The Lonely Girl

Rating:
Summary: Subtle Character Study: Young Girl's Affair w/Much Older Man
Review: If you're looking for a pulp fiction romance don't read this book. On the other hand, if you are open to a subtle, thoughtful book more akin to good literature than dime store characterizations then consider reading The Lonely Girl, a "slice of life" fiction that gives us a peek into the life of a very young, very immature, Dublin girl who has an affair with a much older man. At first blush I was fustrated with the girl thinking she didn't have much of a backbone. But when I started to think more about her age (21) and her utter lack of worldly experience I thought the author did an excellent job depicting the emotional gulf that permanently separates the two: the girl has not had a chance to mature and become her own person, how can she ever maintain a relationship with the older, more worldly man? I think many women (if they are being honest) will also see a bit of their young selves in the Lonely Girl.

Rating:
Summary: a novel huh?
Review: This is just about the worst piece of crap I've ever read. Sometimes I really wondered how anyone can lable Edna O'Brien a writer. Nothing interesting happens, the charachters are the most non-colourful (can you use that word?) I've ever read about and the circumstances are just unbelievable. A 21 year old girl who knows nothing about nothing. Just cries all the time, thinks she is fat, and dreams about the perfect man (who she by the way thinks only exists in movies and such). On top of all this it's just so badly written. It's like " on the evening we talked about going to a party. Then we went to bed and slept. When we woke up we put on make-up and went to that party..." I mean... it's not like very good reading. I don't recommend it.