Two Serious Ladies, 20 Aug 2003
Two Serious Ladies is a book I've read many times with the same curious delight at its absolute oddness. It has been my favourite book for a long time, but I keep giving my copies away to people. It is truly hard to describe, Jane Bowles was the most unique writer, her short stories and this short novel have the ability to infuriate and mystify the reader, eccentric is a word that comes to mind. In writerly terms she does a lot of things wrong and yet gets things so utterly right. I've never known another person who has read her, and I always wish that everybody had.

Two Serious Ladies, 20 Aug 2003
Two Serious Ladies is a book I've read many times with the same curious delight at its absolute oddness. It has been my favourite book for a long time, but I keep giving my copies away to people. It is truly hard to describe, Jane Bowles was the most unique writer, her short stories and this short novel have the ability to infuriate and mystify the reader, eccentric is a word that comes to mind. In writerly terms she does a lot of things wrong and yet gets things so utterly right. I've never known another person who has read her, and I always wish that everybody had.

One only wishes that Ms Bowles had written more. ., 20 Jan 2000
Jane Bowles is one of those rare writers of whom one wishes that she had written more. She wrote pitifully little, (a handful of short stories, one novel and a stage play), all of which are printed in this fabulous collection. Bowles' fans love her for her truly original vision - her characters' childish integrity which is delivered to us with Bowles's economical, sharp andsophisticated authorial tone and her strong sense of visual imagery. Read her slowly, one word at a time; she is delicious.

One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, 04 May 1999
The novel "Two Serious Ladies" (included) is alone worth the price of admission.