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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.
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.
406 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2006
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9983 people want to read
About the author
Jane Harris
4 books253 followers There is more than one author with this name in the GR database
Jane Harris was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and raised in Glasgow. Her short stories have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies and magazines, and she has written several award-winning short films. In 2000, she received a Writer's Award from the Arts Council of England.
She started writing by accident while living in Portugal in the early Nineties. She says, "I had no TV, hardly any books, no money. And so, just to amuse myself, I started writing a short story. It was about an ex-boyfriend who happened to be a transvestite. I had such a great time writing that story that I immediately wrote another one, about another ex-boyfriend; all my early stories were about ex-boyfriends. I kept writing these stories and they were getting published in anthologies and magazines. By this time, I had moved back to Scotland, having decided that I wanted to be a writer."
She studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and then became writer-in-residence in Durham prison. It was there that she began her first novel, structured as a set of short stories. One of these short pieces was about a farmer-poet and a girl he acquires songs from. However, Harris says that as soon as she invented the voice of the girl, Bessy started taking over and she ended up ditching the farmer and focusing on Bessy and "Missus" - the woman who employs her as a maid.
The project ground to a halt at about 10,000 words when Harris started to write short scripts for her husband, film director Tom Shankland; two films, Going Down (2000) and Bait (1999), were nominated for Bafta awards. When she rediscovered her novel in a box in the attic in 2003 she says that she couldn't believe she had abandoned Bessy. She sent the first 100 pages to publishers, and a bidding war took place between Faber, Fourth Estate and Hodder for UK rights. The Observations was published by Faber & Faber (UK) and Viking (USA) in hardcover in 2006.
Jane Harris was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and raised in Glasgow. Her short stories have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies and magazines, and she has written several award-winning short films. In 2000, she received a Writer's Award from the Arts Council of England.
She started writing by accident while living in Portugal in the early Nineties. She says, "I had no TV, hardly any books, no money. And so, just to amuse myself, I started writing a short story. It was about an ex-boyfriend who happened to be a transvestite. I had such a great time writing that story that I immediately wrote another one, about another ex-boyfriend; all my early stories were about ex-boyfriends. I kept writing these stories and they were getting published in anthologies and magazines. By this time, I had moved back to Scotland, having decided that I wanted to be a writer."
She studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and then became writer-in-residence in Durham prison. It was there that she began her first novel, structured as a set of short stories. One of these short pieces was about a farmer-poet and a girl he acquires songs from. However, Harris says that as soon as she invented the voice of the girl, Bessy started taking over and she ended up ditching the farmer and focusing on Bessy and "Missus" - the woman who employs her as a maid.
The project ground to a halt at about 10,000 words when Harris started to write short scripts for her husband, film director Tom Shankland; two films, Going Down (2000) and Bait (1999), were nominated for Bafta awards. When she rediscovered her novel in a box in the attic in 2003 she says that she couldn't believe she had abandoned Bessy. She sent the first 100 pages to publishers, and a bidding war took place between Faber, Fourth Estate and Hodder for UK rights. The Observations was published by Faber & Faber (UK) and Viking (USA) in hardcover in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 809 reviews
October 3, 2015
The Modern Victorian Novel : a Scrummy dish for All the Family
Ingredients
½ cup Wilkie Collins
3 oz finely ground Sarah Waters
2 oz Crimson Petals and Whites
1 lunatic asylum
1 Railway disaster or if not available, a Coal Mine Explosion will do
3 or 4 Drunks and Uncouth Persons
A fresh bunch of Scullery Maids and Servants
1 Master
1 Mistress
1 Rambling Manse
2 Crowds
A large bag of hard luck
5 teaspoons of child prostitution
2 oz grated Freudianism
3 lb. meaningful dreams
Undercurrents of Lesbianism to taste
As much droll slang as you can stomach
Toss together in a big manuscript and hope it all comes right in the end
***
This was a bit of a shaggy dog story, or shaggy maid story, where you think every part of this novel is pinched from somewhere else but heck, it’s still fun, and anyway, tell me something that’s completely original in this day and age, right? This is post post modernism or wherever we’re at, beyond irony, beyond plagiarism, if it feels good do it. So this was fun fun fun till her daddy took the t-bird away. Which is to say that the problem was not in the telling of the tale, that was rollicking, if tonally precarious to the point of no longer being slightly credible, but who was counting; the problem was that the tale spluttered and melted and came apart, the denouement could not match the buildup, a shame really. With a whizbang plot (instead of a lot of peculiar circumstances gesturing vaguely towards a plot) this would have been a corker but without one it’s all a bit mere. It was a big bag of Cadbury’s Caramel Nibbles – O my God did I just eat the whole bag?? And you’re left feeling a bit guilty but you got to admit you liked it while you were doing it.
POSTSCRIPT
My favourite line from this novel:
Even a wet wasp will crawl towards jam
October 17, 2021
This was so much fun. I read a review that said it takes you back to the way that you read books when you were a child, all in. It's true! Bessy, the heroine, and voice of the novel is a teenage girl who is walking on a road when we first meet her. She is on her way to Edinburgh, to work at a castle. It's the mid 1800s and she's down on her luck, but not down in the mouth about it. She has to continually shove a boy off her who has taken to walking beside her. Hector is filthy and horny, but Bessy gives him short shrift.
To get away from Hector and some "polis", she takes a side road that points to Castle Haivers. Here she finds not a grand castle, but a down-at-heel, large manor house which has seen better days. Bessy doesn't mind though, because the beautiful lady, Arabella, who lives there, hires her.
Bessy's adventures are not all funny, a lot of them are truly heartbreaking. Just when you think things are going one way, they "hare" off another way. There are several villains in the piece, but none as well drawn and nasty as Bessy's dear mother. This is a superb story and the telling of it is fun too.
To get away from Hector and some "polis", she takes a side road that points to Castle Haivers. Here she finds not a grand castle, but a down-at-heel, large manor house which has seen better days. Bessy doesn't mind though, because the beautiful lady, Arabella, who lives there, hires her.
Bessy's adventures are not all funny, a lot of them are truly heartbreaking. Just when you think things are going one way, they "hare" off another way. There are several villains in the piece, but none as well drawn and nasty as Bessy's dear mother. This is a superb story and the telling of it is fun too.
February 20, 2023
#should I stay or should I go #4
“Observações”, com uma jovem protagonista desbocada e ardilosa, é o livro mais divertido que li nos últimos tempos, mas só até um quarto do volume, momento em que surgem temas sérios como a exploração infantil e a saúde mental.
-Juro por tudo o que é sagrado, patroa. – respondi. – Não sou mentirosa. Eu teria escarrado em sinal de jura, mas estávamos dentro de casa, por isso limitei-me a fingir que cuspia três vezes por cima do ombro. A mulher ficou espavorida, mas não sei porquê, a cozinha estava imunda.
Bessy, uma irlandesa de 15 anos, a caminho de Glasgow detém-se por acaso numa propriedade onde Mrs. Arabella Reid, uma mulher jovem e educada, acabou de ficar sem empregada. Logo na primeira noite, esta dá-lhe um caderno onde deverá registar todas as suas atividades diárias.
A patroa suspirou e disse-me que, no dia seguinte, iria gostar mais se eu não me limitasse a escrever aquilo que fazia, as tarefas e coisas assim, e escrevesse o que 'sentia' acerca do que fazia e que 'pensamentos' me passavam pela cabeça ao fazê-lo.
Este, porém, é o mais inocente de todos os pedidos que lhe faz, pois tudo o que lhe é ordenado parece despropositado e enigmático. Jane Harris consegue criar um livro cheio de segredos, de reviravoltas, de revelações espantosas, que às vezes parece assumir contornos de uma história de fantasmas, mas que depois leva o leitor a duvidar do que é contado e a suspeitar de um embuste por parte de algum dos protagonistas ou de um caso de verdadeira loucura.
Tendo acompanhado a leitura de “Observações” com o audiobook no original, diria que a tradução respeita bastante o tom da obra, mas é sem dúvida um extra escutar a voz da autora que, além do seu próprio sotaque irlandês, é brilhante a dar vida a escoceses e ingleses.
“Observações”, com uma jovem protagonista desbocada e ardilosa, é o livro mais divertido que li nos últimos tempos, mas só até um quarto do volume, momento em que surgem temas sérios como a exploração infantil e a saúde mental.
