What Was She Thinking?

Notes on a Scandal

By: Zoe Heller

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Schoolteacher Barbara Covett has led a bitter, lonely life as a self-made careerist. Sheba Hart is an ethereal, inexperienced new pottery teacher. When Barbara hears of Sheba's problems in the classroom, a maternal pity arises in her that soon leads to friendship and confidence. But Barbara is unprepared for the secret she will learn: that Sheba has begun a passionate affair with an underage male student. Barbara's confusion, disapproval, and jealousy are helpless to prevent the coming disaster.

When the story comes to light and Sheba falls prey to the inevitable media circus, Barbara decides to write an account in her friend's defense; an account that reveals not only Sheba's secrets, but her own. What results is a complex psychological portrait framed as a wicked satire - a story of passion and repression, mercy and betrayal.

©2003 Zoë Heller (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gripping from start to finish; Heller brings vivid, nuanced characterizations to the racy story." (Publishers Weekly)
"Both a penetrating character study and a sharp examination of voyeurism, Heller's novel is utterly brilliant." (Booklist)
"Equally adroit at satire and at psychological suspense, Heller charts the course of a predatory friendship and demonstrates the lengths to which some people go for human company." (New Yorker)

surprised

i enjoyed this much more than i thought i would. i recommend this book

Horrid Narration ruined the listen

High screeching pretentious voice of the narrator made a mockery of a great book—so horribly distracting I couldn’t finish it. So wish it could have been read by someone else, Total waste of money.

Couldn't finish the book

What would have made What Was She Thinking? better?

This story needs an actual plot. Listening to it just feels like listening to a bitter person vent all day and ramble.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It was hard to understand the narrator. I know it's set in London, but I've heard other British narrators who were very easy to understand.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No, I really wanted to return the book, and will try to do so.

I don’t care what she was thinking

I rarely write reviews. I am this time in case anyone else finds teachers having sex with children something they don’t have an interest in hearing more about, let alone exploring how it is justifiable and understandable. If that is you, skip this one. I don’t care what she was thinking. Full transparency, it is possible this book makes a 180 and redeems itself, I will never know because I couldn’t make it through the beginning.

Excellent Narrator, Dull Story

A slow, boring sort of gross justification of a series of awful choices without any actual exploration or character development. it's too boring to be an over the top outrageous tale and too shallow to explore any of its own characters motivations. I rarely judge books so harshly but I found little to appreciate despite finishing the entire novel. the narrator was good, the story not so much.

Don't Read!

The narrator was good but the story was horrible. Nothing special about it. Unfortunately a waste, don’t bother.

Bored

I could never really get into this one and found the characters to be shallow. Really surprised by all of the glowing reviews. One positive was the narrator.