Gillespie and I

May 16, 2013 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating: √2

The Book Report: There isn't anything I can say that won't be a spoiler here. The book description from Amazon says:
“As she sits in her Bloomsbury home with her two pet birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter recounts the story of her friendship with Ned Gillespie—a talented artist whose life came to a tragic end before he ever achieved the fame and recognition that Harriet maintains he deserved.
In 1888, young Harriet arrives in Glasgow during the International Exhibition. After a c...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Will Byrnes rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Caveat Lector! I am including significant spoiler material in here. You hae been warned.

When I began reading Gillespie and I, it was a bit of a compulsion. Usually I have two books open at a time, one that I tote about with me and another that I dip into just before bedtime. While reading Gillespie I used it for both, a rare event.

The format here is Harriet Baxter, an old lady in 1933, recalling events that had taken place over forty years past. We spend the bulk of our time in the 19th century...more

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May 13, 2013 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, really-didn-t-like-it

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book via a FirstReads giveaway on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to give this book such a low rating, especially since I was so looking forward to reading it and most grateful for having won a free copy from GoodReads’s First Reads program.

I must say that I simply did not care for this book. I felt compelled to finish it and wanted to see how it ended, but I found myself really not caring about the story and certainly without any...more Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book via a FirstReads giveaway on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to give this book such a low rating, especially since I was so looking forward to reading it and most grateful for having won a free copy from GoodReads’s First Reads program.

I must say that I simply did not care for this book. I felt compelled to finish it and wanted to see how it ended, but I found myself really not caring about the story and certainly without any affection for the main character, Harriet Baxter. She seems nice enough, but is written as so “proper” that I felt very distant from her as a reader, even though the book is written from her point of view.

To summarize without giving too much away, Harriet befriends the Gillespie family while visiting Glasgow in the late 1800’s. She decides to stay in the city longer and a great tragedy occurs that ends with Harriet on trial -- a trial that seems to go on for ages with one outlandish accusation after another.

Before the trial, we get to know a bit about Harriet. She is English, unmarried and of independent financial means. She appears to be the type of person who “kills with kindness.” She is just overbearingly helpful and oblivious to the fact that her actions make others uncomfortable at times. She comes across as desperate for friendship and approval. In the chapters where she is an older woman, I found her character to be obsessive, strange and quite honestly, distasteful.

The writing was too descriptive at times and I found the book in general to be very tedious. It took me 20 days to finish it and that is extremely unusual for me. I felt the same issues and situations were revisited over and over again and not much interesting happened (and certainly nothing unexpected).

Perhaps I missed it, but the overwhelming thought in my mind when I finished this book was, “what was the point of that?” I have yet to come up with a decent answer to that question.

I have heard nothing but wonderful reviews of Ms. Harris’ first book, The Observations and I will certainly give that title a chance, but I sincerely hope it is better than this one.

See more of my reviews at http://bucklingbookshelves.blogspot.com (less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Blair rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, historical

I read Jane Harris's debut, The Observations, a couple of years ago. I thought it was very good, but nothing about it really suggested to me that the author would go on to write a minor masterpiece. However, as soon as I started hearing good things about Gillespie and I, I had this feeling I was going to love it; something to do with the plot synopsis combined with all the good things I was hearing about it (the reviews here, so far, are overwhelmingly great) and, of course, that absolutely beau...more I read Jane Harris's debut, The Observations, a couple of years ago. I thought it was very good, but nothing about it really suggested to me that the author would go on to write a minor masterpiece. However, as soon as I started hearing good things about Gillespie and I, I had this feeling I was going to love it; something to do with the plot synopsis combined with all the good things I was hearing about it (the reviews here, so far, are overwhelmingly great) and, of course, that absolutely beautiful cover design (I really hope they don't alter it for the paperback edition). The story is told by Harriet Baxter, an elderly woman living alone in London in 1933. She has begun to write a memoir about her acquaintance with a young Scottish artist, Ned Gillespie - who she describes as a close friend and 'forgotten genius' - in 1888. The narrative occasionally revisits Harriet's 'present day', but for the most part, it concentrates on her memories of 1888; a time when, as an unmarried woman in her mid-30s, she was already sidelined as a 'spinster' and enduring a difficult relationship with her stepfather, and came to develop an intense friendship with the Gillespies - Ned, his wife Annie, their children Sibyl and Rose, as well as Ned's siblings and his comically overbearing mother Elspeth.

