Wonderfully-written and brilliantly-drawn characters populate this story. Each one seems to vie for the title of 'the most detestable person in the book'. They are living through a most despicable situation. A middle-aged teacher has an affair with a young pupil, and there is also the Machiavellian machinations of an older, bitter teacher who is a repressed lesbian.

I would imagine that this story would translate better into a film, especially with a stellar cast like Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. However, as a book, it didn't quite have the same impact on me.

The writing is fantastic, but somehow the story didn't manage to fully engage me. I'm giving it 3.5 stars, rounded down. Because when you don't like any of the characters in a book, there is very little emotional involvement, and that makes the book, the novel, just okay.

It's a shame, really, because the potential was there for a truly great and engaging story. But perhaps it will find its true form and audience on the big screen.

"Notes on a Scandal" presents a captivating portrayal of two women who seem to be friends at a secondary school in England. Sheba, short for Bathsheba, and Barbara are brought together by circumstance. Barbara is in need of a friend, while Sheba requires a confidante. However, it turns out to be a match made in Hell.

Each of them has their own repulsive qualities. In this story, there are very few likable characters. Even the peripheral ones are obnoxious, with the exception of Ben, Sheba's autistic son. He is the only warm and loving person in the narrative. Among the two women, Sheba is the most genuine, yet she is deeply troubled. Barbara, on the other hand, is manipulative and false, and incapable of truly connecting with others.

This situation is bound to end badly, and neither of them can预见 the impending crash. They are powerless in the aftermath of what they have created. The story unfolds in a web of deceit, manipulation, and hidden desires, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat, eager to discover the ultimate outcome.

Awesome! Right from the very beginning, a narrator creeps up on you, instantly grabbing your attention. Then, there is a set of truly uncomfortable yet utterly fascinating "love" stories that unfold. The narration is so intriguing that it keeps you hooked from start to finish. I found myself liking this from the very first moment, and as it continued to progress, it just got better and better.

There is a significant amount of sinister, dark humour throughout, which adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the overall experience. And let's not forget about the characters! Oh my, they are all completely nuts in their own unique ways. Each one has their own quirks and idiosyncrasies that make them both endearing and a little bit terrifying at the same time.

In conclusion, I absolutely loved this. It was a truly captivating and engaging read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something a little different and out of the ordinary.

4.5/5* Great (though creepy) read.

Barbara truly made my skin crawl. However, she was also quite entertaining, especially with her catty comments. She was so vile that I actually felt sorry for Sheba, even though it was Sheba who was fornicating with a 15-year-old!!

If you have a penchant for a good villain, then you will definitely enjoy this book. It offers a unique perspective on the darker side of human nature.

As an afterthought, this book also had the added benefit of widening my vocabulary to a fair extent. I found myself on Google definitions frequently, looking up words that I wasn't familiar with.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It's a captivating read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Whether you're a fan of psychological thrillers or just looking for a good book to sink your teeth into, this one is definitely worth checking out.

This is a truly delicious book.

It delves deep into the intricate recesses of the human heart, exploring themes such as loss, love, and betrayal with great profundity.

The story is masterfully written, allowing the reader to vividly experience the loneliness of the main character and her struggle to understand the people in her life.

The characters are brought to life with remarkable vividness, each with their own unique personalities and motives.

The book is also expertly plotted, with a series of twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

As a result, it makes for an immensely readable novel that the reader will find it extremely difficult to put down until they have turned the very last page.

It is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading, leaving you with a newfound understanding of the human condition.

A book that I first delved into in 2005, side by side with Muriel Spark's "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - these two books were my inaugural reads of that year and were a double selection for a book group. Both were set in schools and both explored the concept of vicarious living.

Out of the two, I must admit that I had a stronger preference for this particular book over Spark's classic. I revisited both works as Spark's book was part of the 2019 Mookes Madness Challenge.

The book consists of notes penned by a teacher named Barbara, documenting an affair between another teacher, Sheba (named after Bathsheba, presumably with some sort of biblical allusion), and a 15-year-old pupil called Connolly. The notes were written after the affair had been uncovered and Sheba, now the subject of tabloid notoriety, had been compelled to leave her home and was soon to face trial.

This book is actually more about Barbara. It delves into her longing for any kind of meaningful relationship and her desire to completely dominate such a relationship if she were to find one. It also explores her almost insane jealousy. Her main issue with the affair is that it diverts Sheba's attention from her. She allows Sheba's secret to slip out to another teacher who then reports her. However, she is the only one to remain by Sheba's side, which ultimately leaves her (secretly triumphant) in the position she desires - with another human being fundamentally relying on her.

It is a very gripping and dark story. It is particularly clever in the way that the reader gradually grasps Barbara's true character and motivation, as well as in the manner in which many of the themes (as seen below) are actually more about Barbara than about Sheba/Connolly, which might seem more obvious at first glance.

