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    Gillespie and I: A Novel
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    Gillespie and I: A Novel
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    Gillespie and I: A Novel
    Ebook601 pages8 hours

    Gillespie and I: A Novel

    By Jane Harris

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From the Orange Prize-nominated author of The Observations comes an absorbing, atmospheric exploration of one young woman’s friendship with a volatile artist and her place in the controversy that consumes him. Jane Harris’s Gillespie and I presents a strongly voiced female protagonist evocative of Moll Flanders and Becky Sharp, who offers a keen sensibility, deeply felt observations, and poignant remembrances of the world of a young artist in turn-of-the-century Glasgow in this fantastic work of historical fiction. London’s Sunday Times calls Gillespie and I “a literary novel where the storytelling is as skilful as the writing is fine.” Fans of The Piano Teacher and The Thirteenth Tale will find it irresistible and unforgettable.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 31, 2012
    ISBN9780062103215
    Unavailable
    Gillespie and I: A Novel

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    Reviews for Gillespie and I

    4/5

    316 ratings48 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I highly recommend reading the review on Goodreads by Will Byrnes. He has managed to put all of my mixed thoughts about this novel into a well written critique!
    • 5/5
      Review from BadelyngeI've never been the quickest of readers but this vibrantly written novel, weighing in at 500 plus pages, so engrossed me I devoured it in just 4 days. It seemed so innocent at first, beguiling me with its engagingly described cast of characters.In 1933 Miss Harriet Baxter sits in her Bloomsbury apartment, tending to her caged finches and writing her memoir of the times she spent with Ned Gillespie over 4 decades earlier, an up and coming young artist, her dear friend, she dubs him, her soul mate even.At once we are informed that her friend Gillespie and his young family are ill-fated, that the tale will end in tragedy, a tragedy so deep that the young man will destroy his life's work and take his own life. The first half of the book follows Harriet, then a thirty something spinster, as she relocates from London to Glasgow after the death of her Aunt, a woman who had brought her up after the death of her mother. In 1888 Glasgow hosts the first International Exhibition and Harriet decides to rent rooms nearby to take in the spectacle. A chance encounter, amusingly recounted through Harriet's memoir, brings her into the orbit of the Gillespie family, her timely extraction of half a set of dentures from the back of an old lady's throat, who turns out to be Ned's mother, is the first step on the road to what lies ahead. Over several months Harriet becomes almost part of the household, finding opportunity after opportunity to ingratiate herself among them.Just as we start to get comfortable with the happy set up, Harriet reminds us that there are dark times ahead - a trial even, though what crime is looming and who is to stand accused is left unsaid. Although leisurely, the narrative at no stage bored me. Despite its length I was always either entertained or intrigued. I was fascinated by the complicated family dynamic, the Victorian detail, the depiction of Glasgow and its characters both fictional and historical, and of course, Harriet's colourful and often acerbic observations. It's fairly apparent that Harriet at times does resort to being manipulative, she's prone to bias and there's something quite off-kilter in some of her references to her stepfather and Ned, her so-called soul mate, but I still found myself liking her. The second half of the novel deals with the break down of the Gillespie family and the trial. I hold my hands up and admit I was completely wrong footed by how things progressed. I'll not say any more as I'd be risking straying into spoiler space. Suffice it to say that the conclusion doesn't disappoint.I would heartily recommend this book as a great summer read, perfect for that sunny afternoon in the garden, though I must warn you that you may not notice the sun on your face, or the pleasant bird song in the trees, or the bees in the Buddleia - not if you sink as deep into Harriet Baxter's world as I did.This review was from an Advance Reading Copy.
    • 3/5
      Having thoroughly enjoyed Jane Harris’s “The Observations”, I expected a similar treat with this book, though sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. That’s not to say it’s bad. I still liked it, just didn’t love it.Maybe the flitting back and forth from 1888 to 1933 didn’t appeal to me. I certainly didn’t warm to the characters too much, though all were believable and vivid.The element I admire most is the author’s ability to show and not tell. On several occasions I thought she was clever with how she implies this or that without telling the reader to make sure the meaning is clear. This especially applies to the main character, who is the narrator of the piece. Nothing is explained in a neat way, but hints are dropped subtly to give the reader an insight into the character’s mind.
    • 5/5
      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 chance encounter with Ned, she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in their lives. But when tragedy strikes, culminating in a notorious criminal trial, the certainty of Harriet’s new world rapidly spirals into suspicion and despair.”I think even that is a bit more than enough.My Review: If my rating this book with an irrational, unknowable, eternally expanding number doesn't tell you everything you need to know about how I feel about the book, here it is in one sentence:Massive amounts of fun on more levels than amusing, fun-to-read books ordinarily have.
