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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
this book is shocking and sad. as a girl who uses her comfort tv to cope with mental illness, a bit spooky to see. so good!
Okay this was good and I highlighted 90% of the book but the ending left me depressed in a not good way
DNF. I’m halfway through the book and I haven’t gotten hooked. In fact, this book is SO boring that I’ve entered a reading block because I just can’t make myself sit down for more than 30 minutes to read this!! Bonnie’s narration is soooo dull, and the construction of the entire set went on for too long. The only part I found interesting was when there was some real conflict between Bonnie and her friend
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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
aka my year of rest and relaxation 2.0. three stars ⭐️ for now, but if it’s anything like ottessa’s brand of crazy, i’ll be thinking about one’s company for many years to come. maybe it’s a 3.5.
thank you w.w. norton & company and netgalley for this digitial arc that i ignored for 1.5 years as my netgalley ratio went down in flames!! glad to be back!!
where to begin with this book. firstly, i would like to apologize for the forthcoming negative review and provide a caveat that i am likely not the intended audience for this book. however, i would also like to argue that the intended audience for this book is so small that it was bound to gather more haters (me) than lovers (not me).
one's company follows one woman's descent into madness as the consequence of a traumatic incident, the details of which are slowly revealed throughout the book. in her downward spiral, main character bonnie wins the lottery and decides to spend her winnings on an outlandish attempt to live inside her favorite tv show, Three's Company.
and here is my first issue with the book: i simply do not care about three's company. i was not alive while it was airing. i have never seen a single episode (and i certainly don't plan on it now). my only frame of reference for this show is the episode of full house where no one can remember the three's company theme song. that is it.
and while this necessarily wouldn't be a problem, i think too much of this book hinges on the reader having some frame of knowledge for the show or at least an appreciation for it. and i am not that kind of reader (sorry). reading page after page of descriptions of the set and wardrobe and cast changes grew so old so quickly. i never cared. and as the book went on, i actively began to hate this show.
to the book's credit, i think the comparisons to ottessa moshfegh are apt. unfortunately, i am a known moshfegh hater (again, sorry), so this also did not really work for me. the unwell woman genre has made its mark for a reason, and i'm sure those same girlies would find something about this narrator to appreciate, but i need something different from my novels than what is usually offered by moshfegh and what was offered here.
as we find out more about bonnie's trauma that led to this whole three's company endeavor, we never get enough for me to be fully invested in her character development. bonnie is so intent on burying her trauma and forgetting her past that i was never satisfied with her progression into madness. i need a through-line in the chaos, let me track how and why exactly this woman lost her mind.
bonnie is also incredibly one-dimensional as a narrator. three's company or nothing, all the time, always. there was an attempt at the end to steer her in the direction of a redemption arc, but it was so poorly executed and given such little time to develop. while much of this book dragged on and could have done with some hefty editing, the ending was rushed and underdone.
so. i did not enjoy this book. i think the target audience is the middle section of the venn diagram of moshfegh fans and three's company fans. not in that section? don't waste your time.
SORRY AGAIN I WILL BE MORE PROMPT AND HOPEFULLY MORE POSITIVE NEXT TIME <3
where to begin with this book. firstly, i would like to apologize for the forthcoming negative review and provide a caveat that i am likely not the intended audience for this book. however, i would also like to argue that the intended audience for this book is so small that it was bound to gather more haters (me) than lovers (not me).
one's company follows one woman's descent into madness as the consequence of a traumatic incident, the details of which are slowly revealed throughout the book. in her downward spiral, main character bonnie wins the lottery and decides to spend her winnings on an outlandish attempt to live inside her favorite tv show, Three's Company.
and here is my first issue with the book: i simply do not care about three's company. i was not alive while it was airing. i have never seen a single episode (and i certainly don't plan on it now). my only frame of reference for this show is the episode of full house where no one can remember the three's company theme song. that is it.
and while this necessarily wouldn't be a problem, i think too much of this book hinges on the reader having some frame of knowledge for the show or at least an appreciation for it. and i am not that kind of reader (sorry). reading page after page of descriptions of the set and wardrobe and cast changes grew so old so quickly. i never cared. and as the book went on, i actively began to hate this show.
to the book's credit, i think the comparisons to ottessa moshfegh are apt. unfortunately, i am a known moshfegh hater (again, sorry), so this also did not really work for me. the unwell woman genre has made its mark for a reason, and i'm sure those same girlies would find something about this narrator to appreciate, but i need something different from my novels than what is usually offered by moshfegh and what was offered here.
as we find out more about bonnie's trauma that led to this whole three's company endeavor, we never get enough for me to be fully invested in her character development. bonnie is so intent on burying her trauma and forgetting her past that i was never satisfied with her progression into madness. i need a through-line in the chaos, let me track how and why exactly this woman lost her mind.
bonnie is also incredibly one-dimensional as a narrator. three's company or nothing, all the time, always. there was an attempt at the end to steer her in the direction of a redemption arc, but it was so poorly executed and given such little time to develop. while much of this book dragged on and could have done with some hefty editing, the ending was rushed and underdone.
so. i did not enjoy this book. i think the target audience is the middle section of the venn diagram of moshfegh fans and three's company fans. not in that section? don't waste your time.
SORRY AGAIN I WILL BE MORE PROMPT AND HOPEFULLY MORE POSITIVE NEXT TIME <3
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes