Homework: A Novel [Paperback]

Margot Livesey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2001

Celia Gilchrist believes that she has finally found the right man in Stephen, but when she moves in with Stephen and his young daughter Jenny, things begin to go subtly, menacingly wrong. Money disappears, a sweater is ruined, small, common-place lies escalate into awkward confrontations. Livesey’s debut novel, now back in print, is a chilling portrait of jealousy and fear, devotion, and the wish to be loved.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A child's capacity for evil, favorite subject of much popular entertainment, is the theme of Livesey's ( Learning by Heart ) drably pedestrian though cleanly written tale. In order to escape a painful entanglement with an unfaithful lover in London, Celia Gilchrist, a thirty-something editor of unremarkable attributes, accepts a job in Edinburgh. Her life seems blissfully transformed when she embarks on a warm, trusting relationship with Stephen, a high school teacher separated from his wife. But this Edenic interlude proves short-lived: Stephen's wife, Helen, accepts a job in Paris, leaving their 10-year-old daughter, Jenny, to live with Stephen and Celia, who becomes convinced that Jenny is conniving at her removal. Because Stephen refuses to hear ill of his daughter, Celia is helpless to stymie Jenny's onslaught of petty tricks. Yet it's difficult to empathize with her plight, as Celia--like all of the characters here--is superficially drawn and surrounded by bland descriptive prose that makes her story even drearier. This first novel displays workmanlike construction rather than promise.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Though initially it appears to be a simple love story, this is a sinister if well-conceived tale, fraught with the terror created by the presence of evil. Livesey's spare prose skillfully highlights nuances, augmenting that terror. Unmarried lovers Celia and Stephen attempt to create a home and build a life together, but their efforts are challenged by Stephen's nine-year-old daughter, Jenny, a malevolent child consumed by jealousy, hatred, and despair. Though Celia, a textbook editor, is intelligent, sensitive, and caring, she is emotionally hampered by low self-esteem and limited expectations and fails to acknowledge Jenny's cruelty until it is almost too late. The final agony triggers subtle changes in the lives of all concerned. Highly recommended.
- Ellen R. Cohen, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Picador; 1 edition (September 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312420447
• ISBN-13: 978-0312420444
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PUT IT IN PERSEPCTIVE..., February 18, 2003

By 

Larry L. Looney (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homework: A Novel (Paperback)

...HOMEWORK is, after all, Margot Livesey's first novel. Those of us who have had the pleasure of reading her others have come to expect high quality from her - her talent for suspense shines so very brightly in CRIMINALS and THE MISSING WORLD, and her character development and storytelling, so evident in her masterpiece (my opinion) EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE, are stunning. HOMEWORK has its own bright moments - even for such a dark story. The tension that is present in the family's situation - a separated father with a bright daughter who resents the presence of a new woman in his life - is brilliantly portrayed and built upon. The psychological aspects of the story are seemingly well-researched and illuminated - and the frustration on the part of Celia (the `intruder' in her potential stepdaughter's life) - is palpable and fraught with tension, as well as the very real sense of terror that she experiences when she realizes how deeply the young girl's feelings run. When `things begin to happen' around the house, she becomes more and more aware of the lengths to which the girl will go to make her look bad, to make her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. She sees Celia's presence in her father's life as a drain on the love that she wants for herself - and she will evidently go to extravagant lengths to drive Celia out of the house.

Livesey's prose is jewel-like in its precision - the tension in this story builds imperceptibly, almost excruciatingly so. Comparisons have been drawn in several places to Hitchcock's films - and that's not completely inappropriate here, although I think it's much more developed in THE MISSING WORLD and CRIMINALS. The story might not end in a manner to suit every reader - but wouldn't that be boring, if every book we read wound up exactly as we expected/wanted...? Margot Livesey is a fine writer - and this novel is gripping and entertaining.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and complex psychological thriller!, March 10, 2003

By 

CoffeeGurl - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Homework: A Novel (Paperback)

Having read Criminals, The Missing World and Eva Moves the Furniture, I have finally gotten my hands on Margot Livesey's first novel. Homework is a haunting and complex novel about a clever and manipulative little girl who does everything in her power to tear her father and his girlfriend apart. What first appears as a jealous daughter's quest to get rid of her stepmother transpires into a psychological and disarming tale of the girl's malicious and conniving attempts to obtain sole possession of her father. Again, Livesey has proven that she is one of the cleverest authors of this time. The disturbing and haunting images that she concocts through her writing stimulate the reader's mind long after having finished the novel. I recommend all of Livesey's books most highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and haunting, September 28, 2004

By 

Michael Schau (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homework: A Novel (Paperback)

The psychological thriller is not known for its nuance, but Livesey has written a smart novel that is as low-key as it is intriguing. Perhaps because the tone and the heroine are so understated, so genteel, the unlikely source of the horrors is all the more frightening. I can only say that reading the first Livesey novel has sent me back online to buy the subsequent three. I can't wait.