Book Beginnings - Gillespie and I - Jane Harris

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays - The idea is 'to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.' Hash tag #BookBeginnings for twitter and a master linky list on the host's blog.

I haven't managed to join in for a little while, and I'm not sure what week number I got to so I'll leave that out, but I do love this meme, and it's nice to be taking part again.

I'm reading Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, published by Faber and Faber.

Isn't the cover beautiful? 

(This is the UK paperback edition. The hardback also has a lovely cover design, different to this but incorporating some of the same elements.)

Here's the beginning...

Preface

Tuesday, 11 April 1933

London

It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand? Indeed, one might say, who else is left to tell the tale? Ned Gillespie: artist, innovator, and forgotten genius; my dear friend and soul mate. I first became acquainted with Gillespie in the spring of 1888 and during the course of several years thereafter we were connected through the most intimate of friendships.

~~~~~

Have you read this novel? What did you think of it? 

I am so glad to finally be reading this book. In fact I've been reading it for the past few days and I'm very close to the end now - it's a brilliant read. The characters have me fascinated, none more so than Harriet herself, who is the narrator in the above excerpt from the start of the novel. 

I loved The Observations, the first novel by this writer, in fact that's one of my favourite books. I intended to read this second novel a long time before now. I'm not sure what stopped me, a combination of things, but it's an excellent book and here I am finally near to finishing it, hooray!

Here's the author's website if you're interested in finding out more.

Have a great weekend whatever you are reading!

~~~~~

About the book...

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 that 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.

Featuring a memorable cast of characters, infused with atmosphere and period detail, and shot through with wicked humour, Gillespie and I is a powerful and haunting second novel from one of today’s most striking new voices.