In the beginning, Gillespie and I reminded me of nothing more than Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, and I saw Harriet as a female counterpart to that book's protagonist, Stevens. The narrative has the same tone of ennui and regret, the same faintly nostalgic sense of recalling a life unfulfilled, the same suggestions of unrequited love - it almost immediately seems quite apparent that Harriet nurtured, at the very least, an ardent admiration for Ned. However, mid-way through the story, the plot takes a completely unexpected turn - and this is where writing my review becomes difficult, because if I give away the details of what happens, it will completely spoil the surprise for anyone who wants to read it, and this is a book I would undoubtedly encourage everyone to read. Suffice to say, a series of unfortunate incidents plague the Gillespie family, culminating in a truly awful event, the aftermath of which will alter the life of every character involved. Mirroring the build-up to this climax, the elderly Harriet begins to have misgivings about her taciturn 'companion' Sarah, which gradually escalate into severe, virtually hysterical paranoia. Throughout both strands of the narrative, Harriet's unreliability as a narrator slowly becomes increasingly apparent.

I have read some truly great books this year - this is my seventh five-star review of 2011, and I can think of two or three more worthy of four-and-three-quarter stars - but Gillespie and I is without a doubt my favourite so far, and a strong contender for my book of the year. (Am I being way too presumptuous if I say I hope-slash-think it will be at least longlisted for the 2011 Booker as well? Edited 26/07/11: Yes. Jane Harris wuz robbed.) Reading this book is like unwrapping a densely padded parcel - at first, you think you've got a pretty good idea of what it's going to be, but as different layers are peeled away, you grow less and less sure of what lies at its heart. Despite everything, I loved Harriet, right to the very last page - her unique, inimitable voice with its pedantic streak (her admonishment of another character for saying 'red chester' instead of 'register' really made me laugh), her palpable loneliness combined with a conniving and manipulative nature, her dry wit and dark humour.

This is an exquisitely crafted, blackly comic and utterly haunting novel. I can tell the unsettling endings (of both parts of the narrative) are going to stay with me for some time, and I know I'll want to read the book again. A fantastic achievement - I can't wait to see what Jane Harris writes next.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, literary-fiction

As I read this interesting historical novel, I kept thinking about a flower attacked by, say, an insect, or maybe some kind of disease. I think it offers one of the best examples of the untrustworthy narration device I've ever read.

It's 1888, and Harriet, a woman of independent means who is about 35 years old, meets a young painter at a show in London. Coincidentally-- or perhaps not coincidentally-- she encounters him some months later in Glasgow, his native city, and swiftly, deliberately, get...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Traci rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, favorites

I wasn't prepared to be blown away by this book.

If I'm being honest, I really enjoyed The Observations and that is the sole reason that I requested the book when I purchased it for the library. I was a bit worried that this would be another Swan Thieves for me, but she seems to have pulled off the second novel (after the first success) quite nicely. Speaking of second novels, I'm still waiting, Diane Setterfield. It's been six years... get your butt in gear!

I can't really write about the plot w...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Mij Woodward rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-fiction

Reader: be prepared to be taken for a ride.

Prepare for some surprises.

Expect that you might lose sleep.

Accept that you might not actually like some things, things that I cannot spell out or that would ruin the fun for you. It will be okay if you do not like some things, because you will be compensated by how CLEVER it all is.