-Juro por tudo o que é sagrado, patroa. – respondi. – Não sou mentirosa. Eu teria escarrado em sinal de jura, mas estávamos dentro de casa, por isso limitei-me a fingir que cuspia três vezes por cima do ombro. A mulher ficou espavorida, mas não sei porquê, a cozinha estava imunda.
Bessy, uma irlandesa de 15 anos, a caminho de Glasgow detém-se por acaso numa propriedade onde Mrs. Arabella Reid, uma mulher jovem e educada, acabou de ficar sem empregada. Logo na primeira noite, esta dá-lhe um caderno onde deverá registar todas as suas atividades diárias.
A patroa suspirou e disse-me que, no dia seguinte, iria gostar mais se eu não me limitasse a escrever aquilo que fazia, as tarefas e coisas assim, e escrevesse o que 'sentia' acerca do que fazia e que 'pensamentos' me passavam pela cabeça ao fazê-lo.
Este, porém, é o mais inocente de todos os pedidos que lhe faz, pois tudo o que lhe é ordenado parece despropositado e enigmático. Jane Harris consegue criar um livro cheio de segredos, de reviravoltas, de revelações espantosas, que às vezes parece assumir contornos de uma história de fantasmas, mas que depois leva o leitor a duvidar do que é contado e a suspeitar de um embuste por parte de algum dos protagonistas ou de um caso de verdadeira loucura.
Tendo acompanhado a leitura de “Observações” com o audiobook no original, diria que a tradução respeita bastante o tom da obra, mas é sem dúvida um extra escutar a voz da autora que, além do seu próprio sotaque irlandês, é brilhante a dar vida a escoceses e ingleses.
August 19, 2021
1863 and Irish teenager Bessy Buckley, an intelligent, streetwise yet tender hearted girl, leaves Glasgow where she has had an abusive past, forced into prostitution at ten years of age by her mother, to make a better a life for herself and comes into the employ of Arabella Reid in a beautiful mansion named Castle Haivers near Edinburgh. she develops an infatuation with her glamorous but unstable mistress and is all to eager to please Arabella, who performs strange experiments on her. But this changes when she discovers a journal of her mistress entitled 'Observations' on the 'habits of the domestic class' in which Arabella says some uncomplimentary things about young Bessy and also reveals her infatuation for a previous maid named Nora who died in mysterious circumstances. Hurt and incensed Bessy decides to play a childish prank to get revenge, but this sets in motion a series of weird and dangerous occurrences and many twists and turns. Humorous, witty, at times sad and at others chilling, but always impossible to put down and always a magnificent read-this novel has it all. I fell in love with Bessy and it was her wonderful, witty, tart, pert, adorable, and warm hearted character, with a wonderful turn of phrase -such gems as 'pigs pizzle' 'I could't give a fleas fart' and 'Jesus Murphy' This makes sure the book was never dull. As you come to know Bessy you will want to follow her adventure to the end. A cast of Dickensian characters which Bessy interacts with makes this one of the best debut novels on the 2000s. This is a wonderful read and cannot be recommended enough.
May 26, 2021
- Terra del Diavolo- 1863
Bessy si sta allontanando da Glasgow con un unico obiettivo: arrivare ad Edimburgo e mettersi a servizio al castello reale.
Strada facendo, però, vede un cartello che indica il «Castello di Haivers» e l'istinto la porta a fare una sosta che diventerà una fermata.
Cosa riserva il futuro alla quindicenne Bessy?
Cosa nasconde il suo passato?
Intrigante e coinvolgente.
Bessy si sta allontanando da Glasgow con un unico obiettivo: arrivare ad Edimburgo e mettersi a servizio al castello reale.
Strada facendo, però, vede un cartello che indica il «Castello di Haivers» e l'istinto la porta a fare una sosta che diventerà una fermata.
Cosa riserva il futuro alla quindicenne Bessy?
Cosa nasconde il suo passato?
Intrigante e coinvolgente.
Read
March 17, 2023Bessy é uma jovem irlandesa de 15 anos, irreverente, destravada e sem papas na língua que, a caminho de nenhures, encontra trabalho numa mansão senhorial. Como é uma jovem alfabetizada (coisa rara naquelas dias, mais ainda numa jovem pobre, mas curiosamente frequente na sequência de eventos que abre esta história), rapidamente, e sob a direção da muito misteriosa patroa Arabella Reid, começa a escrever um diário do seu dia a dia.
Mas para quê o diário e porquê?
"Bom, esta história tinha algo de muito esquisito, todas aquelas hesitações, a forma como evitava o meu olhar, dava para perceber a milhas, contra o vento, com os olhos vendados, o nariz entupido, os ouvidos tapados e uma rolha no traseiro."
Há muitas questões e mistérios que pairam ao longo das páginas de Observações e lhe emprestam uma atmosfera misteriosa muito bem conseguida (e muito próxima daquela de A Pousada da Jamaica, de Maurier). Mas o thriller é apenas uma pequena parte deste livro e na realidade, aquela que começa por ser uma história com elementos de gótico e uma personagem principal que é um autêntico figurão - não haverá na literatura muitas personagens mais engraçadas do que esta Bessy -, rapidamente se transforma num testamento das misérias e vergonhas de uma época tais como a exploração infantil e sexual, o preconceito face às mulheres e às crianças, a dependência emocional ou a saúde mental.
"É assim, naquela época, devo admitir que estava saturada de vida, o que é uma coisa horrível para se dizer quando se tem à volta de treze anos. Ter de abrir as pernas a qualquer fulano, por muito imundo, bêbado ou louco que fosse, ganhar apenas um coroas e ainda ter de entregar o quinhão."
Presa num mundo onde o status e o género são ferramentas de eleição dos poderosos, e onde o abuso perante as mulheres e os pobres é encarado como sintomático de uma sociedade culta, a jovem Bessy, refugiada numa mansão isolada gerida por uma mulher carismática, rapidamente cria laços de afetividade numa pretensa relação onde a dependência emocional representa uma mais efetiva subserviência e a anulação da individualidade (símbolo de desobediência e, como tal, desencorajada em qualquer indivíduo de classe inferior) é forçosamente aplicada.
"...de repente percebi que a patroa não aprovaria que eu frequentasse bares, nem por sombras.
Mas que se passava comigo? Para os diabos com o medo de não lhe agradar Cerrei os punhos. C'os diabos, compõe-te, pensei com meus botões."
A voz da personagem-narradora, que pode ou não ser fiável no seu relato já que não é isenta da história, ecoa os abusos emocionais e físicos que são, realmente, o foco da narrativa dentro da qual Bessy irá enfrentar muitas verdades dolorosas e presentear o leitor com descrições (muitas vezes revoltantes) sobre aquelas que eram práticas comuns destinadas aos menos afortunados numa sociedade que se cria moralista e edificante, mas que nutria as suas perversões pela calada, no segredo e no escuro controlando os potenciais riscos da forma que achasse melhor adequada, sem consequência alguma.
"Foi a primeira vez que apertei a mão a um cavalheiro e por algum motivo esse gesto me fez corar até à raiz dos cabelos. O que agora tem a sua piada, se pensarmos em tudo o que já tinha feito com homens durante minha curta vida."
Não tendo sido um livro que me deixou arrebatada - nem é para isso com uma temática tão obscura -, não é possível deixar de lhe apontar os méritos (exceção feita a uma edição com problemas de revisão flagrantes, mas aqui nada de novo); Observações é uma obra inteligente e intrigante que roça as margens do thriller e da sátira, passa pela comédia e pelo drama, e que acabava por ser difícil de classificar na sua tristeza e dureza. No fim de tudo, o que é mais certo é ser difícil de a pousar uma vez começada: no princípio é Bessy, a desbocada, quem nos agarra, no fim são o mistério e a tragédia que nos prendem.
Mas para quê o diário e porquê?
"Bom, esta história tinha algo de muito esquisito, todas aquelas hesitações, a forma como evitava o meu olhar, dava para perceber a milhas, contra o vento, com os olhos vendados, o nariz entupido, os ouvidos tapados e uma rolha no traseiro."
