Jude1111

4.5 Stars.

This is so good!!





Passion,
Jealousy,
Loneliness,
Friendship,
Forbidden relationship,
Manipulation,

And brilliant story telling.

I watched the film years ago and the book is even better.

‘I’m not sure I could categorize what this is. People always want to boil these things down, don’t they ? I want to recapture my lost youth. He wants experience. I’m forcing him into it. He’s forcing me into it. He feels sorry for me. I feel sorry for him… But it’s never that simple, is it?’

One woman's secret,

Is another woman's power....


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yqHyge7uQaY


The synopsis might lead towards a forbidden love affair and that does happen but the story really is about Barbara.....


Barbara is in her sixties,a history teacher.Never married,no children.She's about to develop a rather unhealthy fixation on a fellow teacher...


Sheba is seemingly happily married,she's concentrated on raising her family but when she starts to feel desired again,she's powerless to resist and embarks on an affair with a 15yr old pupil.


Barbara watches,and she waits,and she gets more and more infuriated as she thinks Sheba is not valuing their friendship.



Was her fixation sexual?
Other reviews have hinted at her being a Lesbian and the film definitely goes slightly in that direction but this book doesn't really explore her sexuality.....it's more of an obsession.She wants Sheba to only rely on her...



I loved this story.There's nothing I like more than a forbidden relationship and it's consequences and this one is extremely well done.....

My only negative was the end was ridiculously abrupt.