Synopsis:
An old spinster teacher narrates her obsession with fellow teacher Sheba Hart, who is having an affair with her 15-year-old student.
Review:
Notes on a Scandal is very fast read, well written and possessed of a keen insight into the psychology of a human vampire. I read the book because I quite enjoyed the movie with Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, and I was not disappointed.
Nor was I completely blown away, but my familiarity with the story was probably what kept me from being truly sucked in. Heller’s book is a worthy addition to the British gothic genre, and she can hold her own with Patricia Highsmith and Barbara Vine. I’m certainly hoping for more from her.
I hope the movie comes to Korea. I saw a trailer and Judi Dench seems so creepy…and familiar. I’ve met people like this!
I’d like to see the movie and read the book 🙂 I’ll see the movie first I think.
I definitely had Cate Blanchett & Judi Dench in my mind when I read the book, but that wasn’t a bad thing, as it can be sometimes when you read the book. And I thought the movie was really well done & a superb adaptation.
That’s scary, Bybee 😉
Judi and Cate were fabulous. I agree that the movie was very well done overall — in some ways, in fact, superior (which is unusual; the book most often trumps the movie). Example: In he book, having Barbara narrate long passages of dialogue that had taken place between Sheba and her boyfriend (or husband) was rather clumsy.
But — and here’s a big but — why, oh why, did the powers that be feel it was necessary to soften the ending for the movie? I won’t go into details for those who haven’t seen it, but honestly … why did they have to go all Hollywood? I was really disappointed by that.
Great point, Kagoo–I couldn’t agree more.