These were my feelings after reading the last page of this amazing book--at 3:30 in the morning, having been cast under its spell, unable to put the book down, sort of gaspi...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Giant Bolster rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think Jane Harris’s first novel, The Observations, actually engaged me more than Gillespie and I, yet the moment I finished this book, I started reading it from the beginning again, in order to pick up the other clues I had missed in the first reading. A masterpiece in the use of an unreliable narrator, I thought Harris exhibited excellent control throughout the novel in the way she presented Harriet’s thoughts and feelings. Through various hints innocuously dropped by Harriet, you start to fo...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. I had read The Observations a few years ago, but wasn't impressed. I didn't feel inclined to pick this one up either- the garish cover put me off. However, it was available at the library so I decided to give it a whirl and am so glad I did.
It has been compared to The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher which I also enjoyed but I feel this is the better book.
The story revolves around Harriet Baxter,an English spinster who visits Glasgow and soon becomes friendly with the handsome Scotti...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Luciabo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romanzo

Sono rimasta un po' delusa rispetto al precedente romanzo "Le osservazioni", chissà perché mi aspettavo una ambientazione simile. Niente di più diverso. Oltretutto il romanzo, dopo un inizio che fa immaginare i tentativi un po' ingenui, impiccioni ( e motivati da una grande solitudine di una signorina un po' attempata -solo 35 anni ahimè!-) di infiltrarsi in una famiglia con il puro scopo di essere d'aiuto e in cambio di poter partecipare ad una vita famigliare dove l'arte si mescola ai disagi d...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

This story is told from the main character's, Harriet Baxter's, point of view as she tells her story from the perspective of 1933 about 1888. This one started off a bit slow for me, and meandered for awhile through the Scottish world of Art and the relationship between Harriet Baxter and the Ned Gillespie family-Annie and two daughters, Sybil and Rose. Ned is a promising artist who through a series of coincidental events meets young Harriet Baxter. The family becomes fast friends and Harriet spe...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I’m being completely honest, when I read the synopsis for Gillespie and I and saw the words “Glasgow” and “artist” I was filled with dread. I thought, here is a book which I am absolutely going to have to drag myself through, however never has the phrase “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” been more appropriate!

I expected to get bogged down in lots of boring, artistic terminology with this novel but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Gillespie and I is more of a study in psychology a...more If I’m being completely honest, when I read the synopsis for Gillespie and I and saw the words “Glasgow” and “artist” I was filled with dread. I thought, here is a book which I am absolutely going to have to drag myself through, however never has the phrase “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” been more appropriate!

I expected to get bogged down in lots of boring, artistic terminology with this novel but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Gillespie and I is more of a study in psychology and family dynamics, with the fact that one of the main characters is an artist being almost by the by.

I tend to read books set in far off, exotic countries and have little interest in novels set in Glasgow. I like to feel as though a book is transporting me elsewhere which is most likely the source of my reluctance to read books set too close to home. To my surprise however, I took great comfort in Harris’ use of Glasgow phrases such as “hold yer wheest” and recognising typical Scottish quirks in some of the characters endeared them to me instantly. Elspeth Gillespie’s insistence on calling the novel's narrator “Herriet” instead of “Harriet” so as to appear more well-to-do is a perfect example. I think all of us in Glasgow know someone like this!

A seemingly innocent scene at the beginning of the book is reexamined later on under more sinister circumstances. This scene takes place on Buchanan Street and I admit to getting a chill down my spine when I walked down said street after reading this book. An unavoidable hazard of reading books set in your hometown!

Gillespie and I gets off to a quick start and after only a few pages a very significant scene has taken place. By the second chapter we start to see a glimpse of the troubles which plague the Gillespie family, as seen through Harriet’s eyes, but beware, all is not what it seems.

In the Gillespie family, Harris has created rounded and relatable (if not always likable) characters and her portrayal of the tensions which exist within a family unit is almost uncomfortably accurate.

I was instantly drawn to Harriet Baxter as narrator. As a “woman of independent means” in the 1800’s she comes across as modern and ahead of her time. She casts aside the prejudices and common assumptions of the time and has a wonderful sense of humour. A great example is when she first encounters Mabel Gillespie and describes her as such, “there was...something in the breadth and tilt of her jaw - that (unfortunately) put one in mind of a frying pan.” At times it can come across as though she is interfering too much in the Gillespie families lives, but she’s just trying to be a good friend. Isn’t she?