    • 4/5
      After a bit of a slow start I settled in to the pace of this novel, and found it totally engrossing. In 1888, Harriet Baxter, having lost the aunt whose caretaker she was, and having inherited a comfortable living from her grandfather, decides to take the train from London to Glasgow for an indefinite visit, primarily to attend the International Exhibition recently opened along the banks of the River Kelvin. While she is there, she meets and befriends an up and coming artist, Ned Gillespie, and his young family. In fact, you might say she insinuates herself into their lives with determination. We learn about the events of that Exhibition year from Harriet herself, in a self-serving "memoir" that begins by telling us how intimately she became acquainted with Gillespie...no, not that way...just as dear friend and "soul mate". Well, it's easy to discern fairly quickly that Harriet is a bit unreliable as a narrator, but how is the reader to know what to believe, when no objective observer is available to balance her account of things? Ah...well, see, that's the fun part. This is historical fiction, psychological thriller, Victorian mystery and pull-the-covers-over-your-head scary story all rolled into one. Oh, and there's courtroom drama of the 19th century Scottish variety as well. I lapped it up.Review written July 2015
    • 3/5
      I picked this novel up in an airport bookshop hoping it would keep me so engrossed I wouldn’t notice the length of the flight. It seemed it would tick all the boxes – historical setting, a sense of mystery and it came from the pen of an author whose name I kept hearing though I had never read nothing by Jane Harris myself.The story reminded me of Willkie Collins’ sensation and mystery stories and is told at a similar fast pace. It’s narrated by Harriet Baxter, an elderly spinster who recalls a chance encounter 45 years previously with Ned Gillespie – a talented artist who we are soon informed, died before his fame was fully recognised. Harriet meets him again during a visit to the International Exhibition in Glasgow in 1888 – and quickly becomes close friends with the Gillespie family. Dark shadows hover over their somewhat Bohemian home as one of the daughters begins to behave in an alarmingly malicious way towards her sibling and other members of the household. And then Harriet finds herself propelled into a family tragedy and a notorious court case.The period atmosphere was convincing. Harriet’s recollections of the past come with lots of detail about houses, dresses, domestic routines as well as the atmosphere of the exhibition ground. Unlike many other novels with historical settings, Harris’ manages to avoid dialogue that feels flat and clunky with anachronisms.The key to this novel however lies not in what we are told but more in what we are not told. First person narrators in novels are frequently unreliable witnesses or interpreters. Harriet Baxter is a master of deception. She portrays herself as a generous-hearted person yet is prone to make waspish comments about the other women in the Gillespie household. She believes herself to be uniquely positioned to tell the truth about the unrecognised genius of Ned Gillespie and set the record straight about the events in which she was enmeshed as a young woman. But her approach is somewhat elliptical. She makes frequent dark allusions to tragedies yet to be revealed. ”If only we had known then what the future held in store,” she says early on. Harriet Baxter is such a master of hints and suggestions however that the only way the reader does in fact get to know what really occurred is by following the breadcrumb trail of those clues and by reading between the lines. By the end, you almost feel that you have to read it again for everything to fall into place.If I had a gripe with the novel it lay in the ending. It didn’t so much end as just seem to peter out as if it had run out of steam. I didn’t feel cheated because the novel had done exactly what I needed it to do – keep be engaged so I didn’t notice the cramped and confined conditions of my journey. But I did expect it to come to some form of a resolution.Now, with the benefit of a few months gap, I can see that instead of this being a weakness of the novel, it was in fact one of its strengths. Harris, like her narrator, is an arch manipulator, leading me through the labyrinth of her novel and making me believe that all would be revealed. But like Harriet Baxter, she leaves me to work out the truth.
    • 5/5
      I missed my stop on the U-Bahn because of Gillespie and ] and almost missed it a second time a few hours later. It's that kind of book; a meaty Victorian novel - Victorian in both setting and style - with an involving plot that runs the gamut from gently bred English spinsters and comfortable domestic life to kidnapping and sensational court cases. Set against the background of Glasgow in 1888, Jane Harris's second novel is about Harriet Baxter and how she became involved with the family of an up-and-coming Glaswegian artist Ned Gillespie. Decades later, she sits down to write about her friendship with the Gillespies and the scandal that shocked all of Scotland. Harris is good with the historical detail, and really good at creating characters who breathe. But where she really excels is in telling a story from the point of view of a seemingly secondary character, someone who might not see the same things that the other characters do, or it might be that she is altering the tale to suit herself. If you dislike ambiguity in a novel, this one is not for you, but if you like the twist that looks like it's from out of nowhere, but that also fits the story in an organic way if you set the story upside down, then you'll enjoy this one.
    • 4/5
      As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, nearly four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame she maintains he deserved.

