mirireads09's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eleganthedgehogs's review against another edition
Able to meet in the garden again at last rather than Zoom.
Much discussion about this book about an affair. Vivienne strongly felt wholly inappropriate for a teacher. We were interested to have read it, some liked, some not so keen but glad to have read. Perspective of narrator was also discussed & if was felt to be more scandalous because it was a woman teacher affair with a male student rather than man & female student.
Much discussion about this book about an affair. Vivienne strongly felt wholly inappropriate for a teacher. We were interested to have read it, some liked, some not so keen but glad to have read. Perspective of narrator was also discussed & if was felt to be more scandalous because it was a woman teacher affair with a male student rather than man & female student.
isabellahughes's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
amelia555's review against another edition
4.5
Depraved but deliciously-written little book about vile people.
It was interesting to read this Mary Kay Letourneau-inspired book (I'm looking forward to watching the adaptation now) before Todd Haynes's May December arrives later this year.
In Notes on a Scandal, we have Sheba, a 40 y.o. wealthy woman-child, a pottery teacher, who feels like her life lacks thrills, sex and romance, so she decides to find all of it with a 15 y.o. pupil. Sheba's lack of remorse is bemusing and concerning. She keeps going full speed with this relationship even though it seems like deep down she knows it will end in a total collapse. A bourgeois self-sabotaging her life.
This story of Sheba is being told by Barbara, an older teacher from the same school, full-on crazy cat lady. There's something from Humbert Humbert in Barbara self-satisfied, highly articulate style of narration, in how she reveals things about herself while talking about others (talking down on others, I should say). In a way, she's a spider and a predator herself, like Sheba, but kids don't interest her. No, she's a lonely woman in search of a companion — whose life she can penetrate and slowly center herself in it.
The victim, Steven, doesn't get a voice here, which is a shame, although I understand why he doesn't in this particular book. We only see him though Barbara's eyes, and her views of him are questionable. He was totally asking for it, in her mind, and using Sheba just as much as she was using him. Some contrasting chapters by or about Steven would've been interesting.
But overall this was a tasty read in terms of both style and subject. Not for everyone, I guess, but If you can digest something like this — bon appetit!
It was interesting to read this Mary Kay Letourneau-inspired book (I'm looking forward to watching the adaptation now) before Todd Haynes's May December arrives later this year.
In Notes on a Scandal, we have Sheba, a 40 y.o. wealthy woman-child, a pottery teacher, who feels like her life lacks thrills, sex and romance, so she decides to find all of it with a 15 y.o. pupil. Sheba's lack of remorse is bemusing and concerning. She keeps going full speed with this relationship even though it seems like deep down she knows it will end in a total collapse. A bourgeois self-sabotaging her life.
This story of Sheba is being told by Barbara, an older teacher from the same school, full-on crazy cat lady. There's something from Humbert Humbert in Barbara self-satisfied, highly articulate style of narration, in how she reveals things about herself while talking about others (talking down on others, I should say). In a way, she's a spider and a predator herself, like Sheba, but kids don't interest her. No, she's a lonely woman in search of a companion — whose life she can penetrate and slowly center herself in it.
The victim, Steven, doesn't get a voice here, which is a shame, although I understand why he doesn't in this particular book. We only see him though Barbara's eyes, and her views of him are questionable. He was totally asking for it, in her mind, and using Sheba just as much as she was using him. Some contrasting chapters by or about Steven would've been interesting.
But overall this was a tasty read in terms of both style and subject. Not for everyone, I guess, but If you can digest something like this — bon appetit!
3437138484's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
laura_darroch's review against another edition
4.0
“Talking to him is rather like talking to a school play.”
vhl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
joshy167's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alisonordnung's review against another edition
5.0
We Need to Talk About Steven
Turns out my wheelhouse is books with non-chronological plots and intelligent, bitter female narrators who write unreliably about notoriously deviant people close to them, while constantly diving into taboo subject matter.
Turns out my wheelhouse is books with non-chronological plots and intelligent, bitter female narrators who write unreliably about notoriously deviant people close to them, while constantly diving into taboo subject matter.
awkwardcoffeebean's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25