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May 30, 2012 Greta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I read this book because I liked the author's first book, The Observations. A few pages in, I realized Gillespie and I was going to be entirely different. But it seemed that I would enjoy it. So I kept reading. And reading. It was OK, as I was reading. The book kept my interest and Harriet's story drove me forward just wanting to know what was going on and why. The story is told from the perspective of the first-person narrator and it appears her version of the story she's telling might be sligh...more

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May 19, 2012 Nancy Oakes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: uk-fiction, favorite

Exasperatingly enough, Gillespie and I is one of those books where saying too much gives away the show, a potential buzzkill for anyone who may want to read it. I bought this book last summer from the UK, having read a little about it in various threads re last year's Booker Prize speculations (and because I had enjoyed her The Observations ), but I had no idea what I was getting into once I started reading. So I'll keep quiet about what happens in this novel for anyone who may be interested in...more Exasperatingly enough, Gillespie and I is one of those books where saying too much gives away the show, a potential buzzkill for anyone who may want to read it. I bought this book last summer from the UK, having read a little about it in various threads re last year's Booker Prize speculations (and because I had enjoyed her The Observations ), but I had no idea what I was getting into once I started reading. So I'll keep quiet about what happens in this novel for anyone who may be interested in reading it. I won't even tell my real-life book friends who want to borrow it -- the lips are zipped. So here is a basic outline but I'll leave it to you to read this most superbly-crafted, delightful novel on your own. Just don't miss it, despite the 500+ pages -- it reads very quickly and hooks you from the outset.

The story is narrated by an elderly Harriet Baxter, looking back from 1933 to events in her life from 1888 through 1890. In Glascow, through a random event, she becomes friends with the family of Ned Gillespie, whom Harriet calls "a man of indisputable talent, but a man hampered by circumstance and responsibility." As a painter, Ned stood outside the privileged circle of artists

"notoriously prone to snobbism, and nowhere more cliquish than Scotland, wherein most established artists were possessed of wealth, an Edinburgh heritage, and a first-rate education,"

many of whom were exhibiting their work at the International Exhibition. Ned is the proverbial struggling artist, with a family to support: his wife Annie (also an artist), two young daughters Sybil and Rose; the family has a small business that is managed by Ned's brother Kenneth, who has his own personal issues as well. Harriet believes in Ned as an artist and decides to do what she can to help him, going to her stepfather Ramsay (collector of inventions that don't seem to work) to help in publicizing Ned's work. He isn't so keen on the idea, but does allow Harriet money for a commissioned portrait. Harriet decides Annie should do it, and she decides to lengthen her stay in Glasgow for the purpose. Soon Harriet is a regular household fixture at the Gillespies; she plays with the two children, helps Annie around the house, talks to Ned about his art, etc. etc. She's there when the older of the two girls, Sybil, begins to exhibit bizarre behavior (painting pictures of penises on the wall, for a start) and she's also around when a terrible tragedy strikes the household. Her account of her Glasgow years are interwoven with her current life as an elderly spinster with only two little birds for companions, along with the housekeeper (who doubles as fact checker, etc., for Harriet's memoirs) Sarah.

So, you may ask -- why is this scenario special? Aren't there a number of books in which the past is related through the eyes of the characters some years later? Well, it is precisely what I'm not saying that gives this book its edge, and far be it from me to spoil it. At the very beginning, in the preface, the reader is told by Harriet that she has waited quite a long time to set pen to paper, needing to put some distance between herself and a "sequence of profoundly affecting events, none the least of which was that Ned...took his own life." From that sentence on, you enter Harriet's mind, a very strange place indeed. At first you may feel like you're in some routine period piece set in Victorian Scotland, but it will not be long before you may notice an inexplicable, deep sense of unease starting to creep up on you, compelling you to keep turning pages until it's all over.