      Back in 1888, the young, art-loving Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes - leading to a notorious criminal trial - the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disintegrate into mystery and deception...

      'A story that holds you in its grip and makes you skip ahead but circle back again for more of the same - literary crack cocaine.' -- Scotland on Sunday

      I would have to give away too much of the twisty-turny plot of this amazing book for a satisfactory review hence the reason the below probably makes no sense at all.

      This is a novel that really makes you think; you ponder every nuance and collect snippets of information along the way; decide ‘yes I know exactly what is going on here’ and before you get to the bottom of page you are re evaluating …again. The ability of the author to switch from chilling forbodence to laugh out load (albeit dark) humour is brilliantly executed.

      Is Harriet Baxter the mother of all unreliable narrators?

      On reading the final page (sentence actually) I immediately flipped back to the first chapter; reread it and I swear I had palpitations....Enjoy
    • 5/5
      An excellent book - it kept me guessing all the way through and even now that I have finished it I am still not sure who the guilty part was! A very clever set of characters who are brought to life in all their splendour.
    • 4/5
      This has had so many good reviews on LT. I should say to start that I didn't find it so mind-blowingly good as some reviewers but a very good read nevertheless. I read it quite quickly on the beach and I do feel that it would have been better read more slowly over a longer period. Certainly it warrants re-reading and I am quite tempted to do this in the not too distant future, to see what (if any) clues I missed to the development of the story.In 1933 Miss Harriet Baxter, a spinster aged eighty, looks back on her relationship with the Glaswegian painter Ned Gillespie. Told in a series of flashbacks to the 1880's, the main narrative is interspersed with the story of Harriet's issues with her companion in the 1930's (which may or may not be connected with the events of 50 years previously). Travelling to Scotland to see the Glasgow International Exhibition, Harriet becomes acquainted with Ned Gillespie's mother (who she saves from choking to death) and his wife. Invited to tea, she becomes intimate with his family and makes herself indispensable in any number of ways. But things are clearly not destined to run smoothly, as Harriet recollects in the first few pages what with all that silly white-slavery business and the trial, and what starts out as a seemingly light-hearted book gets progressively darker and darker in tone. Without giving away the ending, I can say that at first the events described did seem a little far-fetched, but the more I think about them, the more plausible they seem. I think that this is likely to be a book that stays in my memory for a long time,
    • 5/5
      "Gillespie and I" is the best novel I've read this year and quite possibly, in a few years. I don't want to say much as the unfolding of events is the reading joy that lies within. I will, however, say that this is one nightmare-producting little number. Harriet Baxter will get under your skin in a way few literary protagonists will. I got the creepy crawlies a time or two and suddenly had the urge to not divulge anything personal to anyone I did not know well. The marketing is a little misleading in that the happy cover and blurb made me think it was a Jane Austen-esque romp through Glasgow and London, with reflections on a painter's life. Holy cow, was I wrong. This is a very intense psychological thriller that kept me both flinching and guessing until the end. Harris is a masterful writer, especially how she would take one set of facts and write in various viewpoints, all of which seemed logical and possible. I did not give this book 4-stars because the trial was a bit fake (but I'm an attorney and a harsh critic, so take that with a grain of salt). I've heard masterpiece floating around and I agree, this is one of the best reading experiences I've had in memory. Keep the lights on when you hunker down with it, but definitely give it a try. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Hugely entertaining! The character of the first-person narrator remains entirely consistent throughout, which is a real tribute to the skills of the author. As other reviewers have noted, Harris's storytelling style is somewhat similar to that of Sarah Waters, another novelist whose works I've enjoyed.
    • 3/5
      Sadly, this book is merely ok. It starts out great and about halfway through it slows down. The end is just an end no real climax which is disappointing. Then there is the story which is essentially if 8
      I had done it by oj set place in Scotland featuring a spinster mastermind. Really not worth the time it took to read.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. Jane Harris takes us on a journey back to the Glasgow Exhibition in the late 19th century, where we meet Miss Harriet Baxter and the Gillespie family. The pages kept on flying by and I found myself fascinated by the story. Harriet cleaves herself to the Gillespies and has an especially soft spot for the husband, Ned Gillespie, who is also a painter. Through a horrible event, which destroys the friendship and probably the Gillespie family, I began to wonder if things were as they first seemed. I kept on backtracking and re-reading passages to see if my memory was correct. It was one of those books that I could have read all day long, if life hadn't intervened.
    • 4/5
      A story that steadily draws you in. Indepenent, single woman Harriet Baxter takes up residence in Glasgow and befreinds the Gillespie family where she shares in the highs and lows of their life. The people, place and atmosphere are all very well done. I thought this was a really good read - even though I'm still not too sure whether Harriet's association with the Gillespies was fortunate freindship or inveiglement ...
    • 4/5
