Reviews

Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles

cnnr876's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

read for a book club, and boy howdy. this was painful to read. the characters were comically underdeveloped, the dialogue was ridiculous and hokey, and the story had no story to speak of. if it felt like she was trying to be intentionally absurdist, maybe i would give it a better rating, but i legitimately hated this.

shagdalen's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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? Yes

4.25

ashleyhosmer's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.0

charadreemurrs's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

blairmahoney's review against another edition

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4.0

Uniquely odd, almost like a collection of non-sequiturs from characters who are simultaneously perceptive about human nature and utterly alien like.

bobbygw's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It gets worse as it continues after a promising, quirky opening. Overall, a depressing, plodding, meandering, lethargic story, with relentlessly insipid, self-destructive, unbelievable characters. 

iammandyellen's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

arden_time's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

dollydidlums's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Slow with unlikable characters and no real plot to keep interested 

parleek's review against another edition

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I don’t even know what to do with this book. I was intrigued by the description but the style left me cold. It feels neither plot nor character driven: it’s very character focused but the characters are almost cartoonish.  I picked away at this over weeks and finally just flipped to the end and read the last few pages. A book I like the idea of while not actually liking.