephen. They are undoubtedly victims of abuse by adults.

It's precisely because they are not passive, not conventionally pure or innocent (not that we can trust Humbert's account), that these are troubling and captivating books. Both children are allegedly sexually experienced (possibly from abuse by other adults) before they meet the protagonists of these stories, and both seemingly seek out and attempt to seduce their abusers. That in no way justifies the adults giving in, but it does create a complex and twisted scenario for readers to评判. And we never get either story from the child's perspective.

Having a male victim of an older woman also alters the dynamic. See also John Banville's Ancient Light (my review is HERE), in which an aging man fondly recalls a teenage fling with a friend's mother.

For another perspective on the young girl/older man theme, there's Marguerite Duras' autobiographical The Lover, set in 1929 Vietnam, which I reviewed HERE.

Amanda's comment, highlighting "toxic female friendship," made me realize this has an intriguing connection to Atwood's brilliant Cat's Eye, which I reviewed HERE.

Who is the Power?

Although the headline relationship is between Sheba and Steven, it can be argued that the relationship between Barbara and Sheba is more twisted and exploitative. Barbara believes she is lonely and that Sheba is insensitive to that, but Sheba is at least as lonely in a different way and not as self-centered. Barbara insinuates herself into Sheba's life, with clear, yet implicit Sapphic undertones, and loves the reflected glory of being friends with an attractive family.

She subsequently relishes her disgust and revels in the power of secrets. Even when the story breaks in the press, Barbara still gets a vicarious thrill from the scandal and her place in it.

Overall, it's a fascinating book, with plenty to ponder.

Too many books on this theme has burned me out. It seems that everywhere I turn, there are countless volumes exploring the same tired subject. The sheer quantity of them has become overwhelming, leaving me feeling drained and disillusioned. I used to have a voracious appetite for reading, but now, faced with this never-ending stream of books on the same theme, I find myself losing interest. It's as if my passion for literature has been gradually extinguished by the monotony. I long for something new, something that will reignite my love for reading and transport me to different worlds and experiences. Until then, I'll continue to struggle with this burnout, hoping that a truly unique and captivating book will come along and save me from this literary slump.

Bells in many readers’ heads will be clanging repeatedly as they devour this frankly vicious novel.

The frumpy 62-year-old spinster Barbara Covett, a teacher, who gloms onto the svelte hippyish upper-class 41-year-old Sheba Hart (ages are most relevant as will be seen) the moment she bicycles into the school playground to take up pottery teaching, puts out a very strong TOM RIPLEY vibe. She strives mightily to become Sheba’s BFF and to ooze into Sheba’s very bloodstream, just like psycho Tom does to Dickie Greenleaf.

My money says that Zoe Heller’s bookshelf contained a well-thumbed copy of The Talented Mr Ripley.

In turn, borderline personality Barbara bequeaths a good chunk of her curious manner of expression to ELEANOR OLIPHANT.

And the exaggerated comical locutions fade into horror as the tale unfolds and the depths of Barbara’s loneliness, neediness and self-loathing are revealed. Tom Ripley may be Barbara’s unacknowledged father but Barbara is Eleanor’s stark raving mad aunt. Don’t invite her for Christmas!

Regarding the salacious plot, we may recall CELESTE PRICE from Alissa Nutting’s recent outrageous novel Tampa. Sheba Hart, 41, is having an intensely sexual relationship with her 15 (later 16)-year-old pupil Steven Connolly.

My money says that Alissa Nutting’s bookshelf also contained a well-thumbed copy of Notes on a Scandal.

There’s also a faint trace of ANNIE WILKES about our Barbara. Barbara, in her closeted Ripleyesque way, loves Sheba so much that she also clobbers her to stop her leaving, but in a non-violent way.

Modern readers may well remark that the scandalous relationship detailed herein is a ringer for that between the 15-year-old future President of France EMMANUEL MACRON and his then 39-year-old teacher Brigitte Trogneux. But since that all happened in 1992-ish and Zoe Heller’s novel was published in 2003, I can’t see any direct connection there.

