The Observations Hardcover | Pages: 406 pages

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Original Title:	The Observations
ISBN:	0670037737 (ISBN13: 9780670037735)
Edition Language:	English
Setting:	Scotland,1863
Literary Awards:	Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Shortlist (2007)

Description Toward Books The Observations

A powerful story of secrets and suspicions, hidden histories and mysterious disappearances set in Victorian Scotland.

Scotland, 1863. In an attempt to escape her not-so-innocent past in Glasgow, Bessy Buckley—a wide-eyed and feisty young Irish girl—takes a job as a maid in a big house outside Edinburgh working for the beautiful Arabella—the "missus." Bessy lacks the necessary scullery skills for her new position, but as she finds out, it is her ability to read and write that makes her such a desirable property. Bessy is intrigued by her new employer but puzzled by her increasingly strange requests and her insistence that Bessy keep a journal of her mundane chores and most intimate thoughts. And it seems that the missus has a few secrets of her own, including her near- obsessive affection for Nora, a former maid who died in mysterious circumstances.

Giving in to her curiosity, Bessy makes an infuriating discovery and, out of jealousy, concocts a childish prank that backfires and threatens to jeopardize all that she has come to hold dear. Yet even when caught up in a tangle of madness, ghosts, sex, and lies, she remains 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 raise the stakes even further, Bessy begins to realize that she has not quite landed on her feet.

The Observations is a brilliantly original, endlessly intriguing story of one woman’s journey from a difficult past into an even more disturbing present, narrated by one of the most vividly imagined heroines in recent fiction. This powerful story of secrets and suspicions, hidden histories and mysterious disappearances is at once compelling and heart-warming, showing the redemptive power of loyalty and friendship. A hugely assured and darkly funny debut, The Observations is certain to establish Jane Harris as a significant new literary talent.

Identify Of Books The Observations

Title	:	The Observations
Author	:	Jane Harris
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	Anniversary Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 406 pages
Published	:	October 10th 2006 by Viking Books (first published June 8th 2006)
Categories	:	Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Mystery. Gothic. Cultural. Scotland

Rating Of Books The Observations

Ratings: 3.62 From 6620 Users | 713 Reviews

Evaluation Of Books The Observations

This book was comfortably skirting the 3 mark until the end, which was drastically disappointing. The premise of the book was not overly original, the story of the relationship between a young maid with a secret and her mistress, also concealing a secret, in the Scottish highlands in the Victorian times. This novel would probably appeal to fans of Sarah waters Victorian lesbian fiction, but lacks the subtlety and characterisation to put it on a par with them. The book never quite takes the step

The Observations has turned out, quite unexpectedly, to be an incredibly pleasant read all-through. I hardly give novels 5 star ratings but taking into account the way this story has distinguished itself with such depth on multiple levels while being written in an ingenious writing style that evolves along with the novel and its protagonist, Jane Harris certainly deserves no less than 5 stars!At first glance, this novel seemed like a comedy. The dialect comes through wonderfully as well, only

3.5*Scotland, 1863. An Irish young woman with a dubious past is unexpectedly taken on as a maid at a Scottish estate. The lady of the house has haunting secrets of her own, secrets whose consequences could lead to tragedy... Sounds like the typical Neo-Victorian novel which has become so popular since the likes of Sarah Waters and Michel Faber burst on the scene. And in my ways it is. But unlike lesser imitations of Waters, Jane Harris' The Observations has a defining characteristic which

I loved this book so much that I'm actually sad that I no longer have it to read. THAT'S a book that deserves 5 stars for that reason alone. This story is so well written; the character of Bessy and her "voice" is flawless. It's hilarious, creepy, dark, mysterious. I could go on forever.

I really liked this book at the start. It's written from the point of view of an Irish maid who goes to work in a (you probably guessed it) old, cold, lonely house. Initially her speech is really funny, with a wealth of very colorful expressions. Without giving anything away, the story is a bit of a mystery, but I'd more call it a thriller. I found the plot a bit predictable, and in the end I thought it a bit over the top. Definitely of the 'drama-hysterics-and-ghosts' genre of the Victorian

This was quite an interesting read. The story started terribly exciting and promising but the second half was a bit disappointing. Maybe because I expected a surprise ending, found it a bit predictable. Still a great, gripping book but do not read with the expectation of a twist ending!If you liked this you might also like The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin

I LOVED Bessy, the narrator of this novel. What a character! Very gutsy, very outspoken, honest, and to top it all off, she has a sense of humor. The novel itself had an entertaining, mysterious plot. What seems to be irrelevant and unrelated happenings actually ends up being tied together in a bow by the end of the book. It did, however, have a rough beginning. The narration is shoddy and difficult to read at first. The reason is explained at the end and the reader actually realizes how very