Similar Casualties of Peace, A Pagan Place, Girl with Green Eyes, House of Splendid Isolation, Mother Ireland | ||
Girls in Their Married Bliss is the third and final novel in Edna O'Brien's "Country Girls Trilogy" following,The Country Girls and Girl with Green Eyes. The novel was first published in Britain in 1964. The novel was less well received, because of its darker themes and writing, and wasn't published in the United States until 1967.
Reception
Generally, the novel was not as well received in either the United Kingdom or the United States. The New York Times reviewer Mellicent Bell described the novel as a "less rollicking [...] third stage of [Baba and Kate's] adventures", which focus too much on a more "grim" fate for the two characters, than readers might like. Bell highlights how the novel continues patterns and themes from the earlier novels, focusing on sexual exploration and how religiosity effects the two women.
Kirkus Reviews was similarly mixed about its conclusions, writing "A mixed pleasure, this is at times a lovely, larky book and in others, there are sad spot touches closing with the rueful envoi."