Reviews

Girls in Their Married Bliss by Edna O'Brien

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agnesealstrian's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

foggy_rosamund's review against another edition

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3.0

Some years have passed since the end of The Girl With Green Eyes and both Baba and Kate are now married and living in London. The first two books in this trilogy are told exclusively in first person, from Kate's perspective, and the voice is dynamic and original. This novel, however, is told in third person limited from Kate's perspective, and in first person from Baba's perspective. Neither of these work as well as the first person voice from the first two novels, and because of this, this book isn't as compelling. As well as that, the plot, following Baba's and Kate's various affairs, and unhappiness, feels more trite and less compelling. O'Brien's depiction of London isn't as interesting as her Dublin and rural Ireland, and the book doesn't have the same humour. All that being said, it's an engaging and believable novel, and Kate and Baba are both strongly drawn characters.

lola425's review against another edition

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3.0

This was my first Edna O'Brien book and I liked it very much. I found it very funny in parts. The humor could easily have gotten dated, but for some reason it didn't because the personalities of the characters shined through. I'm ging to try O'Briens biography of Byron next and then perhaps give her fiction another shot.