Gillespie and I is an inventive and ingenious novel, taking you quickly back into Victorian-era Scotland where you immediately become enmeshed in the characters' lives; at the same time it tends to turn your sense of perception on its head. It is very well paced, extremely readable and deliciously plotted, with equal levels of suspense and disquietude which grow as the story progresses. Jane Harris is an awesome writer, and I hope she returns with something equally as good very soon. I absolutely loved this captivating book, and I can very highly recommend it.

sidebar: I read this book on a plane from Seattle to Phoenix and then from Phoenix to Ft. Lauderdale. I hate flying, but was so caught up in this one that I forgot where I was!(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Blue Willow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originale noir di ambientazione vittoriana, che ricalca in parte lo schema narrativo già visto nel romanzo d'esordio dell'autrice "Le osservazioni", con una voce narrante che alterna ricordi del suo presente di donna anziana a quelli di un remoto passato, risalente alla fine dell'800.
Protagonista e narratrice è Harriet Baxter che, come il Barry Lyndon di Thackeray, si premura di dipingersi come una donna di buon cuore e animata dalle migliori intenzioni, mentre stringe una sempre più stretta ami...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Vera rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I Gillespie è un’opera che affascina. La scrittrice inglese Jane Harris costruisce magistralmente una trama intrigante. Centellina indizi che instillano il dubbio. Crea un’atmosfera di suspense in una storia che, almeno in partenza, si sarebbe detta tutt’altro che avvolta nel mistero. La narrazione procede su due piani, entrambi affidati all’io narrante Harriet Baxter, anziana signora inglese ormai ottantenne, che, a distanza di quasi mezzo secolo, racconta la storia dellasua profonda amicizia c...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’m speechless. Seriously, I don’t know what to say. If I say too much I’m going to spoil it for everyone. Because this is a book you’re going to want to read. As a matter of fact when I finished it I turned back to the first page and started reading again and, really, I could easily read it again. And I will some day because it’s the kind of book that you can read again and discover new and different things that you never noticed the first time through.

Here’s what I will say: Harriet Baxter is...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Sandra Olshaski rated it 2 of 5 stars

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
ISBN: 978-0-06-210320-8
Harper Collins
Published: February 2012
Trade Paperback, 528 pages

As the book opens it is 1933 London, England and elderly Harriet Baxter begins to record the story of her friendship, 40 years earlier, with the Scottish artist Ned Gillespie.

This is historical fiction set against the backdrop of the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 and the art scene of the day. Thirty-six-year old Harriet Baxter arrives in Glasgow for the Exhibition. She...more Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
ISBN: 978-0-06-210320-8
Harper Collins
Published: February 2012
Trade Paperback, 528 pages

As the book opens it is 1933 London, England and elderly Harriet Baxter begins to record the story of her friendship, 40 years earlier, with the Scottish artist Ned Gillespie.

This is historical fiction set against the backdrop of the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 and the art scene of the day. Thirty-six-year old Harriet Baxter arrives in Glasgow for the Exhibition. She soon meets and becomes fast friends with Ned Gillespie and his unusual family in a very intrusive way as she not only accompanies them on outings, but also does housework and laundry for them (what?) and is forever giving them gifts. Throughout the first few chapters of the book there are hints of things to come as Harriet says “if only we had known then what the future held in store” and “due to everything that happened” and “given what happened.” There are a lot of references to Sybil, one of Ned’s two young daughters. Her wild, uncontrollable, destructive actions led me to think that she is somehow going to figure into the mystery that is very slowly developing and that only really begins in chapter 11. I wasn’t wrong. Sybil figures very largely in this tale. Suddenly her sister, Rose, is abducted, a ransom note arrives and mysteriously, Harriet is implicated and arrested. The household is turned into chaos. Sybil is put into an asylum. Life changes forever for the Gillespie family and Harriet.

Apart from 3-year-old Rose, none of the characters are very likeable. I didn’t care for Harriet, despite her being quite funny and witty. I saw her as a manipulative, sad, hanger-on. Her unrequited love for married Ned she describes 40 years later as “eternal, aching sadness about Ned Gillespie”!! Her life has been about regret and unfulfilled dreams.

While there was no artist named Ned Gillespie, several other real-life Scottish artists are mentioned and the writing is done in such a way that the reader is transported to the late 1800’s. The book is very atmospheric as the author describes the fog-shrouded streets of Glasgow, the narrow and smelly staircases in the old apartment buildings, the accents of the people, and the Victorian view of women.