And anyhow, it’s lovely to see that in M Macron’s case it all worked out splendidly. For the characters in Notes on a Scandal, not so much.

Although this book disappointed me in almost every respect, I found it truly unputdownable. I simply had to find out how it all turned out and I really cared deeply about what would happen to Sheba. I sincerely wish there were a sequel that would describe Sheba's trial.

"Grooming" was once associated only with dog shows, but now it is used by prosecutors to describe an adult's actions in preparing an underage boy or girl for a sexual relationship. Presumably, Sheba's encouragement of Steven's artistic interests would be described as "grooming" in today's terms.

As a former teacher myself, I am extremely fascinated with stories of teachers who ignore boundaries and the spectacular retribution that Nemesis has in store for them. Beyond the wreckage of her marriage and the obvious loss of her career, Sheba is left in a state of limbo and still unpunished. Having Barbara as a roommate for the rest of her life - assuming Sheba doesn't go to prison - seems like a severe enough punishment.

Despite the setting and the characters' jobs, this isn't really a typical school story. St. George's is what we Americans euphemistically refer to as "a school in need of assistance"; in England, the phrase is "bog standard"! Although Barbara may be an unreliable narrator, I believe the school and the staff are every bit as bad as Barbara describes them. Of course, Barbara herself should never have been a teacher. She's supposed to be a history teacher but shows absolutely no interest in either the students or her subject. She takes pride in being a religious unbeliever, yet she worships a cat.

Sheba struck me as a fundamentally good woman who yields (with little resistance) to her crazy romantic impulses. I hope that if I had been her husband Richard, I would have been understanding and forgiving and wanted her back. A 16-year-old schoolboy who lives on an estate with a vindictive mother is hardly a very formidable rival. The suggestion that Richard is having an affair with his thesis student Megan (Megan!) makes him seem even sleazier than Sheba.

Sex is an incredibly complicated subject. In literature, movies, and television, it is often presented in a way that doesn't simplify or clarify. There is some truth to the idea that being more honest about sex and embarrassment might lead to fewer children. However, it is rare to find a book that truly delves into sex and has something meaningful to say beyond clichéd phrases.

Heller's book does examine sexual issues. She takes a hard look at consent, age, and desire. The story is told from Barbara's perspective, and the book is a bit kinder to Barbara than the movie. Barbara shares her friendship with Sheba and Sheba's relationship with a 16-year-old student, who is a year younger than Sheba's daughter.

The original title, What Was She Thinking?, is very fitting as it is difficult to understand Sheba's thoughts. It is easier to understand Barbara's interest in Sheba, even though Barbara hides this from herself. Heller writes about loneliness extremely well and accurately, which contributes to the reader's conflicted response to Barbara.

Heller also tackles the question of how society views sex. The main issue is Sheba's relationship with her student. While Barbara doesn't approve, she raises interesting questions about age of consent and relationships. The situation is further complicated by Richard's interest in younger women.

Moreover, Heller makes it hard to see Connelly as a victim. In fact, Sheba may be the only victim. This puts the reader in an uncomfortable position. We know the relationship is wrong, but we also see that Connelly is manipulating Sheba.

Overall, this is a book about characters that you want to dislike but can't help but feel something for. It makes the reader think about sex, relationships, and society's views.

This little book, "Notes on a Scandal," delves into the history of two schoolteachers, Sheba and Barbara, who form a close friendship. Sheba is new to the school, which is a menacing institution straight out of "Blackboard Jungle." When a 15-year-old student begins to show his infatuation with her, she initially resists but ultimately succumbs, despite being married with children.

The book's interest lies in its first-person narration, but Sheba is not the narrator. Instead, it is Barbara, the grumpy old spinster who dislikes being called "Barbs" but loves gossip and knowing everything about everyone. Of course, she has a cat. Barbara's obsessive behavior towards Sheba leads her to chronicle the entire affair.