Há muitas questões e mistérios que pairam ao longo das páginas de Observações e lhe emprestam uma atmosfera misteriosa muito bem conseguida (e muito próxima daquela de A Pousada da Jamaica, de Maurier). Mas o thriller é apenas uma pequena parte deste livro e na realidade, aquela que começa por ser uma história com elementos de gótico e uma personagem principal que é um autêntico figurão - não haverá na literatura muitas personagens mais engraçadas do que esta Bessy -, rapidamente se transforma num testamento das misérias e vergonhas de uma época tais como a exploração infantil e sexual, o preconceito face às mulheres e às crianças, a dependência emocional ou a saúde mental.
"É assim, naquela época, devo admitir que estava saturada de vida, o que é uma coisa horrível para se dizer quando se tem à volta de treze anos. Ter de abrir as pernas a qualquer fulano, por muito imundo, bêbado ou louco que fosse, ganhar apenas um coroas e ainda ter de entregar o quinhão."
Presa num mundo onde o status e o género são ferramentas de eleição dos poderosos, e onde o abuso perante as mulheres e os pobres é encarado como sintomático de uma sociedade culta, a jovem Bessy, refugiada numa mansão isolada gerida por uma mulher carismática, rapidamente cria laços de afetividade numa pretensa relação onde a dependência emocional representa uma mais efetiva subserviência e a anulação da individualidade (símbolo de desobediência e, como tal, desencorajada em qualquer indivíduo de classe inferior) é forçosamente aplicada.
"...de repente percebi que a patroa não aprovaria que eu frequentasse bares, nem por sombras.
Mas que se passava comigo? Para os diabos com o medo de não lhe agradar Cerrei os punhos. C'os diabos, compõe-te, pensei com meus botões."
A voz da personagem-narradora, que pode ou não ser fiável no seu relato já que não é isenta da história, ecoa os abusos emocionais e físicos que são, realmente, o foco da narrativa dentro da qual Bessy irá enfrentar muitas verdades dolorosas e presentear o leitor com descrições (muitas vezes revoltantes) sobre aquelas que eram práticas comuns destinadas aos menos afortunados numa sociedade que se cria moralista e edificante, mas que nutria as suas perversões pela calada, no segredo e no escuro controlando os potenciais riscos da forma que achasse melhor adequada, sem consequência alguma.
"Foi a primeira vez que apertei a mão a um cavalheiro e por algum motivo esse gesto me fez corar até à raiz dos cabelos. O que agora tem a sua piada, se pensarmos em tudo o que já tinha feito com homens durante minha curta vida."
Não tendo sido um livro que me deixou arrebatada - nem é para isso com uma temática tão obscura -, não é possível deixar de lhe apontar os méritos (exceção feita a uma edição com problemas de revisão flagrantes, mas aqui nada de novo); Observações é uma obra inteligente e intrigante que roça as margens do thriller e da sátira, passa pela comédia e pelo drama, e que acabava por ser difícil de classificar na sua tristeza e dureza. No fim de tudo, o que é mais certo é ser difícil de a pousar uma vez começada: no princípio é Bessy, a desbocada, quem nos agarra, no fim são o mistério e a tragédia que nos prendem.
May 30, 2022
This is an entertaining historical novel set in the 1860s in rural Scotland and the colourful narration is by 15yo maid, Bessy Buckley. She has lived quite a life already when she arrives at Castle Haivers (not really a castle) and is hired by Mrs Arabella Reid, an Englishwoman who is writing a book(in secret from her husband) about domestic servants and how to improve their obedience.
It’s darkly funny and the hypocrisy of Victorian society is displayed in full but what carries the story is Bessy. She is generous, funny, hopeful and surprisingly positive considering the many awful things that have happened to her. Very enjoyable.
It’s darkly funny and the hypocrisy of Victorian society is displayed in full but what carries the story is Bessy. She is generous, funny, hopeful and surprisingly positive considering the many awful things that have happened to her. Very enjoyable.
June 18, 2024
Não me arrebatou mas teve os seus momentos, e alguns foram marcantes. Doença mental e prostituição foram os temas espinhosos depois de um início que prometia diversão. Confesso que andei à deriva boa parte da leitura sem conseguir perceber para onde a história me levaria e sem discernir quem era mais louco, se a patroa ou a empregada.
Mas as confissões de Betty e da sua entrada no mundo da prostituição, ainda criança e guiada pelas mãos da própria mãe foram agonizantes e as que não esquecerei facilmente. Achei o final muito perfeitinho e por isso pouco convincente, muito longe daquilo que seria a realidade das instituições que albergavam doentes mentais.
Mas as confissões de Betty e da sua entrada no mundo da prostituição, ainda criança e guiada pelas mãos da própria mãe foram agonizantes e as que não esquecerei facilmente. Achei o final muito perfeitinho e por isso pouco convincente, muito longe daquilo que seria a realidade das instituições que albergavam doentes mentais.
September 12, 2017
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 singles it out in a crowded market – the fresh, streetwise, slangy narrative voice of its feisty protagonist “Bessy”. By turns comic and touching, the strength of this novel is the way in which Bessy’s tale takes us in.
It is not the plot which does the trick – although it has enough twists and turns to keep one hooked, it is ultimately no match for, say, Waters’ Fingersmith or the original sensation novels of Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon. However, in her remarkable storyteller Bessy, Harris has created one of the more likeable and memorable characters of recent fiction.
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 singles it out in a crowded market – the fresh, streetwise, slangy narrative voice of its feisty protagonist “Bessy”. By turns comic and touching, the strength of this novel is the way in which Bessy’s tale takes us in.
It is not the plot which does the trick – although it has enough twists and turns to keep one hooked, it is ultimately no match for, say, Waters’ Fingersmith or the original sensation novels of Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon. However, in her remarkable storyteller Bessy, Harris has created one of the more likeable and memorable characters of recent fiction.
September 26, 2009
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 appropriate it is. In order for the novel to read more like this girl's journal, the writing is much as people spoke back then. But as the girl matures and improves writing wise, the novel blossoms, the texts changes, and becomes easier to read. So those that are put off by the beginning language, do keep going! Bessy's thoughts and observations as she plods thru a difficult life of a maid in the Victorian times will have you laughing out loud as well as shaking your head in sympathy.
May 1, 2018
Although at times this was creepy, atmospheric and even funny, with nice character arcs for two main characters, it needed to be cut by at least 30%. For a book over 400 pp long, it wasn't really worth the time. At around 300 pp., it would've been a four star book, at least.
November 3, 2020
Odlična knjiga. Zbog slenga treba se mrvicu strpljenja dok se na "uđe" u priču a kasnije je baš simpatična, smiješna, zanimljiva.
Na putu prema Edinburghu , petnaestogodišnja Bessy slučajno skrene prema Dvorcu Budalec i sasvim neočekivano postane sluškinja "za nutra i van".
Ali, niti je Dvorac dvorac, niti je Bessy sluškinja, a i gazdarica Arabela nije obična gazdarica.
Tko zna što se dogodilo sa Norom? Tko je Mlitavi Božo?
Događaji koji slijede otkriti će razloge jedne opsesije i ludila, mračnu prošlost, tužno djetinjstvo, političke ambicije, zanimljive likove.
Neočekivano zabavna priča dočarava život u 19 st., svugdje jednako težak: u Škotskoj, u Irskoj, na selu, u gradu, rudarima, prostitutkama, seljacima...whatever.
Priča je na trenutke i mučna i tužna, ali ne i patetična. Oduševio me opis sporednih likova, neki karakteri su genijalno opisani samim imenom ( Kisele Sestre, Mlitavi Božo), a neki svojim postupcima (Hektor, Bridget)).
Prijevod je odličan. Upotreba slenga, "nepismenost" ili bolje- nedovoljna pismenost pripovjedačice doprinose dojmu povratka u 19 st.
Velika preporuka.

Na putu prema Edinburghu , petnaestogodišnja Bessy slučajno skrene prema Dvorcu Budalec i sasvim neočekivano postane sluškinja "za nutra i van".
Ali, niti je Dvorac dvorac, niti je Bessy sluškinja, a i gazdarica Arabela nije obična gazdarica.
Tko zna što se dogodilo sa Norom? Tko je Mlitavi Božo?
Događaji koji slijede otkriti će razloge jedne opsesije i ludila, mračnu prošlost, tužno djetinjstvo, političke ambicije, zanimljive likove.
Neočekivano zabavna priča dočarava život u 19 st., svugdje jednako težak: u Škotskoj, u Irskoj, na selu, u gradu, rudarima, prostitutkama, seljacima...whatever.