      This is a difficult book to write about - it would be so easy to give too much away. It's thoughtfully written and absorbing, and although I didn't find the narrator, Harriet Baxter, at all attractive, you are drawn into the events she describes very quickly - even if you don't much like her, you do feel that she's a competent person, witty and well-educated, someone you could rely on. Harriet, in her turn, is drawn into the lives of artist Ned Gillespie and his family and eventually, into the terrible events which befall them.The background to the book is the exhibition in a wonderfully described Glasgow, with its not-quite-bohemian artist's community, which masks a seedier, darker world which threatens Harriet and the Gillespies in unexpected ways. The insidious way in which bad things can strike at ordinariness is convincingly portrayed, and the descent into chaos is paralleled at the end of the novel. The denouement is unexpected and unsettling. I haven't read Jane Harris's first book, but on the strength of this one, I shall be doing so - her writing is both subtle and economical and keeps you reading. I like writers who can do place well, and she's one of them, but she handles the period and her characters equally convincingly. It's a book which stays with you.
    • 4/5
      I had previously read The Observations by this author and, whilst I liked it, I was a little underwhelmed by it. I therefore didn't know how I would feel about Gillespie and I. I'm happy to report that I found it to be an excellent read.It's narrated by Miss Harriet Baxter, a spinster in her mid-30s who goes from London to Glasgow to spend some time there. She meets and spends a lot of time with the Gillespie family: Ned, an artist, his wife Annie, their young daughters Sybil and Rose, and Ned's mother Elspeth. They are an interesting family for Harriet and for me as a reader, and the first half of the book is really about painting a picture of the various characters (there are some other, more minor, characters too).The second half of the book is taken up with the criminal trial that is mentioned in the synopsis (so no spoilers there, although to say anymore would be a spoiler). I did find this section overlong, and think it would have benefited from being cut down, but it held my interest nonetheless. The ending was a bit strange, and I think I may have missed something from earlier in the story that would have been relevant there.Jane Harris has written Harriet's voice in such a way that I found myself smiling quite a lot at the things that she thought and said. She is certainly a very accomplished writer, and plotted this book exceptionally well.All in all, this is a really good read. It's a big book, but it never bored me, and it was quite a treat to read.
    • 5/5
      Gillespie and I is a stunning work of fiction. It seems I'm one of the few people not to have read the first novel by Jane Harris, The Observations, and I'm not sure how I managed to miss that one as it sounds like something I would love. I'll certainly go back and read it now that Jane Harris has been brought to my attention.But this is a review of Gillespie and I. Or, I should say, Gillespie and Harriet Baxter. We first meet Harriet in 1933 as an elderly woman looking back on her life and promising to share with us her recollections of Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who was never able to fulfil his true potential. Harriet then proceeds to tell us the story of her acquaintance with the Gillespie family, whom she met in the 1880s during a trip to Scotland to visit the International Exhibition in Glasgow. She quickly becomes a friend of Ned, his wife Annie, and the other members of the family - but then disaster strikes and the lives of Harriet and the Gillespies are thrown into turmoil.After a leisurely start, the story soon picked up pace and became very gripping. But as well as the compelling plot there were many other things that made this book such an enjoyable read. I connected immediately with Harriet's sharp, witty and observant narrative voice. The other characters were vibrantly drawn, though the only one who never really came to life for me was Ned himself, which was the only disappointment in an otherwise excellent book. I also loved the setting. I've read many, many books set in Victorian London and it made a refreshing change to read one set in Victorian Glasgow instead.Halfway through the story something happened that made me start to question everything I'd read up to that point - and even after I'd finished the book I still had questions. I was very impressed by how cleverly Jane Harris managed to control what I believed and didn't believe at various points in the novel. I can't really explain what I mean without spoiling the story but suffice to say there are some stunning plot twists that leave you wondering whether things are really as they seem - and this doesn't happen just once, but several times throughout the second half of the book. At times it even felt like a Victorian sensation novel to me, which probably explains why I enjoyed it so much! Gillespie and I has been one of my favourite reads so far this year.
    • 5/5
      Brilliantly written story of a spinster living in Glasgow who befriends an artist and his family. The story starts pretty sedately, but events take a turn for the worse, and by the end of the book you're not sure what you believe.Very well written, the characters are all very strong and the plot is excellent.
    • 5/5
      Having enjoyed Jane Harris’s debut novel, I’ve been greatly looking forward to this one and it has not disappointed in any way. Written as a fictional memoir, the plot is set in two locations with different time-frames: 1880’s Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition and 1930’s genteel Bloomsbury. Harriet Baxter, an unmarried lady of independent means, travels to Glasgow following the death of her aunt. There she falls into friendship with an up and coming young artist, Ned Gillespie, and his family who live close by her lodgings. Harriet makes herself indispensable to the family - furthering Ned’s career, encouraging his wife and buying presents for their daughters, Sybil and Rose. The novel picks up a gear following the sudden disappearance of Rose, the youngest daughter, from a near-by park. A police investigation follows and subsequently a trial. It is at this point in the book that the reader begins to question the integrity of Harriet as a narrator, so much so that by the end of the novel the reader will have done a volte-face. It’s a brilliant piece of controlled writing and I, for one, loved it!
    • 5/5
      A deliciously creepy novel. She carries off the voice of Harriet Baxter very well, and the plotting is interesting without being contrived or overly complicated. Reminded me a bit of The Little Stranger, but I think this book is better. One of my favorite books so far this year; I'm rooting for it to be on the Orange shortlist.
    • 4/5
      This book was chosen as our Book Group read, partly because Glasgow Library Service lent us 8 copies on long loan & partly because two of us had it on our wishlist having read the author's first novel: The Observations.

