Yes, I do still read books! And new ones, too, not just another Agatha Christie off my shelf! So here is one that passed across the check-in desk at work and I thought sounded interesting: The Observations by Jane Harris.
Plot: Set in Scotland in 1863, The Observations follows Bessy Buckley, an Irish girl traveling from Glasgow to Edinburgh. She comes upon Castle Haivers, a small country estate, where she ends up working as a maid despite her lack of experience. Her new mistress, Arabella Reid, takes an interest in Bessy, and Bessy quickly grows very fond of her beautiful (yet slightly strange) mistress. She is perplexed, however, by questions "the missus" asks and tasks she requests Bessy do, like recording her thoughts and actions in a journal. Bessy's curiosity at Mrs. Reid's behavior leads her to snoop, where she finds the book her mistress is writing: The Observations, a study of the "habits and nature of the Domestic Class." Bessy is hurt and infuriated about things Mrs Reid has recorded about Bessy and her past, as well as her mistress' obvious fondness for one of her predecessors, who had died under mysterious circumstances. Bessy enacts a childish revenge, which leads to more dramatic and tragic consequences than she could have imagined.
Bessy really makes the book. She's a liar, witty and entertaining to read, making her an enjoyable narrator. Sometimes she struck me as a little sharp, but considering the circumstances of the character, the tones are not out of place. The other thing to get used to with Bessy's narration is the slang. Harris has done her research on 1860s slang, and uses it well. The slang used is all decipherable via context, but it does slow down the reading a bit. I liked how it lessened, as the grammar became clearer too, reflecting the character developing over the course of writing the book.
This is Jane Harris' first novel, and I have to say, it strikes me as a very solid first piece. There were a few places that did drag a little, but usually not irritatingly so - that's a big consideration for me in how much I like a book. Most of the parts that I felt were too overdone were parts of Bessy's past, like Mr Levy's death (you'll understand when you read it). Some of the other sections which seemed to drag a little made sense later as the threads of the plot came together; I can forgive those sections of long-winded-ness. Still, the parts that did seem extraneous were not so abundant that I gave up on the book (which I have been known to do).
The story kept me interested until the end. I was really very curious at how the events would play out. The mysterious atmosphere held up well throughout the story, and Harris successfully kept me (a die-hard mystery addict) guessing until almost the last chapter. Even when you could kinda guess what had happened and the last piece was finally provided, it hung together. I hate those mysteries where the final piece of the puzzle is something so random or obscure or miraculously provided that it surprises you about the ending, almost like it was forced. This story held together and made sense, even when all the pieces were in place and the mystery cleared away. Kudos.
Overall: 3 of 5. Entertaining book, and held my interest until the end. I did enjoy reading it, but don't think it's a rereading sort of book. And, I might pick up Jane Harris' next work, if it seems as interesting, so that's a good sign too.
Bessy really makes the book. She's a liar, witty and entertaining to read, making her an enjoyable narrator. Sometimes she struck me as a little sharp, but considering the circumstances of the character, the tones are not out of place. The other thing to get used to with Bessy's narration is the slang. Harris has done her research on 1860s slang, and uses it well. The slang used is all decipherable via context, but it does slow down the reading a bit. I liked how it lessened, as the grammar became clearer too, reflecting the character developing over the course of writing the book.
This is Jane Harris' first novel, and I have to say, it strikes me as a very solid first piece. There were a few places that did drag a little, but usually not irritatingly so - that's a big consideration for me in how much I like a book. Most of the parts that I felt were too overdone were parts of Bessy's past, like Mr Levy's death (you'll understand when you read it). Some of the other sections which seemed to drag a little made sense later as the threads of the plot came together; I can forgive those sections of long-winded-ness. Still, the parts that did seem extraneous were not so abundant that I gave up on the book (which I have been known to do).
The story kept me interested until the end. I was really very curious at how the events would play out. The mysterious atmosphere held up well throughout the story, and Harris successfully kept me (a die-hard mystery addict) guessing until almost the last chapter. Even when you could kinda guess what had happened and the last piece was finally provided, it hung together. I hate those mysteries where the final piece of the puzzle is something so random or obscure or miraculously provided that it surprises you about the ending, almost like it was forced. This story held together and made sense, even when all the pieces were in place and the mystery cleared away. Kudos.
Overall: 3 of 5. Entertaining book, and held my interest until the end. I did enjoy reading it, but don't think it's a rereading sort of book. And, I might pick up Jane Harris' next work, if it seems as interesting, so that's a good sign too.
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