Ultimately, this is a book about obsession and the need for control within a relationship.

It evoked The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie for me.

The English school setting, the compact length, and the themes of betrayal and intrigue all contributed to this comparison.

For obvious reasons, it also brings to mind Lolita.

In fact, if we imagine that Humbert Humbert was a woman and his story was narrated by his stalker, we would land somewhere pretty close to the essence of this work.

My full review of Notes On A Scandal is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

This review delves deeper into the various aspects of the book, exploring the characters, the plot, and the underlying themes.

It offers a comprehensive analysis that will help readers better understand and appreciate this captivating novel.

Whether you are a fan of psychological thrillers or simply interested in a thought-provoking read, Notes On A Scandal is definitely worth checking out.

So head on over to Keeping Up With The Penguins and read my full review today!

Dear, dear Barbara.

I'm truly not certain whether Heller intended for her narrator to be a friend or a foe. However, there was just something about her nature that irresistibly drew me to her.

Throughout the story, I found myself constantly grappling with this question. Was Barbara a well-intentioned observer, or was there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface?

In the end, it becomes almost impossible to determine who the real victim was: Sheba or Barbara. Sheba, with her naivete and vulnerability, seemed to be at the mercy of circumstances and the actions of others. But Barbara, too, had her own demons and insecurities that perhaps led her to make choices that had unintended consequences.

Overall, it was a good read that left me pondering long after I turned the last page.

I read the notes on a scandal within less than a day, and astonishingly, I found myself completely engrossed by the second page. The storyline, which revolves around a teacher and her student getting involved in an affair, is truly captivating. However, Barbara's narration takes the story to another level, adding a whole new dimension to it.

One aspect of the book that slightly annoyed me was the frequent usage of French words. I suppose it's just another characteristic of the narrator's interesting personality. But for some reason, it really grated on me.

The quote '...what is romance, but a mutual pact of delusion? When the pact ends, there's nothing left' really makes one stop and think. It offers a unique perspective on the nature of romance and relationships. Overall, despite the small annoyance with the French words, the book has managed to keep my attention and has made me reflect on various aspects of human nature and relationships.

Venting it out is easy, but venting it out in style isn't. That is if one isn't Zoe Heller. What acerbity, what acrimony, what sarcasm, what was she thinking?

This book is a multifaceted gem. Primarily, it comes across as a caustic compendium of anti-hypocrisy tirades aimed at anyone and everyone with a vitriolic flair that is truly unique. It's one of those rare books where, in my attempt to jot down catchy sentences, I ended up practically rewriting the entire thing. Whether the sun was shining outside or not didn't matter; the book kept me enshrouded in perpetual gloom throughout my reading. It began with a saucy and spicy premise - a sex scandal, salivating tabloids, the 'promise' of a funny inside story. But soon, it plunged into a darkness so profound and all-encompassing that one has no choice but to be drawn in.

The narrator, Barbara Covett, has some rather unkind and cutting words for everyone she describes. For instance, this is how she introduces Connelly, one of the 'protagonists': "with eyes so downcast as in a tragedy mask, a nose very badly off centre and hair the color of Pee." Sue, one of her colleagues, is "a living anthology of mediocre sentiments." Sheba Hart, around whom the story revolves, has "an uncanny capacity for talking low things and making them seem perfectly decent." Every character in the story says or does something that only adds to the doom and gloom of the narrative. Amazingly, that's precisely what makes this book so highly entertaining. At first glance, one might think there isn't much scope for suspense. However, Zoe Heller's psychological penetration into her characters is like a borewell that never hits rock as it descends deeper and deeper, greatly enhancing the anticipation and suspense factor. Her treatment of Barbara's loneliness is the most commendable part of the book. The paragraph below was written so brilliantly that it stirred some long-dormant butterflies in my stomach.

A gloomy entertainer that is one of its kind!

I don't give 5 stars very often. However, 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. Lolita was the saddest, most horrifying thing I've ever read in my life. I think most people who love it don't actually "get" it. They're so taken with the language that they don't read between the lines and miss the point the author was making. I was a complete mess for several weeks after reading Lolita, so I took American Psycho back to the library unread. I just wasn't in a place to get through it. Someday I will be.

But anyways, back to Tampa. It too was about a teacher sleeping with an underage student. I was hoping this book would get everything right that I felt Tampa got wrong, and it did.

Alissa Nutting seems like a sweetheart. I read her interviews after reading and hating Tampa because I wanted to understand where she was coming from. She wanted to prove that teen boys are just as much victims as teen girls are when it comes to statutory rape. I disagree.

The girls are victims twice. They're labeled "fast," sluts, sexually precocious. Their reputations are trashed whether they sleep with someone their age or not. Does that happen to boys? No. They're congratulated for sleeping with peers. To bag a teacher gets them even more respect. It's only natural, right? Females, be they 12 or 42, are meant to be fucked.