      The more I think about this book, the more difficult I'm finding it to describe/review etc. I guess I should start with the basics:

      Harriet Baxter is an English woman who heads north to Glasgow, following her aunt's death, to visit the International Exhibition of 1888. There she meets the Gillespie family and quickly becomes part of their 'circle' and life. Ned Gillespie is an artist just on the fringes of 'The Glasgow Boys' and is married to Annie with two children Sybil and Rose. There are other family members and friends, but it's Harriet's involvement with Ned that the story is really centred around. From here, it's difficult to describe without giving too much away.

      The book is written as a memoir, so you meet Harriet in 1933 as she writes about her time in Glasgow with the Gillespies and as you read it, your perceptions shift and you begin to wonder about what you've already read and what it all really means. (I read one review that suggested it was only good in 'retrospect' which I found a little harsh, but not entirely wrong) I did 'cotton on' fairly early that things were not all they seemed, but that was partly due to attending a reading by the author at the Edinburgh Book Festival - more because of some of the audience questions than the author giving the game away! I don't think I'm spoiling anything by mentioning that here.

      Someone has also said that it has similarities with 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' but really that's only because a crime is committed and a court case ensues and the Victorian setting is reminiscent. I think it's a better book than that, even though I did enjoy reading 'Mr Whicher'.

