Christine's Reviews > What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal]

Sex is a complicted subject. Sometimes, literature doesn't make it easier. Neither do movies or television. There is something to be said for this; honest truths about sex and embarassment would lead to less children; however, it is rare to find a book that looks at sex and actually has something to say besides the words "drenched in her honey".

Heller does examine sexual issues in this book, and the phrase "drenched in her honey" doesn't come up at all. She takes a hard look at conset, age, and desire.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Barbara, who if you've seen the movie, Judi Dench captures to perfection. The books is a little kinder on Barbara than the movie. Barbara tells us about her friendship with Sheba and about Sheba's relationship with a young student, who at 16 is a year younger than Sheba's daughter.

The original title, What Was She Thinking? is far more apt, for it is hard to understand what extactly Sheba was thinking. It is far easier to understand Barabara's interest in Sheba, even if Barabara hids that knowledge from herself. Heller writes lonely extremely well and extremely accurately. This contributes to the reader's conflicted response to Barbara. The reader doesn't pity her, doesn't really like her; but the reader doesn't hate her. It's a complicted reaction, but it is rooted in understanding. In part, this seems to be because Barbara is more honest than Sheba.

Heller does tackle the question of sex and how society looks at sex in this novel. The major issue is, of course, Sheba's relationship with her student. While Barbara doesn't approve of the relationship, she raises some intersting questions. While is it okay for Prince Charles to have married 19 year old Diana? Why sixteen as the age of consent when some 16 year olds have more sexual knowledge than 40 year olds? The questions are reenforced by the fact that Richard, Sheba's husband, seems to have a thing for younger women. The age difference between him and Sheba, for instance, is as great or greater than that of Sheba and her student. Less obivious is the sex sitution and comments around Barbara, yet in some ways these are more interesting. Is she a prude because she doesn't have sex like Sheba and all the students in the novel? Is she more healthly? Heller leaves it up to the reader to answer these questions. Her job is to simply get the reader to think.

Heller goes further for it is hard, extremely hard, to see Sheba's student, Connelly, as a victim. In fact, the only victim seems to be Sheba herself. This puts the reader in to an uncomfortable position. Like Barbara, we know the relationship is wrong, but we also know that Connelly is manipulating Sheba and he isn't as innocent as Sheba thinks. Sheba is the one who stands to lose more.

It is a book about people you want to dislike, but can't help to feel something for.