Priča je na trenutke i mučna i tužna, ali ne i patetična. Oduševio me opis sporednih likova, neki karakteri su genijalno opisani samim imenom ( Kisele Sestre, Mlitavi Božo), a neki svojim postupcima (Hektor, Bridget)).
Prijevod je odličan. Upotreba slenga, "nepismenost" ili bolje- nedovoljna pismenost pripovjedačice doprinose dojmu povratka u 19 st.
Velika preporuka.

June 12, 2011
Review from Badelynge
The heroine, and faithful scribe, of this tale is one Bessy Buckley, or so she introduces herself. She's a young Irish girl, running away from a mother who has ruthlessly exploited her from an early age. She arrives at a ramshackle mansion, somewhere near Edinburgh, where she is taken on as a housemaid by the mistress of the house, Arabella Reid. The 'missus' as she calls her soon has young Bessy confused and bewildered by a succession of seemingly random and mostly pointless requests. And every night she must write an account of the day's events along with her inner thoughts. Despite all this Bessy develops a fierce loyalty for her mistress and then she finds out, by the chance discovery of Arabella's in-progress book 'The Observations', what the object of her devotions is really up to and tellingly what her opinions of Bessy are.
What happens next is best left for the story to tell, but it is a fascinating read that weaves Bessy's dark past, the mysterious fate of her predecessor, Arabella's paragon of all house maids, Nora, and Arabella's own secrets into a startlingly engaging narrative mystery. Bessy is a wonderful character, who colours her tale with the most vivid and sometimes lurid slang and colloquialisms. I'm often put off by such inclusions, though in this case they are pretty much essential to the style and don't distract at all. Though being a native of northern England, where many of the expressions are still in common use or fondly remembered from use by my Grandparents, I could be more immune from irritation than the average reader. Bessy is also not averse to casting ridicule on the people she recounts by exaggerating or over annotating their speech patterns and accents. The more she despises them the more extreme the exaggeration. I think it's no accident that Hector, the sex obsessed Highlander, gets the brunt of it.
The Observations is an excellent début novel. I've read the latest book by Jane Harris, 'Gillespie and I', which appeared some 5 years after 'The Observations' - so if you enjoyed this book I'd recommend you look it up with all due dispatch.
The heroine, and faithful scribe, of this tale is one Bessy Buckley, or so she introduces herself. She's a young Irish girl, running away from a mother who has ruthlessly exploited her from an early age. She arrives at a ramshackle mansion, somewhere near Edinburgh, where she is taken on as a housemaid by the mistress of the house, Arabella Reid. The 'missus' as she calls her soon has young Bessy confused and bewildered by a succession of seemingly random and mostly pointless requests. And every night she must write an account of the day's events along with her inner thoughts. Despite all this Bessy develops a fierce loyalty for her mistress and then she finds out, by the chance discovery of Arabella's in-progress book 'The Observations', what the object of her devotions is really up to and tellingly what her opinions of Bessy are.
What happens next is best left for the story to tell, but it is a fascinating read that weaves Bessy's dark past, the mysterious fate of her predecessor, Arabella's paragon of all house maids, Nora, and Arabella's own secrets into a startlingly engaging narrative mystery. Bessy is a wonderful character, who colours her tale with the most vivid and sometimes lurid slang and colloquialisms. I'm often put off by such inclusions, though in this case they are pretty much essential to the style and don't distract at all. Though being a native of northern England, where many of the expressions are still in common use or fondly remembered from use by my Grandparents, I could be more immune from irritation than the average reader. Bessy is also not averse to casting ridicule on the people she recounts by exaggerating or over annotating their speech patterns and accents. The more she despises them the more extreme the exaggeration. I think it's no accident that Hector, the sex obsessed Highlander, gets the brunt of it.
The Observations is an excellent début novel. I've read the latest book by Jane Harris, 'Gillespie and I', which appeared some 5 years after 'The Observations' - so if you enjoyed this book I'd recommend you look it up with all due dispatch.
April 18, 2024
This was mostly a good read, but I really disliked the ending and what it implies.
Die junge Bessie erhält im Schottland des 19. Jahrhunderts mehr oder weniger durch Zufall eine Anstellung im Haus eines kleinen Landbesitzers. Dieser ist oft unterwegs und so hat Bessie es überwiegend mit Arabella, der Ehefrau des Hausherren zu tun. Diese trägt Bessie schon bald merkwürdige Aufgaben auf, etwa sich immer wieder abwechselnd auf einen Stuhl zu setzen und aufzustehen. Verwundert über ihre Arbeitgeberin, nutzt Bessie eine Gelegenheit, sich Arabellas Aufzeichnungen anzusehen (sie kann aus Gründen, die zunächst nicht erklärt werden, gut lesen und schreiben). Und muss feststellen, dass Arabella ihre Dienstmädchen für obskure Verhaltensstudien nutzt, die sie in einem Notizbuch festhält und „Observations“ nennt.
Jane Harris‘ Protagonistin Bessie ist definitiv ein spannender, humorvoller Charakter, der einige Geheimnisse birgt, von denen wir von Bessie in einigen Rückblenden erfahren. Gegenstand des Romans ist jedoch das Schicksal der Hausherrin Arabella, das zunächst wie eines der beklagenswerten Schicksale anmutet, die intelligenten Frauen, die in dieser Zeit der Willkür ihrer Ehemänner und/oder Väter ausgesetzt waren. Soweit gefiel mir das Buch wirklich, es ist unterhaltsam und lustig geschrieben, mit einer originellen Protagonistin. Doch die Auflösung gefiel mir gar nicht. Insbesondere nicht, was sie impliziert. Daher kann ich diesem Buch nicht mehr als drei Sterne geben. Ich hoffe, „Sugar Money“ von der Autorin, das ich auf dem SuB habe, enttäuscht mich diesbezüglich weniger.
Die junge Bessie erhält im Schottland des 19. Jahrhunderts mehr oder weniger durch Zufall eine Anstellung im Haus eines kleinen Landbesitzers. Dieser ist oft unterwegs und so hat Bessie es überwiegend mit Arabella, der Ehefrau des Hausherren zu tun. Diese trägt Bessie schon bald merkwürdige Aufgaben auf, etwa sich immer wieder abwechselnd auf einen Stuhl zu setzen und aufzustehen. Verwundert über ihre Arbeitgeberin, nutzt Bessie eine Gelegenheit, sich Arabellas Aufzeichnungen anzusehen (sie kann aus Gründen, die zunächst nicht erklärt werden, gut lesen und schreiben). Und muss feststellen, dass Arabella ihre Dienstmädchen für obskure Verhaltensstudien nutzt, die sie in einem Notizbuch festhält und „Observations“ nennt.
Jane Harris‘ Protagonistin Bessie ist definitiv ein spannender, humorvoller Charakter, der einige Geheimnisse birgt, von denen wir von Bessie in einigen Rückblenden erfahren. Gegenstand des Romans ist jedoch das Schicksal der Hausherrin Arabella, das zunächst wie eines der beklagenswerten Schicksale anmutet, die intelligenten Frauen, die in dieser Zeit der Willkür ihrer Ehemänner und/oder Väter ausgesetzt waren. Soweit gefiel mir das Buch wirklich, es ist unterhaltsam und lustig geschrieben, mit einer originellen Protagonistin. Doch die Auflösung gefiel mir gar nicht. Insbesondere nicht, was sie impliziert. Daher kann ich diesem Buch nicht mehr als drei Sterne geben. Ich hoffe, „Sugar Money“ von der Autorin, das ich auf dem SuB habe, enttäuscht mich diesbezüglich weniger.
January 27, 2020
Viktoriāņu laikmets Skotijā. Kādā lauku muižā, kas sevi lepni dēvē par pili, kā no gaisa nokrīt vīzdegunīgs un kareivīgs īru skuķis, kurš par visu vairāk vēlas izdzīvot un aizbēgt no savas pagātnes. Besija kļūst par vienīgo kalponi milzu mājā, un tikai jaunības naivums viņai ļauj uz laiku samierināties ar saimnieces dīvaino uzvedību un prasībām. Besijai liek rakstīt dienasgrāmatu un veikt savādus uzdevumus...