The story alternates between events in 1888 and those of Harriet’s life in 1933. In 1933 Harriet is living a quiet life in Bloomsbury tending her pet finches. However, she is preoccupied with Sarah, her companion and helper who lends a mysterious, brooding atmosphere to the story. I wondered, “Why introduce a new character at the end of the story?” Then I began to put the pieces together and I recognized her.

Themes such as family dynamics, loss, grief, deception and mystery are explored in the novel. Don’t expect a fairytale ending.

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Jan 01, 2012 Felice rated it 4 of 5 stars

You know you worry. You adored an author’s first novel but since there is no track record yet –what will #2 be like? Will it be the say-it-isn’t-so short story collection? In my opinion that is the ultimate betrayal and yet the all too common sophomore effort by the literary. It might be nonfiction. That isn’t fabulous but it beats the short story collection by about 800% even if it’s collected essays. Sometimes it’s just a bad or lackluster novel but other times (clue the angelic choir) it’s fa...more You know you worry. You adored an author’s first novel but since there is no track record yet –what will #2 be like? Will it be the say-it-isn’t-so short story collection? In my opinion that is the ultimate betrayal and yet the all too common sophomore effort by the literary. It might be nonfiction. That isn’t fabulous but it beats the short story collection by about 800% even if it’s collected essays. Sometimes it’s just a bad or lackluster novel but other times (clue the angelic choir) it’s fabulous. Which brings me to novel #2 by Jane Harris, Gillespie and I. The first novel by Harris, The Observations, was an overwhelming surprise and delight. I have been on pins and needles about Gillespie and I ever since I heard it was coming out in January 2012.

Like The Observations, Gillespie and I is a historical novel with otherworldly overtones set during the Victorian era but this time the action takes place primarily in the city of Glasgow. Also like her first novel Harris creates a strong heroine for her new book but where Bessy Buckley was as up front and forward a woman as her time permitted, in Gillespie and I Harriet Baxter leads an entirely interior life. Harriet is an upright spinster who becomes enchanted by the talented young painter Ned Gillespie. She is drawn in to his family life through her own loneliness and the by what she perceives as the needs of the Gillespie family. Harriet has the idea that she can help further Ned’s career and organize his home life.
For a time Harriet is seen as a Godsend to most of the Gillespie family. She is a potential patron, a selfless friend and a buffer against the outside world. Still from the beginning of the relationship between Harriet and the family there are questions. Is Harriet obsessed with Ned? Is the Gillespie clan too willing to take advantage of Harriet’s friendship? Are the unstable relationships within the Gillespie family leading them all into an inescapable catastrophe? As the uncertainties mount so does the foreboding that something wicked this way comes.

In Gillespie and I, Harris tells the story in flashback. When the novel begins we see Harriet when she first meets the Gillespies and as an old woman writing her memoirs in the 1930’s. In both cases our impression of her is that of a competent, independent, self possessed woman but as Harris details what happened in between each of these introductions we see the toll the past has taken on Harriet.

There are enough similarities between Gillespie and I and The Observations to make you jump into Gillespie and I with a happy sigh. The author of the debut novel that you loved has not abandoned the world she built so well in her first book just shifted the time a bit. Then as you read the differences pile up—in a good way. There is a level of thoughtfulness, of more careful plotting and more nuanced characters in Gillespie and I than there was in The Observations.

We already have proof that Jane Harris can write fresh and authoritative historical fiction. Check. She can invent original, historically appropriate characters whose self assurance she manipulates to great effect. Check. What I learned in Gillespie and I is that Harris has a wonderful gift for slowly parceling out the suspenseful details in a novel while never making the book feel like it is just a mystery story. I was positive I knew where things were headed in Gillespie and I but I was completely and happily wrong. Yea!
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Nov 07, 2011 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, neo-victorian

To write a proper review of this wonderful novel, I'd have to include spoilers, so I'll do my best to keep them out. The unreliable narrator, Harriet Baxter, is wonderful. Her voice is a perfect one to tell this story of friendships and loves, mostly, it seems, on one side. What appears to be her warm friendship with the family of Ned Gillespie turns into quite a different beast, though Harriet herself would never have you believe it. But events conspire to show glimpses of the truth through the...more

