Two Is Lonely

Jane Graham #3

by Lynne Reid Banks

Jane's son David is eight years old and Jane is filled with doubts as he grows up without a father. Toby, her first love, has gone to Israel after the collapse of his marriage to Melissa. Then there is Andy, close at hand, a complex personality with his own problem son. In the background is Terry, David's father, an amorphous shadow hanging over them.








This intense, compassionate novel completes the the trilogy which began with The L-Shaped Room,

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, British Literature, 20th Century

318 pages

First published April 1, 1975

About the author

Lynne Reid Banks is a British author of books for children and adults. She has written forty books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard, which has sold over 10 million copies and been made into a film.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during World War II but returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, was published in 1960.
In 1962 Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on an Israeli kibbutz Yasur. In 1965 she married Chaim Stephenson, with whom she had three sons. Although the family returned to England in 1971 and Banks now lives in Dorset, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books which are set partially or mainly on kibbutzim.

Reviews

[Silverymoonlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very emotional journey.

I was so happy to discover this vintage trilogy.
The way in which this is written and it's subjects such as parenthood, the importance of supporting smaller businesses is so relevant today.
I did get rather frustrated with her but I understood why she needed to cleanse her last pathway in order to follow a new one and allow herself to love and be loved.
A fabulous conclusion to the L.shaped Room. An author I am in awe of!

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The final novel in Bank’s trilogy is in my view the least successful and I found myself increasingly irritated with Jane’s procrastination and inability to resolve the dilemma in her life. Toby also appeared to have become very one dimensional. In this novel the action moves from a stereotypical setting of a hippie commune in Hydra to an arid kibbutz in Israel on the brink of war.

[Helen Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoping to read this joyfully but it was an effort to get through, not least because of the abhorrent racism, sexism and classism that is at the core of this series, as well as the meandering plot. Billy asked me if I should even be reading this? Well I told him because I do kind of like it in a sociological way, like this is the voice of a middle class woman in the 60s&70s and it's endlessly fascinating and frustrating. Also, when I was on the brink of abandoning, I read that Lynne Reid Banks lived and taught for 8 years in a kibbutz, so was fascinated to see how that would play out in the plot line of this. It doesn't really add anything but opportunities for the narrator to cast judgements. Probably a book that should never see the light of day again. I give this two lonely stars.

[BookishKirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I... I do not know how to rate this. It is so very, very racist, and very, very homophobic, and built on a sexist and heteronormative view of what is necessary for a child.

However, the emotional sweep of the last third is astounding. I was fully carried away with Jane and invested in every nuance of her interactions.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant writing, can’t be denied. But the racist and homophobic elements that crept in, in a way that the author seemed to have thought acceptable, were shocking. But perhaps we shouldn’t ascribe those beliefs to the writer - they belonged to the character.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1975, 15 years after the L-Shaped Room which I read in 1972, this final book in the trilogy is set in 1967 and involves a trip to a kibbutz in Israel to meet Toby, Jane Graham’s former lover from 8 years earlier.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking as Jane deals with unanticipated effects of not having a father for her son in addition to the long-running problem, of Toby plus new man on the block Andy. Multiple conclusions, mostly satisfactory.

[Susan Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this series of books. Window into another era. Worth reading.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is dated and horrible. I read it as a 5th grader on a Kibbutz in Israel. It must have been left by one of the English volunteers. It has so many adult themes, that I'm surprised it even held my interest back then. I was drawn to the pretty woman on the cover, and the love story, and the part that took place in Israel. Now, I only stuck it out to confirm the memory of certain parts of the story. There are a bunch of misogynistic men trying to make decisions for the women in their lives, in completely selfish manners. The main character, Jane, is paranoid that since she had a son out of wedlock, he will be emotionally "crippled." She spends page after page mourning with worry and blaming herself for his being so dippy. Chris the hippy in Greece talks about his hippy water love cult for two pages. He must not have taken a breath because there aren't even paragraph indents. Jane's black friend, John, who is described as black every time he enters the scene, is some caricature of a simple "negro" who loves his friends and behaves childishly when confronted with any stressor. The whole thing was awful, but I'm glad I read it again to connect with my 10 year old self.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Dee-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this following the first book ... did not like it as much but still enjoyable at the time

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the L shaped room trilogy

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I have read enough about Jane and her son. Put this down after 100 pages.

[Debore · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dull book, the L shaped room was astounding, her relationship with her son is way to sexualised for my liking.

Very odd indeed.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

At least this finalised the story full of emotions. I just felt for goodness sake get on with it girl. It was a hard slogg to get to the end.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the second volume of the trilogy, but certainly a good read

[Row · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5