Romāns, kurā sajaukts jau zināmais no Šarlotes Brontē, Vilkija Kolinsa un Tomasa Hārdija, tomēr radīta sava unikālā varone, kas ir ņipra, ziņkārīga un drosmīga. Autorei izdevies parādīt jaunietes izaugsmi un intonācijas maiņu stāstījumā. Dīvaini, ka izdevies izvairīties no moralizēšanas un pareizās rīcības diktāta - vienkārši kādas kalpones dzīvesstāsts.
Romāns, kurā sajaukts jau zināmais no Šarlotes Brontē, Vilkija Kolinsa un Tomasa Hārdija, tomēr radīta sava unikālā varone, kas ir ņipra, ziņkārīga un drosmīga. Autorei izdevies parādīt jaunietes izaugsmi un intonācijas maiņu stāstījumā. Dīvaini, ka izdevies izvairīties no moralizēšanas un pareizās rīcības diktāta - vienkārši kādas kalpones dzīvesstāsts.
February 24, 2019
I had reason to leave Glagow, this would have been about three four years ago, and I had been on the Great Road about five hours when I seen a track to the left and a sign said 'Castle Haivers'. Now there's a coincidence I thought to myself, because here I was on my way across Scratchland to have a look at the Edingurgh castle and perhaps get a job there and who knows marry a young nobleman or prince. I was only 15 with a head full of sugar and I had a notion to work in a grand establishment.
Not only that but this lad from the Highlands had fell into step with me the past hour, he would have been about my age and he had been to get a tooth pulled. He kept dragging his lip down to show me the hole. I was sick of this boy and his grin and his questions, fair are you going? fair do you live? fwot is your name? fwould you like to lie down with me? — all this. I had told him a whole clatter of lies hoping he would go away but he was stuck to me like horse dung on a road sweepers shoe."
So begins Bessy Buckley's account of events that transpired at Castle Haivers. Impressed by the name, she expects to find a grand estate, but is met instead with a run down home and the owner's wife chasing down a pig. The beautiful Arabella Reid just so happens to be looking for a maid, and Bessy is quick to assure her she's had plenty of experience, a fiction which is quickly dispelled, but Arabella Reid's greatest concern is whether Bessy is able to read and write, and when our heroine demonstrates her abilities to Arabella's satisfaction, she is taken on as hired help. When she asks for permission to read, her mistress agrees and hands her a book: "it was called Bleak House, I hoped it wasn't an omen", says our girl.
By Bessy's own admission, she is a terrible maid, and knows not the first thing about housekeeping, but this doesn't seem to concern her employer. Mrs Reid's main interest is in reading her new maid's daily entries in a journal she has instructed her to keep, encouraging her to describe her days in great detail and relate all her feelings and impressions. Then there are strange tasks to perform and tests to submit to, such as sitting and standing repeatedly on her mistresse's command and being subjected to having detailed measurements taken of her body and facial features.
Both mistress and maid have plenty to hide, and when Bessy discovers Arabella's secret she is deeply hurt by it, which sets her on a course of action which will eventually lead to a complete mental breakdown and the intervention of a doctor intent on using the latest techniques and drugs available in these Victorian times to restore his hysterical patient to health. Bessy is a highly amusing narrator, one who uses colourful language and imagery and doesn't shrink from disclosing to us details of a sordid past which help to explain the strange attachment she has formed with her employer. My conclusion: Jane Harris's debut makes for a riveting read. — From June 2012
December 16, 2009
A charming book (if you don't mind 19-century vulgar slang. Naturally, I love vintage slang.) & a very enjoyable one - it was actually fun to read. Engrossing in parts.
The narrator's voice enthralls from the beginning. It held me down for the first 300 pages or so before I was tired (mystery! mystery! mystery!) - I give most of the credit to the strong characterization of Bessy. In contrast, some of the other characters felt under-written - especially Arabella - which was a shame.
The ghost! mystery! aspect was so strong, it rather overwhelmed the actual plot. I understand that the two plots are supposed to work together, in tandem, and gradually separate. It didn't quite work.
That said ... I'm looking forward to Harris' next offering. She's going to one to watch.
The narrator's voice enthralls from the beginning. It held me down for the first 300 pages or so before I was tired (mystery! mystery! mystery!) - I give most of the credit to the strong characterization of Bessy. In contrast, some of the other characters felt under-written - especially Arabella - which was a shame.
The ghost! mystery! aspect was so strong, it rather overwhelmed the actual plot. I understand that the two plots are supposed to work together, in tandem, and gradually separate. It didn't quite work.
That said ... I'm looking forward to Harris' next offering. She's going to one to watch.
January 23, 2012
Set in the mid 1800's in a rather dilapidated Scottish manor, related in a Gothic style one would expect this to be a very dark novel. Thanks, however, to the wonderfully humorous character Bessie the darkness has great periods of light. Her quirky saying and phrases are a joy to read. This is a slow to build novel and after 400 pgs. I was expecting a big reveal. That didn't happen and I was a little disappointed but glad I read anyway.
July 9, 2015
Judging by the plentiful positive reviews quoted inside and outside this book, the whole world seems to think Bessy Buckley is a brilliant creation, and I couldn't help but fall for the character too. The colloquialisms grated a little at first, but I was soon drawn in by the lively, spirited narrative. Bessy's own 'observations' are often laugh-out-loud funny, and her rebellious yet vulnerable - and altogether very human - voice is what brings the story to life and makes this a great read. I didn't find the plot especially strong - I thought the secrets behind Arabella's strange behaviour were revealed far too early - and the conclusion was a little disappointing, but this is a perfect example of how a striking protagonist and an entertaining narrative can transform a mediocre idea into an original, authentic and highly enjoyable story.
July 14, 2018
Read in 2009. Liked it but not loved it.
May 2, 2009
"I was born Irish. But I'm more of the Scottish persuasion now." Bessy Buckley narrates with a direct, honest and often bawdily descriptive slang. She used to be something other than a maid as well. Quick on her feet and not one to give herself away unless absolutely necessary, she is starved for love and attention.
She meets Mrs. Arabella Reid, who is a bit of an intellectual and is at work on an interesting project. When the "Missus" learns that Bessy can read and write she decides to hire her as the 'in and out' girl at her estate, Castle Haivers. Bessy is eager to please her new mistress even when her requests are rather unusual. Mrs. Reid gives Bessy a journal and asks her to record her daily activities. When Bessy's discovers Arabella's true feelings for her she decides to play an elaborate joke on her mistress. The joke has unfortunate and unforeseeable consequences.
The story has a rich and evolving quality to it, Bessy's narration changes and matures as she does. She describes the countryside of "Scratchland" and the propriety of the Victorian era with an eye for detail. I enjoyed listening to her story and was sorry when it ended.
Jane Harris has been compared to Sarah Waters and I have to say there is certainly a similar flavor about their work. I will be looking for Jane Harris' next novel.
She meets Mrs. Arabella Reid, who is a bit of an intellectual and is at work on an interesting project. When the "Missus" learns that Bessy can read and write she decides to hire her as the 'in and out' girl at her estate, Castle Haivers. Bessy is eager to please her new mistress even when her requests are rather unusual. Mrs. Reid gives Bessy a journal and asks her to record her daily activities. When Bessy's discovers Arabella's true feelings for her she decides to play an elaborate joke on her mistress. The joke has unfortunate and unforeseeable consequences.
The story has a rich and evolving quality to it, Bessy's narration changes and matures as she does. She describes the countryside of "Scratchland" and the propriety of the Victorian era with an eye for detail. I enjoyed listening to her story and was sorry when it ended.
Jane Harris has been compared to Sarah Waters and I have to say there is certainly a similar flavor about their work. I will be looking for Jane Harris' next novel.
March 27, 2021
Ho provato emozioni contrastanti durante la lettura de “Le osservazioni”. La prima metà del romanzo scorre lenta, tutto il fulcro della storia si concentra nella seconda metà e solo allora si cominciano a dipanare i misteri che si sono intrecciati fino a quel momento. Il linguaggio rozzo e sboccato di Bessy, la protagonista, mi ha spiazzata all’inizio, catapultandomi all’improvviso in quella che era la misera e triste vita di una ragazzina di soli 15 anni nella Scozia del XIX secolo. Jane Harris deve aver fatto un buon lavoro di ricerca dello slang scozzese dell’epoca, di sicuro non è il tipico linguaggio che si troverebbe nei classici romanzi ottocenteschi. Mi è piaciuta la ricostruzione storica della Scozia vittoriana, un po’ meno il finale, a dir la sincera verità: troppo “telefonato”, come si suol dire, scontato. In generale, inizialmente mi disturbava l’eccessivo attaccamento morboso di Bessy verso Arabella, la sua padrona, non lo comprendevo e mi infastidiva: ma tutto ciò è stato compensato dalla curiosità di vedere risolti tutti i misteri che aleggiavano a Castle Hivers, invogliandoti a scorrere le pagine una dietro l’altra per scoprire cosa succederà. Una lettura ideale per il periodo autunnale/invernale.