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May 10, 2011 Linda Rollins rated it 3 of 5 stars

In 1933 Harriet Baxter writes her memoirs from 1888 and in doing so describes her relationship with the Gillespie family. The book starts well, if a little slowly, but not achingly so. It felt like a book I wanted to curl up with and take my time over. It is beautifully written and reflects well the voice of Miss Baxter and the era in which she is meant to be writing from. There is a lot of historical detail which has been added carefully so as not to appear too obvious. If I were to criticise t...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Elaine Blows rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookclub

Never has the adage "Never judge a book by it's cover" resonated so clearly with me. I started reading this in tandem with the book group my mother attends. I wasn't at all expecting it to be as compelling as I found it. That alone is always a wonderful feeling; when an unassuming looking book reaches a metaphorical hand through the pages, and grips your imagination and attention. Beautifully and cleverly written, I was enthralled early on both by the cadence of the writer and also the absorbing...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even as I type, I don't know how to write this review. I think I will approach it as a book club book. I would strongly suggest that, if you are a book cheater (like myself), don't look ahead with this one. Don't look for spoilers. You know that moment in A Beautiful Mind when Russell Crow is challenged about his mental stability while his roommate sits in the corner and cries? I needed about 30 more seconds to process the scene before I came to the conclusion myself that his roommate wasn't rea...more Even as I type, I don't know how to write this review. I think I will approach it as a book club book. I would strongly suggest that, if you are a book cheater (like myself), don't look ahead with this one. Don't look for spoilers. You know that moment in A Beautiful Mind when Russell Crow is challenged about his mental stability while his roommate sits in the corner and cries? I needed about 30 more seconds to process the scene before I came to the conclusion myself that his roommate wasn't real before my husband announced that tidbit to me.

I felt robbed of a moment.

Similarly, the twists in this book are unexpected and not crystallized. It is only after adding all of the pieces together that the reader will come to a different conclusion than s/he did two thirds of the way through the book. And it is only with some reservation at first. Then the cloudy clarifies and a disturbing picture emerges. The book is much more disturbing with the real life backdrop of Josh Powell and the horrific events of this week.

Book review ideas for discussion:

1. Note the times when the protagonist makes reference to pregnancy or breast feeding or any kind of incubation. Note the part of the wooden horse that is scorched. What attitude might Harriet have regarding motherhood or having children?

2. How would the reader describe the protagonist's relationship with her father? Are the feelings reciprocal? Any Freudian ideas?

3. Once the kidnapping occurred, which character(s) were suspicious both in the current time and in hindsight?

4. When was the AHA moment for you? Did it occur after or before the end of the book. Are you still waiting for it?

5. What was the significance of the birds? What of the cage?

I have typed the next question five times. Each time, it was a different question but I thought it gave too much away. I am trying my art of subtlety. I am not very good at it.

It is a very well written book that will leave the reader feeling unsettled and looking for earlier clues. They are there but very subtle. In hindsight, the explanations provided from the particular POV sort of made sense but became more and more frantic.(less)

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Oct 30, 2012 Girl with her Head in a Book rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, fiction, historical-fiction, shudder-shudder-shudder, 2012-challenge, prize-winner

First off - I am easily scared. And I picked this book because it was pink, came highly recommended and had no idea that it was scary. The only other book that has ever terrified me was The Woman in Black, which I read aged 16 when I was sharing a room with my cousin and I only got through it reading it by torchlight, checking ever few minutes that she was still there to protect me. To put this in context, my cousin is five years younger. I watched the film recently and hid under my coat, but ev...more

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May 29, 2012 Lari Don rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

This novel has a couple of features which usually put me off: a very slow pace and a plot which is signalled beforehand with lots of hints. However, in this writer’s hands and in this character’s voice, these devices work perfectly. The story is set around the household of a struggling artist at the time of the International Exhibition in Glasgow, and is told, decades later, by an acquaintance who grew into a family friend and benefactor, and who was there to help when the (often hinted at) fami...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

2006 was an excellent year for me as I read two of the most memorable debut novels, The Observations by Jane Harris and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I’m not holding my breath re a new offering from Ms Setterfield but I can’t tell you how excited I was last year when I heard about Gillespie and I. I had to put myself out of my misery, buy the hardback tout de suite and dive straight in.