The book offers an interesting perspective on the familiar theme of older people having relationships with much younger ones, even children. Can a 15-year-old boy be considered a child? And why does the big age difference matter only at certain ages? Hugh Hefner married a model who could have been his grandkid.

Most teacher-student relationships are stereotypically male-female, and when one is discovered, the teacher is severely persecuted, often marking the end of their career. However, when the situation is reversed, we often think that most pupils fantasize about having an affair with the hot teacher, and the whole thing is quickly dismissed. "Notes on a Scandal" provides an interesting inside look at how the affair affects all parties involved. It's not groundbreaking, and I didn't find it shocking or disturbing, but rather sad and depressing. It's about how people use one another, but there's more to it than meets the eye, and to reveal more would spoil the story.

An original concept from a great author, this was shortlisted for the 2003 Man Booker Prize.

It offers a voyeuristic journey that gradually reveals the complex and twisted friendship between two captivating female protagonists/antagonists. One is often left uncertain as to which role each truly plays.

The 2006 screen adaptation, with Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett nominated for Academy Awards, is a drama/psychological thriller with echoes of The Killing of Sister George and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Just like the movie, parts of this book make the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand upright. As more and more details about each character, their histories, and motives are disclosed, the tension builds.

Lonely ageing spinster Barbara is a teacher at a London secondary comprehensive. Her closest confidante is her diary. Nearing retirement, she longs for a close companion. Her previous friendships with younger female co-workers have not endured. There are murmurs that these exes found Barbara strangely possessive. One even threatened her with an injunction if she pursued contact.

When the attractive new art teacher, Bathsheba ('Sheba') Hart, arrives, Barbara sees in her a potential younger bosom friend. When Sheba invites Barbara for Sunday lunch with her family, Barbara is overjoyed and beside herself.

However, unbeknownst to Barbara at first, Sheba soon falls for fifteen-year-old student Steven Connolly, a disadvantaged pupil with literacy difficulties. An affair begins to burn brightly.

Although the couple manages to hide the affair from family and colleagues, their lovemaking occurs in risky settings, such as at school and outdoors on Hampstead Heath.

Sheba confesses a toned-down version of events to Barbara, reducing it to an attempted kiss by Steven that she rejected. Advising Sheba on how to dampen the boy's interest, Barbara assumes the matter is resolved.

Sheba then confides in Barbara that, despite her seemingly fortunate life, she feels unfulfilled. This confounds Barbara, who believes Sheba's family life is perfect compared to her own lonely existence. But Sheba elaborates on her difficult relationship with her defiant teenage daughter, Polly, whose youth and energy make her feel old. Her older husband, Richard, is more of a paternal figure than a partner.

Barbara discovers Sheba's clandestine affair when she spots the pair chatting intimately on Primrose Hill from a distance. Hurt that Sheba has not been completely honest with her, Barbara feels undermined and betrayed.

When Barbara's ailing cat is diagnosed as incurable and needs to be euthanized, she turns to Sheba for support. Their meeting is disrupted, however, when Steven calls Sheba, and she rushes off to see him. This sudden desertion of her for Steven at such a sensitive time deepens Barbara's sense of betrayal.

The power dynamics in Sheba's affair start to reverse, with Steven's interest fading and hers intensifying. Becoming more clingy, Sheba writes love letters to the boy. When she secretly visits him at his parents' council house, Steven coldly insults her as she attempts to talk. But already emotionally reliant on the now only lukewarm Steven, Sheba continues the affair.

One weekend, maths teacher Brian Bangs invites Barbara for lunch. When he confesses his crush on Sheba, Barbara realizes he has only asked her there to extract details of Sheba's private life. Burning with jealousy, Barbara carelessly 'lets slip' Sheba's secret, more by implication than directly. Later, tormented by guilt, Barbara lacks the courage to tell Sheba she has betrayed her trust. She instead hopes Bangs won't report what she has revealed.

