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laurapoulosky's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this story of a young actress who, despite being a blonde bombshell, is more interested in doing TV comedy than in being admired for her looks. She starts her career in the 1960s, which is when most of the novel takes place, but we also learn about what happens to her and the other main characters up to the present day. The characters are indeed clever, and the narrator of the audiobook does a great job bringing them to life.
annab8908's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Nearly DNF this one at 75percent in but stuck it out. It was just okay. Didn't care much for the plot or th characters. The ending was unsatisfying.
sineadhg's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
greenek3's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Read as part of a challenge to read the lowest-rated books on my TBR. I understand why it falls on that end, the story is slow and jumps around to many different ensemble members so it can feel unfocused at times. Very British! I did enjoy some tidbits, and found Tonys character to have the most interesting quotes. However there wasn’t much to be excited about in this book.
toebean5's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those rare books where I really enjoyed the tv adaptation more than the book. I think the show was clever and the characters were great- which is why I sought out the book. I appreciated that Dennis was of Indian descent on the show- that made the issue of discrimination more nuanced. I also liked that Barbara holds onto her friendships- Marjorie isn't just a person she tosses aside when she "makes it" on the show. I guess... I thought it was odd that there would be scenes where it would say how funny it was, but... not make it funny, if that makes sense. Maybe that's why the show worked better for me, I can't be sure. Overall, it was fine.
marijaskoog's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
michelehoward's review against another edition
4.0
Easy read, and good look at the 1960's influence on life. Funny and entertaining characters.
ccolleen's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
christarahl's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty good. It gets along but it’s a very casual book so it was hard to get into the flow of reading. I liked the story line but it felt like I couldn’t always connect to or remember each character, which I haven’t ran into often. It was nice but nothing crazy amazing. Someone below described it as “bland,” and that’s a great word for it. It’s meant to be funny, but from this and “Long Way Down,” I don’t see Nick Hornby as a funny author. This is not a bad book. It’s just not a book I would recommend to friends.