Annnywaaay. What Was She Thinking. I love how Heller choose to tell the storyit's kind of an old-school narrative in the sense that Sheba's (said teacher having the affair) life story is told entirely by Barbara, the aging spinster who has saved her from utter desolation. I wish I could remember the name of the narrative convention, but suffice it to say, I found it fascinating that Barbara's own relationship (read: obsession) with Sheba somewhat echoes the younger woman's own illicit affair (read: obsession) with 16-year-old Steven. And what's even more smart, is how echoes of Barbara's own instability creep into what she feels is the "true" account of Sheba's actions.
One of my favourite passages, in which Barbara tries to psychoanalyze a fellow teacher, reads:
There are certain people in whom you can detect the seeds of madnessseeds that have remained dormant only because the people in question have lived relatively comfortable, middle-class lives. They function perfectly well in the world, but you can imagine, given a nasty parent, or a prolonged bout of unemployment, how their potential for craziness might have been realisedhow their seeds might have sprouted little green shoots of weirdness, or even, with the right sort of antinurture, blossomed into full-blown lunacy.Barbara might just as well be describing herself, her own quiet, staid middle-class life as a teacher challenged by the unconvincingly, beautiful and deeply troubled Sheba, whose friendship has allowed her own seeds to sprout into a strange kind of voyeur who brings us this story.
Of course, it doesn't end well, affairs between teachers and students rarely do (unless you're Pacey), but what's great about What Was She Thinking is that you never, ever truly know what Sheba was thinking, you only get Barbara's interpretation of her actions, her words and her affair. All in all, it's a quick, yet still absolutely satisfying read. Oh, and I think the casting for the movie is totally spot on.
2 comments:
This book has been on my radar too - will have to check it out!
and HEY I thought of you when I came across this:
http://www.fatplum.com/stickynotes
Mary Gaitskill is the judge! You should enter...
Having recently had my "seeds of madness" watered and fertilized, the passage you've posted completely makes me want to read this book. That, and of course, my obsession with Cate Blanchett.
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