Well, I can assure you that if you were even remotely titivated by The Observations, then you will...more 2006 was an excellent year for me as I read two of the most memorable debut novels, The Observations by Jane Harris and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I’m not holding my breath re a new offering from Ms Setterfield but I can’t tell you how excited I was last year when I heard about Gillespie and I. I had to put myself out of my misery, buy the hardback tout de suite and dive straight in.

Well, I can assure you that if you were even remotely titivated by The Observations, then you will love Gillespie and I. Our narrator is 35 year old English woman, Harriet Baxter, who finds herself in Glasgow in 1888 for the International Exhibition. Following the death of her aunt for whom she was full-time carer, Harriet comes into a modest sum of money and decides to move temporarily from London to Glasgow for a change of scenery. The book takes the form of a memoir about her time in Glasgow which she writes in 1933, in London where she now lives on her own. attended by a series of carers, none of whom appear to stay very long in her employ. We are fed little crumbs of information along the way which let us know that her time in Scotland does not end happily and that her initially halcyon relationship with the Gillespie clan, in particular, with Ned, the artist, is doomed to disaster. However, as the narrative progresses, we realise that all is not what it seems and we might very well revise our initial impression of Harriet as a thoroughly objective observer.

I won’t spoil things by revealing anything more about the plot but suffice to say that Jane Harris has created a compelling, dark, psychological narrative which belies its benign facade. Harriet isn’t quite the cute, fluffy puppy she’d have you believe! The whole novel is a delight from start to finish, peopled with vivid, engaging characters from Ned’s interfering mother whose attempt at a posh accent results in Harriet being transformed into Herriet Bexter to Ned’s truculent eldest daughter, Sibyl. Indeed all of the characters have their very own, distinctive voices and all have their role to play in this dramatic tale. Such is the power of the writing that even a 160 page account of a trial continued to engage me and indeed I didn’t want it to end.

Gillespie and I is one of those rare books which will remain with me for a very long time. Its characters are extremely believable and although I’m not entirely sure if any of them are that likeable, you certainly won’t forget them in a hurry. It’s a carefully nuanced portrait of a family torn apart by tragedy yet it has its sublimely comic moments too – it’s been well worth the five year wait!

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Mar 03, 2012 Sibyl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a wonderfully complex and noir novel. I imagine Wilkie Collins would write like this, if he was working in the 21st rather than the 19th century.

'Gillespie and I' encompasses familial tension, repressed sexuality, loneliness and drug dependence. Along the way we are also given insights into the excesses of the gutter press, racial stereptyping and the manipulation of public opinion.

The narrator Harriet Baxter is 'a lady' looking back in her old age on her dealings with the Gillespie fam...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historic-fiction, fiction, mystery

Gillespie and I is one of those rare books where all those raving reviews? They are spot on.

There are so many things I want to praise about this book. So let's start with the title - it's perfect. It's eye-catching, it inspires curiosity, and it's quirky enough to be completely unique.

Then there's the cover - perfectly fitting the story, and - frankly, it's gorgeous. The color palette, the arrangement of symbols, it's all just plain perfect.

Now.. the insides of this beautiful book..

So many twist...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2012 Kristine Brancolini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

As other reviewers have commented, it is difficult to discuss Gillespie and I without revealing too much about the plot. This book is so brilliant that I could not possibly do it justice. Set in two time periods, 1888-1890 and 1933, 80-year-old Harriet Baxter claims to be writing the first book about her soulmate, artist and forgotten genius Ned Gillespie. Hence the title of the book, which turns out to be completely ironic. From almost the first page Jane Harris establishes an unsettling atmosp...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, library, literary-fiction, orange-prize, favourites

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 goin...more

1 like · like · see review

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