July 17, 2010
Well. The voice of the narrator was terrific, and kept me going for about 75 pages. Gradually, however, the plot simply began to wane, and the heft of the unread pages began to drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrag, until I skipped ahead to read the last 30 and called it done. I guess I'd have to say that the book simply lacks the oomph to drive the plot and/or the reader (aka ME) through 400 pages. Bessy/Daisy, sharp and funny as she is, deserves a sharp and clear plot with the same energy she possesses. 100 pages edited out might've kept me going.
July 5, 2019
I loved the story and couldn’t put the book down until I was done. As I was reading I keep thinking of all these different things that would happen and even different ways it would end. So with all these ideas running through my head, you can imagine how disappointed I was at the ending. It was weird because the rest of the story was great, it’s almost like she just hurried up and finished it. The ending ruined the whole book for me.
March 19, 2012
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.
August 14, 2019
Victorian sensation from the maid’s perspective...
Bessy Buckley may be young in years but her hard and sordid upbringing means she’s old in experience. Fleeing from her hometown of Glasgow in search of a better life, she finds herself more or less accidentally taking a job as maid at Castel Haivers, the home of Arabella Reid and her husband James, halfway along the road to Edinburgh. Arabella is young, beautiful and kind, and the affection-starved Bessy is soon devoted to her new mistress. But the job has some strange requirements, such as that Bessy must keep a journal of her actions and thoughts every day, and show it to Arabella on demand. Soon Bessy finds she’s not the first maid to whom Arabella has shown peculiar attention; in particular there was a girl named Nora, who died in circumstances that seem to cast a dark shadow over the household...
In some ways, this is a take on the Victorian sensation novel complete with touches of Gothic horror, insanity, shocking deaths and so on. But what makes it feel fresh is the perspective of Bessy, our narrator. She’s both feisty and vulnerable, strong but sometimes unsure of herself, devoted to but clear-sighted about the flaws of her mistress. She’s learned to take care of herself in a world that hasn’t shown her much care and has retained the capacity to love, despite love having been in short supply in her brief life to date.
However, it’s Bessy’s voice that is so special – a real tour-de-force from Harris in recreating an entirely credible dialect and slang for that place and time. Bessy (like the author) is Irish originally, as were so many Glaswegians, and I loved the way Harris managed to give her Glaswegian dialect an authentic touch of Glasgow-Irish at points. Contrary to popular belief I wasn’t around in 1863 when the book is set, but a lot of the dialect words are familiar from my youth, and the pawky, irreverent, occasionally bawdy sense of humour is just about perfect. I’ve seen non-Scots say they found it a bit tricky at first to get used to the language, but for me it was as natural as listening to people who were elderly when I was a child.
The story itself unfolds slowly and perhaps stays a bit low-key to really compete with true sensation novels. But I liked this more realistic approach and found the whole thing stayed very well within the range of credibility. It takes us to some dark places, not least in Bessy’s childhood, but Bessy isn’t the type to wallow – she prefers to shut her mind off to the bad memories as much as she can, and her resilience and strength make her an extremely likeable protagonist to spend time with. She’s not always wise in her actions but her intentions are usually good, and she’s hard on herself when she gets things wrong. There are some nicely spooky moments and plenty of drama to keep things ticking along, but the main joy is in the language and characterisation. While we get to know Bessy intimately, Arabella is more enigmatic – perhaps the reader understands her a little better than Bessy does. Again Harris is very skilled at playing into the reader’s expectations of this type of novel while leaving Bessy struggling to understand the psychological forces at play – the intellectual and physical repression of women, the Victorian tropes of hysteria and insanity, the Gothic horror of candlelit gloom and Freudian dream sequences, the hints of unacknowledged lesbian desire, etc.
I might have criticised it, as some have, for being a little too long and drawn-out for its content, but I enjoyed Bessy’s voice so much that I never found it dragging and would happily have stayed in her company for as long as she liked. Loved it, and will be seeking out more of Harris’ work – highly recommended!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Bessy Buckley may be young in years but her hard and sordid upbringing means she’s old in experience. Fleeing from her hometown of Glasgow in search of a better life, she finds herself more or less accidentally taking a job as maid at Castel Haivers, the home of Arabella Reid and her husband James, halfway along the road to Edinburgh. Arabella is young, beautiful and kind, and the affection-starved Bessy is soon devoted to her new mistress. But the job has some strange requirements, such as that Bessy must keep a journal of her actions and thoughts every day, and show it to Arabella on demand. Soon Bessy finds she’s not the first maid to whom Arabella has shown peculiar attention; in particular there was a girl named Nora, who died in circumstances that seem to cast a dark shadow over the household...
In some ways, this is a take on the Victorian sensation novel complete with touches of Gothic horror, insanity, shocking deaths and so on. But what makes it feel fresh is the perspective of Bessy, our narrator. She’s both feisty and vulnerable, strong but sometimes unsure of herself, devoted to but clear-sighted about the flaws of her mistress. She’s learned to take care of herself in a world that hasn’t shown her much care and has retained the capacity to love, despite love having been in short supply in her brief life to date.
However, it’s Bessy’s voice that is so special – a real tour-de-force from Harris in recreating an entirely credible dialect and slang for that place and time. Bessy (like the author) is Irish originally, as were so many Glaswegians, and I loved the way Harris managed to give her Glaswegian dialect an authentic touch of Glasgow-Irish at points. Contrary to popular belief I wasn’t around in 1863 when the book is set, but a lot of the dialect words are familiar from my youth, and the pawky, irreverent, occasionally bawdy sense of humour is just about perfect. I’ve seen non-Scots say they found it a bit tricky at first to get used to the language, but for me it was as natural as listening to people who were elderly when I was a child.
The story itself unfolds slowly and perhaps stays a bit low-key to really compete with true sensation novels. But I liked this more realistic approach and found the whole thing stayed very well within the range of credibility. It takes us to some dark places, not least in Bessy’s childhood, but Bessy isn’t the type to wallow – she prefers to shut her mind off to the bad memories as much as she can, and her resilience and strength make her an extremely likeable protagonist to spend time with. She’s not always wise in her actions but her intentions are usually good, and she’s hard on herself when she gets things wrong. There are some nicely spooky moments and plenty of drama to keep things ticking along, but the main joy is in the language and characterisation. While we get to know Bessy intimately, Arabella is more enigmatic – perhaps the reader understands her a little better than Bessy does. Again Harris is very skilled at playing into the reader’s expectations of this type of novel while leaving Bessy struggling to understand the psychological forces at play – the intellectual and physical repression of women, the Victorian tropes of hysteria and insanity, the Gothic horror of candlelit gloom and Freudian dream sequences, the hints of unacknowledged lesbian desire, etc.
I might have criticised it, as some have, for being a little too long and drawn-out for its content, but I enjoyed Bessy’s voice so much that I never found it dragging and would happily have stayed in her company for as long as she liked. Loved it, and will be seeking out more of Harris’ work – highly recommended!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 27, 2019
Started out with a bang, and overall a great story. However, when the focus shifts from Bessy's clever observation of the people around her to more factual events, my interest waned a bit.
A very brief review for such a long book, but it's one where I wish to steer clear of spoilers. That having been said, I don't know as I "got" the ending as intended, but it worked well enough as a wrap-up for me.
The author's narration I found consistently excellent!
A very brief review for such a long book, but it's one where I wish to steer clear of spoilers. That having been said, I don't know as I "got" the ending as intended, but it worked well enough as a wrap-up for me.
The author's narration I found consistently excellent!
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Observations - Nevisande : Jane Harris - ISBN : 670037737 - ISBN13 : 9780670037735 - Dar 406 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2006
September 16, 2011
NO SPOILERS!!!
