So there I was with two pens, my two titties, Charles Dickens, two slices of bread and a blank book at the end of my first day in the middle of nowhere. Except as it turned out it wasn't quite the end...Scotland, 1863. In an attempt to escape her not-so-innocent past in Glasgow, Bessy Buckley - the wide-eyed Irish heroine of "The Observations" - takes a job as a maid in a big house outside Edinburgh working for the beautiful Arabella. Bessy is intrigued by her new employer, but puzzled by her increasingly strange requests ...
Read More
So there I was with two pens, my two titties, Charles Dickens, two slices of bread and a blank book at the end of my first day in the middle of nowhere. Except as it turned out it wasn't quite the end...Scotland, 1863. In an attempt to escape her not-so-innocent past in Glasgow, Bessy Buckley - the wide-eyed Irish heroine of "The Observations" - takes a job as a maid in a big house outside Edinburgh working for the beautiful Arabella. Bessy is intrigued by her new employer, but puzzled by her increasingly strange requests and her insistence that Bessy keep a journal of her most intimate thoughts. And it seems that Arabella has a few secrets of her own - including her near-obssessive affection for Nora, a former maid who died in mysterious circumstances. Then a childish prank has drastic consquences which throw into jeopardy all that Bessy has come to hold dear. Caught up in a tangle of madness, ghosts, sex and lies, she is determined to remain devoted to Arabella. But who is really responsible for what happened to her predecessor Nora? As her past threatens to catch up with her and complicate matters even further, Bessy begins to realise that she has not quite landed on her feet. "The Observations" is a brilliantly original, funny and endlessly intriguing story of one woman's journey from a difficult past into an even more disturbing present. This powerful story of secrets and suspicions, hidden histories, and mysterious disappearances is at once compelling and heart-warming, showing the redemptive power of love, loyalty and friendship. A hugely assured and darkly comic debut, "The Observations" is certain to establish Jane Harris as a significant new literary talent.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.10, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.68, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.97, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.97, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $2.99, good condition, Sold by newlegacybooks rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Annandale, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. The dust jacket shows normal wear. Fast shipping and order satisfaction guaranteed. A portion of your purchase benefits Non-Profit Organizations, First Aid and Fire Stations!
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $3.21, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Viking Adult.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $3.97, very good condition, Sold by Red's Corner rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucker, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Faber & Faber.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders ship by next business day! This is a used book. Grade 3 out 5 points. Book has wear on cover and pages. May have personalized notes/names, stickers/labels. Has no markings on pages. May not include extra materials like access codes, CDs, accessories, etc. We are a small company and very thankful for your business!
Add this copy of The Observations to cart. $3.98, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Penguin Books.
I believe I am now convinced I have no appreciation of gothic tales. This may be a good book for some but not to my taste: I wasn't wild about the writer's chosen style or the main character's vernacular--it just doesn't work for me. I gave it about 75 pages and kept wondering, "Okay, where's the story?" then just figured to move on to something else. Still, if you've an appreciation of stories in this genre it might be a good choice for you.