      Overall, I enjoyed the book and didn't feel that it was too long despite it being 500 pages. It did take me longer than usual to read, but that's because it wasn't handbag/train/bus friendly being such a sizeable tome! When I did get chance to sit and read, I flew through it.
    • 4/5
      In Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, Harriet Baxter is writing her memoir. It focuses on her life beginning in 1888 and chapters rotate between then and the time in which she is writing. In 1888 Harriet was in her thirties and a single woman of independent means. That year she decided to leave her home in London and live temporarily in Glasgow. She was drawn to Glasgow by the 1888 International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry being held there. While attending the Exhibition Harriet sees a painting by a young artist, Ned Gillespie, and remembers a brief conversation with him in London a few years previously. Oddly, she had an encounter with Gillespie's mother and wife soon after she came to Glasgow and his mother, Elspeth, credits Harriet with saving her life. When invited to Elspeth's home, Harriet is surprised to learn she has rented an apartment just around the corner from both Gillespie families. Soon she begins a somewhat obsessive friendship with Ned, his wife Annie, and their two young daughters. One of girls tends toward unsettling behavior and there is a strain on Ned's work as well as the marriage. Harriet's friendship and help in the household becomes invaluable. Two years after their first meeting, and long after Harriet originally planned to leave Glasgow, the Gillespies became victims of an unspeakable crime. The perpetrator isn't easily found and eventually Harriet and the coincidences that caused the beginning of her friendship with the Gillespies come under police suspicion. Is all truth in Harriet's relationship with the Gillespie family? Is her account reliable? A novel that hangs on after the last page is read, Gillespie and I is literary, atmospheric, and chilling. I found the first 50 or so pages slow going but sticking with it was well worth it. Without a doubt, this will be one of my favorites of this year.
    • 5/5
      Loved, loved, loved this book. Can't wait to read her first book The Observations". This book kept me reading in order to find out what would happen. The ending did not disappoint. Lots of twists and turns!"
    • 5/5
      I’ve delayed writing this review for so long…I hope that it’s not your heart sinking that I hear. It’s just that I’m finding it difficult to write a review that would do this fantastic, wonderful, brilliant, cracking book justice. Everyone should read this book. Right now. Go. Do it.…So you need a little more convincing, eh? This book was long listed for the 2012 Orange Prize, but by some silly, silly error it didn’t make the shortlist. Completely inexplicable. This is the type of book you carry around reading while making vain attempts to vacuum the house. (Or perhaps that’s just me…) The plot has the kinds of twists and turns that a roller coaster would be jealous about. The characterisation is thorough, but with just a pinch of elusiveness to keep us guessing as to whether we’ve judged each character correctly. The atmosphere of Glasgow during the Exhibition is painstakingly recreated, as is the later scenes in London.The plot centres around Harriet Baxter, a spinster who decides to go to Glasgow post the death of an elderly family member. She enjoys the Exhibition and in an odd twist of fate, saves a lady from choking by dentures. There she is drawn into the world of the Gillespie family – Ned, the painter; Annie, his wife, their two children and Ned’s mother. From the start of the relationship, cracks appear to form in the Gillespie family. Sibyl, Ned and Annie’s daughter, is an eerie character, getting up to strange mischief. Annie begins to paint Harriet’s portrait, while Harriet becomes Ned’s champion. The building of the friendship, while a little slow, is imperative to what happens later. After a mysterious episode, the friendship is turned on its head and accusations begin to fly, with damning consequences for all involved.The narrative shifts from Harriet’s time to Glasgow, to as she writes her memoirs as an elderly lady in London. Harris is an expert in unfolding the parts of Harriet’s character slowly and delicately until the reader is never too sure of what is truth and what is fiction. The story of Harriet’s new assistant in London runs a lovely parallel to the downfall of her relationship with the Gillespies.You might think this sounds all a bit gothic, but Harris also treats us to some wonderfully funny characters such Ned’s mother Elspeth (who continually calls Harriet ‘Herriet’). There are some moving moments of friendship and the Harriet’s belief that she really, truly is doing the right thing keep the sinister moments under the covers.An absolute masterpiece. Now go and read it.