On completions:This is primarily a crime/mystery novel. Usually when I read fictional crime novels I cannot but loose interest b/c I KNOW this is all just one big story; there is no reality to it. Well, not with this book. I found it thoroughly entertaining. A light, fun read. As I pointed out below, there are some sections, whcich I found a bit tedious. I did not enjoy reading the observations recorded by Bessy's mistress. They were in italics and too longwinded and boring! Thankfully this section was brief.
The novel is light because the message is about friendship and courage and right wining over wrong. Even the scoundrels are not to be taken too seriously. And you get a glimpse of life in the latter half of the 1800s in rural Scotland. Life was no cup of tea, but the harsh circumstances of the poor and destitute still do not make this a sad, gloomy story. People do die in thsi story, bad things do happen, but the tone is not depressing at all. And remember there is a mystery to be solved!
So if you are looking for a light, fun mystery, read this. Yes, I certainly liked it, so it gets three stars. If you want to test the author's prose, please see below.
******************************************
After 117 of 538 pages: Note that I am looking at how many pages are left. That is not a good sign. At the moment it is being made clear what the mistress of the "castle" is up to. However she lacks the charm of Bessy, In fact, she drives me crazy. Her reasoning is ridulous. She too is writing in a book, noting her own observations. She clearly can express herself properly, spell and punctuate. But what she has to say is boring to the extreme. Her observations are presented in italics which is a pain to read. Yes, we the readers need to know what she is doing but the presentation is too long. Look at how she expresses herself:
When asked later why she did not co-operate fully with the experiment, Bessy stated that she did not understand the 'porpoise' of what she was being asked to do. Of course a truly obedient mind would not question purpose but carry out instructions as commanded, without stopping to analyze why or how. This and certain other of the subject's peculiarities add weight to my suspicion that she is not innately obedient.
I can take brief writing of this nature, but not page after page in italics! I like Bessy. I do not like Arabella. I must point out the bad along with the good qualities of a book. I personally do not like reading books lacking in punctuation. Bessy learns so quickly that you do not have to struggle with that in this book. It is Arabella, although speaking perfectly correctly, who is so darn annoying and boring. Is the author playing with me for a purpose? I will continue the book to find out........
I hope the book returns again to the sparkilingn humorous prose that exemplfied the beginning.
************************************
After 58 pages: I am still enjoying myself! I still do not
know what is going on, but I am thinking and laughing as I read. When I write this review I hope to show those who read my review what they might experience if they choose to read this book. I give examples so that they can judge if what makes me laugh will make them laugh. Because we are all different.
So what I am wondering about is why, why, why Bessy has to write daily entries of what she has done. Why was she hired on this sole purpose. Sure, she does help around the estate, but that is not why she was employed. Now look at the title. Even the title points out that it is her observations that are the clue to the central theme of this novel. Bessy's first entry was only a few words long. Yes, she can read and write; she know words, but stringing them along into sentences, now that is difficult. The missus really did want more than 10 words a day, so she asked Bessy to try and sit down for another hour and come up with something better. Here is the result:
thursday
got up late porridge for breakfast burnt roof of mouth on it collected eggs emptied poe for missus head broth for dinner went for scones served tea to missus and reverend other than that nothing strange or startling(page 52)
So how did the missus react to this?
'Well,' says the missus when she looked at it. 'That is better. But still it wants further elaboration and detail.
So I says in jest: Oh should I have elaborated what was in the pisspot, marm? (And then I could have kicked myself, for dear sake it was not the kind of pleasantry fit for a lady.) The missus just gives me a look and says no, but this account doesn't speak to me. I tell her that I was truly sorry but I didn't know what else to write about. And she sighed and tell me that the next day it would please her greatly if when I wrote in the little book I wasn't just to write what I did, the chores and all, I was to write down how I felt about what I did and what thoughts went through my head as I did it.
Jesus Murphy I thought to myself what possible interest could that be to any possible man jack and I may have said as much except not in those exact words and then the missus says if you do it I will give you another shilling so I thought well gob if it made her happy.
But I am being too pert. To tell the truth I did not care a ducks beak for the extra shilling. I just wanted to please my missus. (page 52-53)
Although these words still leave you and I in the dark as to the motives for the mistress' demands, I have learned about Bessy. What I have learned has made me like her. Maybe she is a bit a liar, but she is kind and seeks to "please her missus"! Then Bessy's next entry, on Friday, made me laugh. But for you to laugh you must read the book yourself! What follows next, in chapter four, entitled "What I did not write" is even funnier and perceptive too!
Do you know what I am guessing? I am guessing that Bessy, by the end of the novel will have learned and will be able to express her thoughts and emotions fluently. At this point I simply want to follow Bessy and learn more about her. There are other mysteries to be solved conerning her mistress, Arabella Reid. I have told you just a snippet.
One more excerpt , that made me laugh. Let me explain. Bessy is worried that Arabella will request a character summary from her previous employment. Now that might not be so advantageous to Bessy, so she must keep an eye out for the postman. Here, listen to her thoughts on the postman:
This particular postman must have been the human equivalent of a badger for you never saw hide nor hair of him, only found his droppings on the mat, and this day was no exception. (page 57)
Now I will return only when I have formed my final opinion on the book! Unless I go crazy and have to tell you something!
**************************************
After 20 pages: I am simply reding this because the main character is so fun. She has spunk! She is a big liar, but what is a girl to do if she has only herself to count on. Bessy is Irish, but is in Scotland. Her last boss died on her, so now she is making her way from Glasgow to Edinburg, when she passes a Castle. She is one of the lower classes, but she can read and write. She said she could milk a cow, but that, that was a lie. She helps the mistress of the castle catch a pig, was rewarded with some bread, stole a bit for later and then her cover was blown when she got not a drop of milk from the cow.
But there is something strange going on in this mansion. Bessy is hired to be the in and out girl. Why? Well because she can read and write. Among all the other numerous chores the only one that really counts is that she records what she does every day in a book. She is given the book and the ink and pens, but why is just such a book smoldering in the fire, and why do the ashes on the kitchen floor spell a vulgar word? I do not know any more than you, but this is fun!
Here you can see why it is fun! It is all in the author's ability to draw Bessy by her choice of words:
She took me into the kitchen then and without making any comment about the smell of burning or the mess, she kicked some of the oats about the place so you could no longer read the word they spelt. Then she sat me at the table to explain the full extent of my duties. Well, if you had wrote it down, the list would have been as long as your arm but it all seemed straight forward enough, there was nothing strange or startling in what she said. Most of the livestock was kept over on the farm and was looked after by farm servants but...... Every day light all the fires and clean the range and keep it lit. Clean the boots, empty the thunder mugs for her and the master. In addition, if they were short-handed, I might have to cart manure and pick stones out a field, then I might have to help put these same stones in holes in another field which, she said, was to make a drain......The one thing she did not mention, was the milking. I asked her about that.
"Oh," she says. "Don't worry about that for now. Jessie and Muriel will see to the cows. You would only have to help them out in case of an emergency."
That tickled me. Now what would be emergency, I wondered. I got a picture in my head of everyone running around in a panic falling over each other to get the cows milked. Wash the pots Bessy! Make a drain! I can't missus I have to milk the cows it's an emergency! (page 15)
So you have humor, Scottish and Irish traditions and a mystery! What IS going on?! And how ill Bessy change? And what is this mistress up to?
On completions:This is primarily a crime/mystery novel. Usually when I read fictional crime novels I cannot but loose interest b/c I KNOW this is all just one big story; there is no reality to it. Well, not with this book. I found it thoroughly entertaining. A light, fun read. As I pointed out below, there are some sections, whcich I found a bit tedious. I did not enjoy reading the observations recorded by Bessy's mistress. They were in italics and too longwinded and boring! Thankfully this section was brief.
The novel is light because the message is about friendship and courage and right wining over wrong. Even the scoundrels are not to be taken too seriously. And you get a glimpse of life in the latter half of the 1800s in rural Scotland. Life was no cup of tea, but the harsh circumstances of the poor and destitute still do not make this a sad, gloomy story. People do die in thsi story, bad things do happen, but the tone is not depressing at all. And remember there is a mystery to be solved!
So if you are looking for a light, fun mystery, read this. Yes, I certainly liked it, so it gets three stars. If you want to test the author's prose, please see below.
