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 ...
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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.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. All items inspected and guaranteed. All Orders Dispatched from the UK within one working day. Established business with excellent service record.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Creased Cover All items inspected and guaranteed. All Orders Dispatched from the UK within one working day. Established business with excellent service record.
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Seller's Description:
Good. All items inspected and guaranteed. All Orders Dispatched from the UK within one working day. Established business with excellent service record.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Fine condition. Faber & Faber, 2006. First Paperback edition-first printing(2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1). Large format paperback(small nicks and crease on the edges of the cover and spine) in fine condition. Nice & clean pages but slightly tainted on the outer edges, a couple of small creases on the edges of the pages, small colour mark inside the last blank page of the book. Nice and clean book with light shelf wear.415pp.
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Fine. Fine condition. Faber & Faber, 2006. First Paperback edition-first printing(2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1). Paperback(two small nicks on the edges of the cover and spine) in fine condition. The book is new with a small pencil mark impression on the edge of the first blank of the book, small nick on the edge of the pages.415pp.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
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.