Meanwhile, Sheba has been constantly calling Steven. When he doesn't answer, she visits his home again and discovers he has dumped her for a girl his own age.

The school principal eventually becomes aware, presumably through Bangs, of the illicit affair. Sheba is suspended from teaching and charged with indecent assault on a pupil. Her husband demands she leave their home and forbids her from seeing their children, especially their Down's Syndrome son, Ben. Polly also refuses all contact with her.

As Sheba's life crumbles, Barbara preys on her increasing vulnerability, seeing it as a chance to prove herself as a friend.

Eventually dismissed by the headmaster for having knowledge of the unethical affair, Barbara's retirement comes earlier than expected. Ending the lease on her tiny flat, she moves in with Sheba to Sheba's brother's house.

One day, Sheba comes across a manuscript of Barbara's and discovers a diary-like account of her affair with Steven. Barbara has even documented events she didn't personally witness, making personal judgments about all of Sheba's loved ones.

The friendship turns sour.

With both having lost everything, Barbara and Sheba find themselves trapped together in mutual despair and isolation. Barbara exploits their desperate situation as an opportunity to strengthen their co-dependence, and the emotionally drained Sheba is powerless to resist. Trapped and demoralized, Sheba submits to Barbara's psychological control.

This is as mentally warped and sinister as it can be, yet in the most exquisitely nuanced way, delicately avoiding melodrama and never resorting to over-the-top theatrics. I adored it.

I read this remarkable piece decades ago, and over the years, it has constantly lingered in my thoughts, leading me to recommend it numerous times. I also highly advocate for the movie adaptation, featuring Cate Blanchett as Sheba and Judi Dench as Barbara. During my recent reread, I opted to listen to the audio version, and I was truly impressed by the flawless narration of Nadia May. She superbly captures the essence of Barbara, adding just the right touch of acting without overshadowing the story, as some voice actors tend to do. In fact, it ranks among the best narrations I've listened to in a long while.

Set in the late 1990s, Sheba is a 42-year-old wife, mother, and teacher who engages in an affair with a 15-year-old student. Barbara Covett, the bitter and lonely coworker, narrates the story. She appears to have a hint of love for Sheba, yet she is also extremely jealous and manipulative. I firmly believe that Barbara has sexual feelings towards Sheba, and she borders on being almost psychopathic. These complex emotions significantly enhance the story. For those old enough to recall, the story was inspired by the affair of Mary Kay LeTourneau and a student. I vividly remember all the arguments and double standards that prevailed at that time.

What Was She Thinking is an outstanding character study. Despite the disturbing nature of the storyline, it is also witty and clever. The repercussions and consequences of Sheba's choices are astonishing, and her justifications are truly shocking.

I adored this work in print, on audio, and in film. I wholeheartedly recommend all three versions. It is one of the best books I've ever read, and its timelessness makes it a must-read. Judi Dench, as always, is simply brilliant in her portrayal of Barbara. And remember, don't call her Babs; she hates that.

“You’re going to be alright, darling. Barbara’s here.”

Even if you have already witnessed the Judi Dench/Cate Blanchett film, you will still relish this brutally hilarious portrayal of a lonely, older schoolteacher named Barbara. She becomes fixated on a younger colleague, Sheba, who, in turn, is obsessed with one of her younger students.

Barbara's observations, particularly regarding some of her fellow teachers, are brutally honest and uproariously funny, to the extent that you would want to read them aloud to your best friends. Some details are also quite touching.

Heller manages to incorporate a great deal - a commentary on class (as Heller herself was educated at Oxford), the nature of obsession, and liberal bohemians. However, she doesn't quite offer enough insights into Barbara's inner life. The character is so perceptive about others that it seems strange that she doesn't understand herself, including her sexual wants and desires.

Nonetheless, Barbara makes for great company, and based on this, I would most definitely read another Heller book.