Monday 16 April 2012

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

When the Orange Prize long-list came out, I was ambivalent about whether or not I would read Gillespie and I, especially as I hadn't read the author's debut novel, The Observations.  But then in the comments section of my long-list post a few people mentioned that they had heard it was supposed to be very good.  So I checked it out from the library and it sat languishing in my room until last week when I suddenly thought "Hang on!  The short-list is coming out on Tuesday, I better read Gillespie and I!".  And now that I've finished it, all I can say is that I'm kicking myself for not reading sooner and you all need to get hold of a copy of this book, asap!

This review is going to be tricky to write because Gillespie and I is one of those books where the less you know the better and knowing too much would completely ruin the reading experience. It starts in London in 1933 where elderly spinster Harriet Baxter is writing a memoir about the artist Ned Gillespie, who she met during Glasgow's Great Exhibition of 1888.  Subsequently she became close to the whole Gillespie family as they went through a traumatic and scandalous time.

And that's all I'm going to say!  Harris completely fooled me as I thought this book was going to be a cosy Victorian read but believe me, it's anything but.  Harriet Baxter is one of the best examples of characterisation and unreliable narration I've come across in a long time.  This is a book to make you question what you think you know about the characters and their motivations, to unsettle you.  It's quite a large book but I was completely glued to it, could not put it down, desperate to see if my suspicions about Harriet were correct or not.

So you're all just going to have to trust me on this one as I don't want to spoil anyone's reading experience - this book is amazing.  Go and grab a copy and get started!

Source: Library
First Published: 2011
Score: 5 out of 5

Read Alongside:
1. Notes On A Scandal by Zoe Heller - No similarity in plot but the narrators are quite alike.  The story is about a female teacher having an affair with a pupil and relies on an older colleague for support.
2. Purge by Sofi Oksanen - Again, the similarity is with the main character and the way she is portrayed by the author.  This one is a hard hitting story of sex trafficking and rape in rural Estonia.

24 comments:

  1. You certainly have me intrigued...

    And, I love your header!

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Annette, it was nice to have some time in the Easter holidays to redesign the blog a bit :)

      Delete
  2. SAM! Ok. So the library only has The Observations to lend, and honestly, I just couldn't read it.. so, I was somewhat afraid that this one would also be a let down. But you and Carrie have spoken praises and I'm convinced it must be mine. Plus, I'm reading The Sealed Letter after your review and AM SO LOVING IT. I mean, I started it yesterday and am over halfway through. I think highly of your reviews (even if we didn't see eye to eye on The History of Love) ;) so I might just try and buy a copy at the bookstore. I'll let you know once I do get it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't want to be responsible for anyone spending money and then not enjoying the book, but there are quite a few similarities between The Sealed Letter and this, so I think it's a safe bet. And you know I wanted to love History of Love, it just didn't want to love me! :P

      Delete
  3. Say no more. 1933 and 1888 are two of my favourite years. It's a must read for me ;) - is that weird?

    Haha, certainly intriguing. Must now investigate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is it the pattern of the numbers you like about the years?
      Hope you enjoy the book!

      Delete
  4. I'm intrigued. I'll write it down for future reading material!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amazing it is! So glad you loved it as much as I did.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, glad to see someone else that loved it too. This book deserves lots of love!

      Delete
  6. This sounds excellent. I would never have selected it if it hadn't been for this review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the great thing about book blogging, isn't it? My wishlist has spiralled out of control!

      Delete
  7. It's such a shame this one didn't get shortlisted. I am sure it is good, but it's too thick and daunting for me to even try it now. Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a shame it didn't get short-listed, I was almost certain it would. I'm rooting for Song Of Achilles now!

      Delete
  8. This sounds like a very interesting book and I am so glad that you enjoyed it! You have really made me want to pick it up and devour it. :)

    New to your blog!
    Stephanie @ Stepping Out of the Page

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting Stephanie :)
      I hope you do get a chance to read this book, let me know what you think of it if you do.

      Delete
  9. I loved this book when I read it last year! I agree that it's not an easy book to write about without giving too much away and spoiling the story. I enjoyed The Observations too, though not quite as much as this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad someone else loved it, Harriet was such a great character, wasn't she? I was totally wrong about her in the beginning! I'm going to read Observations too.

      Delete
  10. This was a great review, Sam! Everyone loves an unreliable narrator, right? I will have to check this one out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oooh, I do love a book that makes me question!!!! GREAT review of this one, Sam!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I wasn't really interested in this book, but now am quite intrigued....

    ReplyDelete
  13. I haven't read a single Orange Prize nominee for this year. Of course, I'm rather out of the loop. This book sounds cool.

    ReplyDelete
  14. All the three books you mention in this post, sound so interesting. I have Purge on my shelf and I've wanted to read Notes on a Scandal ever since the movie came out. I haven't heard about Gillespie and I before but even though you write so little about it, you make it sound really good.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Agree, this is was such a tough title to review, but so often the best books are. Jane Harris' ability to surprise is a rare treat.

    ReplyDelete