Notes on a Scandal. Zoe Heller.

"You betrayed me. You told Bangs...What an idiot I've been to trust you. All that filth and lies you've been writing...You're exploiting me."
The book was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2003 after receiving incredible reviews, the film followed in 2006. Sheba, a teacher of pottery meets Barbara Covett, a history teacher at St. George's. Their friendship blossoms but turns sour once Sheba realises that her so-called friend has chronicled her affair with Steven, a minor at the school and once it is published she will live richly off the proceeds.
Sheba (Bathesheba) comes from a privileged middle/upper class affluent family but she has not nourished the success and happiness she deserves. She drifted into marriage at twenty, with Richard, an older man who has already had a failed marriage behind him and children. He is trendy but a decent guy, well-educated but not wonderfully exciting. Bill Nighy takes on this role with gusto. By the end of the novel she has lost his support, love and trust. He is disgusted at her behaviour and she in turn becomes equally as disgusted by Barbara's smothering and intrusive nature. Poor Sheba. Bored and misunderstood. Her flaw is her stupidity and naivety. She forfeits everything through one stupid mistake.
Polly, her seventeen year old daughter is a handful. She hates her mother, gets expelled from school for extreme bullying and then runs away from home. A wild child beyond discipline. On the other hand, there's Ben, a Down's syndrome loveable child who is a handful for different reasons.
Barbara is stern, matronly and extremely lonely after being rejected by a former female lover. She becomes jealous of all the attention that Sheba attracts and notes this in her manuscript. The story hints early on about her unhealthy attraction and obsession with Sheba. At times we can empathise with her loneliness and desire to be loved more so in the novel than in the film. Judi Dench is manipulative and scheming in the film.
Sheba, played by Cate Blanchett is just naive and follows her own instincts. She likes to live on the knife-edge and craves excitement. Like a fool, she gets involved with a young guy from school and gets a kick out of it. She becomes insanely jealous of the thought that he might "dump" her one day for a young girl and inevitably he tires of her and replaces her with a girl his own age. The reader is waiting for the bubble to burst and Sheba having to face inevitable consequences. She loses everything-her family, marriage, home, job and her reputation. The guys create smutty jokes about her and she is wickedly mocked.
It is not surprising that one person who is obsessed with her stands by her after betraying her dirty little secret. Yes you've guessed it-Barbara. She is forced into taking early retirement because she knew of the affair and failed to notify the Head. Her consolation prize is the disgraced Sheba who she can smother to death and of course her manuscript which she can make a fortune out of! An exciting read and brilliant film. Obviously a message in there for the ladies.

Copyright 2012. Permission must be requested from the author to use this article.
 

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