Look at the sexualized covers of both Lolita and Tampa. Despite Lolita being about a prepubescent tomboy, we picture her as a blond, curvy teenager. And even though Tampa is about a young boy, the cover is of a buttonhole on a pink teacher's blouse symbolizing a vagina. Girls are sexualized practically from birth, and it never stops. The same can't be said about boys.

Also, I don't think statutory rape is rape, and I hate that it's called that. It needs to be called what it is - sex with a minor. Rape is rape, and having experienced rape, nothing else is comparable.

As for sex with minors, is it immoral? Yes. Should it be illegal? I'm not sure. If it's truly a crime, why wouldn't both parties be disciplined for it? When teens commit other crimes, they go to jail. So why not for this?

I'm gonna say it. We coddle teen boys and girls. That's why teen pregnancy is so prevalent. We should teach girls bodily autonomy and the right to say NO or YES safely and take pride and responsibility in their decision.

Thirdly, the problem I had with Tampa is how campy and silly it was. In this book, all the characters are very real and believable. Barbara, the narrator, is a lonely older lady. Sheba, her friend who sleeps with a 15/16-year-old boy, is young, childish, and selfish. Some reviewers assumed Barbara is sexually attracted to Sheba, but I saw no indication of that.

Sheba is a mother with a 12-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome and a 17-year-old girl who needs a mother figure. She's starting to wonder about feminism but has no role models. Her mother is too obsessed with underage penis. She says awful things about her children.

It's ironic. The woman who has a family doesn't want it, and the woman who would do anything to have a child has none. Real life is like that. And so, they find that in each other, and this book is a story of their co-dependent friendship.

Steven, like most teen boys, loses interest in Sheba. He says nasty things to her. He moves on to another girl once the novelty wears off. Is he emotionally harmed? Of course not. It is Sheba who is "heartbroken," but she never really loved the boy. It was just her ego that got hurt.

And all this is narrated by Barbara, one of my favorite female protagonists of all time. She's observant, sarcastic, frank, hilarious, and poignant. So much of what she said was the truest things I've ever read in a work of fiction.

My high school best friend was a quiet and reclusive person, just like me. By chance, she had a close friendship with a charming girl named Rachel. However, Rachel cheated on her long-term boyfriend with at least six different guys, often having multiple affairs simultaneously. She refused to take responsibility or accept criticism for her actions. Nevertheless, she constantly confided in my best friend about how unsatisfying it was for her to be so dishonest, blaming it on the fact that so many people liked her.

When Christmas 2005 arrived, I gave my best friend a copy of the book "Notes on a Scandal," which I had recently read for the first time. Although my best friend wasn't much of a reader, she had mentioned that year that she wanted to read and enjoy at least one non-required book in her life. I told her that I thought the characters in the book would be "very familiar" to her.

Luckily, I also gave her a couple of things she actually wanted. Because if I ever needed a reminder of how unobservant I was as a reader before 2006, prone to ignoring a book's more important points in favor of a little excitement (such as a teacher sleeping with a student), there is always the fact that I gave this book to someone I cared deeply about and said, essentially, "I think this Barbara character is a lot like you!" (For the record, I still think that Rachel was and is a Sheba.)

Years later, as I read this book again and realized that it was incorrect and perhaps a bit offensive of me to compare a high school homebody who is pleasant and well-liked but just prefers to rent a movie on the weekends with a possessive, vindictive, and bitter character like Barbara, I also came to a disturbing conclusion: now, four years later, I'm sort of a Barbara. I'm more Barbara than she ever was.

***

A couple of minutes ago, thanks to Elizabeth's review of "Death in Venice," I was browsing Thomas Mann quotes and came across this one: "In books we never find anything but ourselves. Strangely enough, that always gives us great pleasure, and we say the author is a genius." If this quote is relevant to any book, it is relevant to "Notes on a Scandal." Well, except for the part about the "great pleasure" that results, I guess, because what I felt was not so much pleasure as a sick feeling in my stomach. Zoe Heller skillfully describes moments that are difficult to pick out from the sequence of events in everyday life. The depth of loneliness when it's what you've known your whole life, and how this loneliness differs from that experienced by people who are not chronically lonely. The point at which Sheba's relationship with the once-infatuated boy begins to decline, unbeknownst to her. She makes us aware of the depth of Barbara's denial so subtly that if you are inclined to sympathize with prim, cold characters, you might even sympathize with Barbara until the final chapters.

I felt uncomfortable while reading this book because, now that I have lived a little longer and a lot more cautiously, it has had the same effect on me as usually only hindsight or therapy does. Reading it was like hearing a voice say, "Hey, remember when ______ happened or when you met _________? Remember that rosy, optimistic perception of the situation that you had? Yeah, here's what was really going on beneath the surface." I'm not sure I would "recommend" this feeling, but I will certainly give Heller credit where it is due. And now I will move on to reading John Grisham, where I don't have to think about anything at all, thank you very much.