    • 5/5
      I have just finished reading "Gillespie and I" by Jane Harris and I have run to the computer to try to type in all of my varying thoughts on this spellbinding, lovely novel. I am currently regretting that I borrowed this from the library instead of purchasing it.I had read a few reviews of this book -- some raving, some scathing... I knew very little about the plot, as many of my favorite reviewers did not give too many spoilers away. I intend to follow suit in this review, as the surprises and plot twists were one of the best features of this book. That being said I will give my super-quick summary -- this is a beautifully written mystery cleverly disguised as a historical fiction novel.Harris' language is so eloquent and there were several times I had to resort to looking up definitions of rare words / expressions from the narrator. Our narrator (Harriet Baxter) is lively and well developed; her voice through much of the book is very intelligent, observant, sometimes judgmental and often highlighted with tints of humor. There are other very believable characters -- many characters are lovable, but a few are a bit harder to like. One or two I clearly loathed. I have to say that I loved Harris' use of foreshadowing. I felt I knew what would happen by her clues and hints. However, as I continued reading l was surprised at the turn of events. I have to say that descriptions of the second half of this book resembling a "roller coaster" are accurate! I was so riveted by the unexpected that I could barely concentrate on work today. **Truth -- I wanted to stay home and finish reading!!!I am amazed that Gillespie and I did not end up on the 2012 Orange Prize short list. Perhaps this tale -- which indeed has it's dark moments and leaves you wondering -- is not for everyone. However, I wholeheartedly recommend it. I found "Gillespie" to be: compelling, surprising, thought provoking, anxiety producing, sinister, humorous, sad, and beautifully executed.
    • 5/5
      Harris is a master at creating atmosphere, because I consider this book on par with the atmospheric Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. Literally did not ant to put it down, though it was rather slow in the beginning I soon became consumed by the plot, the characterizations and the many twists and turns this novel took. At one point the author managed to totally shock me, which doesn't happen in very many novels, but this one took a twist I really didn't see coming. Glasgow and the exhibition in the late 1800's, the world of painting and the language used was splendid. This is a superb, psychological read and one that I really enjoyed.
    • 5/5
      Although this is alternately told from 1888 Glasgow and 1938 London, the main story is the earlier one. Harriet Baxter recalls two years in the lives of the Ned Gillespie family.We know almost immediately that Harriet will prove to be an unreliable narrator and trying to see past her perspective to what really happened is lots of fun. 4½ stars
    • 5/5
      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 twists and turns, y'all. I loved, loved, loved where this story took me. Instead of a cliche love story, I got a fascinating mystery that involved absolutely no love story at all and it was so incredibly perfect. The style of narration kept me on the edge of my seat, and the twists - I'm not even joking I shivered right now because they are so delicious.I'm not much of a mystery lover, but I'll tell you right now - this is a book that would have me converting to reading the mystery genre full-time if more were like it.
    • 5/5
      This is an excellent character study best read not knowing anything about the book. Just let it wash over you.