******************************************
After 117 of 538 pages: Note that I am looking at how many pages are left. That is not a good sign. At the moment it is being made clear what the mistress of the "castle" is up to. However she lacks the charm of Bessy, In fact, she drives me crazy. Her reasoning is ridulous. She too is writing in a book, noting her own observations. She clearly can express herself properly, spell and punctuate. But what she has to say is boring to the extreme. Her observations are presented in italics which is a pain to read. Yes, we the readers need to know what she is doing but the presentation is too long. Look at how she expresses herself:
When asked later why she did not co-operate fully with the experiment, Bessy stated that she did not understand the 'porpoise' of what she was being asked to do. Of course a truly obedient mind would not question purpose but carry out instructions as commanded, without stopping to analyze why or how. This and certain other of the subject's peculiarities add weight to my suspicion that she is not innately obedient.
I can take brief writing of this nature, but not page after page in italics! I like Bessy. I do not like Arabella. I must point out the bad along with the good qualities of a book. I personally do not like reading books lacking in punctuation. Bessy learns so quickly that you do not have to struggle with that in this book. It is Arabella, although speaking perfectly correctly, who is so darn annoying and boring. Is the author playing with me for a purpose? I will continue the book to find out........
I hope the book returns again to the sparkilingn humorous prose that exemplfied the beginning.
************************************
After 58 pages: I am still enjoying myself! I still do not
know what is going on, but I am thinking and laughing as I read. When I write this review I hope to show those who read my review what they might experience if they choose to read this book. I give examples so that they can judge if what makes me laugh will make them laugh. Because we are all different.
So what I am wondering about is why, why, why Bessy has to write daily entries of what she has done. Why was she hired on this sole purpose. Sure, she does help around the estate, but that is not why she was employed. Now look at the title. Even the title points out that it is her observations that are the clue to the central theme of this novel. Bessy's first entry was only a few words long. Yes, she can read and write; she know words, but stringing them along into sentences, now that is difficult. The missus really did want more than 10 words a day, so she asked Bessy to try and sit down for another hour and come up with something better. Here is the result:
thursday
got up late porridge for breakfast burnt roof of mouth on it collected eggs emptied poe for missus head broth for dinner went for scones served tea to missus and reverend other than that nothing strange or startling(page 52)
So how did the missus react to this?
'Well,' says the missus when she looked at it. 'That is better. But still it wants further elaboration and detail.
So I says in jest: Oh should I have elaborated what was in the pisspot, marm? (And then I could have kicked myself, for dear sake it was not the kind of pleasantry fit for a lady.) The missus just gives me a look and says no, but this account doesn't speak to me. I tell her that I was truly sorry but I didn't know what else to write about. And she sighed and tell me that the next day it would please her greatly if when I wrote in the little book I wasn't just to write what I did, the chores and all, I was to write down how I felt about what I did and what thoughts went through my head as I did it.
Jesus Murphy I thought to myself what possible interest could that be to any possible man jack and I may have said as much except not in those exact words and then the missus says if you do it I will give you another shilling so I thought well gob if it made her happy.
But I am being too pert. To tell the truth I did not care a ducks beak for the extra shilling. I just wanted to please my missus. (page 52-53)
Although these words still leave you and I in the dark as to the motives for the mistress' demands, I have learned about Bessy. What I have learned has made me like her. Maybe she is a bit a liar, but she is kind and seeks to "please her missus"! Then Bessy's next entry, on Friday, made me laugh. But for you to laugh you must read the book yourself! What follows next, in chapter four, entitled "What I did not write" is even funnier and perceptive too!
Do you know what I am guessing? I am guessing that Bessy, by the end of the novel will have learned and will be able to express her thoughts and emotions fluently. At this point I simply want to follow Bessy and learn more about her. There are other mysteries to be solved conerning her mistress, Arabella Reid. I have told you just a snippet.
One more excerpt , that made me laugh. Let me explain. Bessy is worried that Arabella will request a character summary from her previous employment. Now that might not be so advantageous to Bessy, so she must keep an eye out for the postman. Here, listen to her thoughts on the postman:
This particular postman must have been the human equivalent of a badger for you never saw hide nor hair of him, only found his droppings on the mat, and this day was no exception. (page 57)
Now I will return only when I have formed my final opinion on the book! Unless I go crazy and have to tell you something!
**************************************
After 20 pages: I am simply reding this because the main character is so fun. She has spunk! She is a big liar, but what is a girl to do if she has only herself to count on. Bessy is Irish, but is in Scotland. Her last boss died on her, so now she is making her way from Glasgow to Edinburg, when she passes a Castle. She is one of the lower classes, but she can read and write. She said she could milk a cow, but that, that was a lie. She helps the mistress of the castle catch a pig, was rewarded with some bread, stole a bit for later and then her cover was blown when she got not a drop of milk from the cow.
But there is something strange going on in this mansion. Bessy is hired to be the in and out girl. Why? Well because she can read and write. Among all the other numerous chores the only one that really counts is that she records what she does every day in a book. She is given the book and the ink and pens, but why is just such a book smoldering in the fire, and why do the ashes on the kitchen floor spell a vulgar word? I do not know any more than you, but this is fun!
Here you can see why it is fun! It is all in the author's ability to draw Bessy by her choice of words:
She took me into the kitchen then and without making any comment about the smell of burning or the mess, she kicked some of the oats about the place so you could no longer read the word they spelt. Then she sat me at the table to explain the full extent of my duties. Well, if you had wrote it down, the list would have been as long as your arm but it all seemed straight forward enough, there was nothing strange or startling in what she said. Most of the livestock was kept over on the farm and was looked after by farm servants but...... Every day light all the fires and clean the range and keep it lit. Clean the boots, empty the thunder mugs for her and the master. In addition, if they were short-handed, I might have to cart manure and pick stones out a field, then I might have to help put these same stones in holes in another field which, she said, was to make a drain......The one thing she did not mention, was the milking. I asked her about that.
"Oh," she says. "Don't worry about that for now. Jessie and Muriel will see to the cows. You would only have to help them out in case of an emergency."
That tickled me. Now what would be emergency, I wondered. I got a picture in my head of everyone running around in a panic falling over each other to get the cows milked. Wash the pots Bessy! Make a drain! I can't missus I have to milk the cows it's an emergency! (page 15)
So you have humor, Scottish and Irish traditions and a mystery! What IS going on?! And how ill Bessy change? And what is this mistress up to?
May 14, 2022
“The Observations” is an off-the-beaten-path type of novel; Jane Harris created a well-written novel that still haunts me as I finished the last page. Ms. Harris formulates a tale of mystery, psychological twister, a chilling haunting, and murder interwoven with historical details and the tremendous psychological pursuit and devices of its day. Ms. Harris lets your imaginations fill in the details of the story- which makes you want her to fill it in herself because your mind was taking on disturbing thoughts of ‘imagining’ what happened. This is only one aspect of how this book brings the dark- shadowing of the events within this story and how you let your own mind not be too reliable in piecing together what is going on.
The synopsis of this story is a girl named Bessy is trying to flee from a past, which you find out throughout the read was one of horrible means. She is merely a child who was forced to grow up quickly. She stumbles upon a home that is mistaken as a Castle because it is referred to as a Castle. Still, it is a once-fashionable home that has been neglected and is falling down around the owners on an estate (which is an early indicator of the relationship of the characters involved) that holds farm animals. Bessy is taken as a housemaid for the ‘missus,’ which is where the story gets fascinating…….
It is an enjoyable read, but it is not your typical formulated read, and it was not made for light reading. This book is not for everyone. However, if you like to read something that is not mainstream, not written in a generic formulated plot fashion, I would encourage you to go to your local library and seek out this book. Though this book not being your typical Wal-Mart shelves variety novel…the local library may not house it. But it would not hurt to try.
The synopsis of this story is a girl named Bessy is trying to flee from a past, which you find out throughout the read was one of horrible means. She is merely a child who was forced to grow up quickly. She stumbles upon a home that is mistaken as a Castle because it is referred to as a Castle. Still, it is a once-fashionable home that has been neglected and is falling down around the owners on an estate (which is an early indicator of the relationship of the characters involved) that holds farm animals. Bessy is taken as a housemaid for the ‘missus,’ which is where the story gets fascinating…….
It is an enjoyable read, but it is not your typical formulated read, and it was not made for light reading. This book is not for everyone. However, if you like to read something that is not mainstream, not written in a generic formulated plot fashion, I would encourage you to go to your local library and seek out this book. Though this book not being your typical Wal-Mart shelves variety novel…the local library may not house it. But it would not hurt to try.
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