One's Company by Ashley Hutson. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to a digital ARC of this book.
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I read this book months ago and have been putting off leaving a review because I've never watched Three's Company, so there was a lot in the book that went over my head.
The premise of the novel is that our eccentric main character, Bonnie Lincoln, wins the lottery and uses the money to create a replica of the apartment from the 70s sitcom Three's Company in the mountains where she can live out her days pretending she is one of the characters in the show.
The central question of the book is whether a person can successfully escape their trauma by isolating themselves in a fantasy version of reality. Can a person just turn off their brain and live as a sitcom character with simple routines and plot lines, or will the outside world drag them back?
While I admire Hutson's attention to detail in describing the set and her exploration of themes of mental illness and loneliness - I kept feeling like I couldn't fully appreciate the novel without having seen Three's Company. I'm sure that not everyone who reads the novel without having seen Three's Company would feel the same way - but surely there's a lot more here for someone who has been a fan of the show (or at least watched a few episodes).
I'd also recommend the book to someone who was a fan of Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
I'll be extremely curious to see what Ashley Hutson writes next.
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#netgalley #onescompany #threescompany #bookpost #bookreview #minibookreview #recommendedread

An interesting and compelling literary fiction book about loneliness. It wasn’t quite for me, but it was well written nonetheless.

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

After a traumatic event, Bonnie begins to comfort watch Three’s Company, her own form of self-therapy to forget what she went through. Years later, she wins the lottery and decides to leave the world behind, using her newfound money to construct the set of her favorite show and live vicariously through its characters.

She is vehement about guarding her location and keeping the construction a secret because "other people can ruin a dream just by knowing it."

Bonnie isn't particularly likable — but her life is definitely 100% tragic. The more she leaned into her "character," spiraling further into fantasy and absurdity, the sadder I felt for her. I desperately hoped she would find her way back to the real world.

**SPOILERS**

But every attempt at making her life better leads to further destruction. For instance, happiness with "Rita" leads to "stabbing" her best friend, ending "Rita's" appearance in Bonnie's life. She even had to set her dream on fire because others eventually found out about it. In the end, it's "Three's Company" that comes to her rescue once more.

And while Bonnie's mental illness is truly out of control, I think all of us can relate to finding solace in certain books/shows/movies/music. It's definitely safer to live in these works of art than it is to show up and exist in the real world.

Have you ever wanted to live in your comfort show when things are tough? Then maybe this book is for you. However, if you have any sensitivities then I would check the trigger warnings.

There was a lot I liked about this book. The writing is really good, it’s got a bit of an “unhinged woman” /weird fiction vibe, and there are some really relatable quotes about dealing with other people. But somehow, it just didn’t quite grab me. I definitely think this is a me thing versus a book thing. I just didn’t connect with it as much as I do with books I rate higher. You don’t need to know anything about Three’s Company. Everything is explained pretty well, although, you might get more out of the book if you have some background knowledge of the show. If you don’t like unlikeable characters, this book may not be for you. You don’t hate the main character, but you don’t really like them either. At least I didn’t. If you’re interesting in the synopsis at all I think it’s worth the read.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters that contain reflections on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), violent crime, murder, the death of a loved one, grief, gun violence, rape, sexual violence, suicide, self-harm, the death of an animal, animal abuse, & others.

When written by an author with talent, certain stories can be like lightning to the skeletal system that holds us in place. There is no tender way to speak to the ways in which the mind can lose itself to pain.

It has become more commonplace to speak of the value of a healthy mind; the care that should be given to the ailing; the patience we all need to offer. In reality, when soaking wet the rain feels like acid; mental illness is not easy, it is not kind, it is not smooth or palatable; mental illness is painful, it is destructive, it is turmoil, & pain. I cannot fault the fallacy of misunderstanding that follows the innocent intent of the majority. It is nice to know that we are known, if still misunderstood.

In some sense, to meet people like Bonnie is a privilege. The world is very different for each of us & I remain inclined to acknowledge that we experience it in varying ways too. Sometimes, the small things feel like the end of the world; it is not bad to feel overwhelmed by the stone in our shoes. What becomes tricky to communicate is the monsoon in the heart that wallows the mind in dead water.

People familiar with life & its many facets will find in this story a character who merits a second chance. What is interesting about this story is the impact it has on its readers. Should you have come to the place where reviews live, you will see people degrade Bonnie & claim she is a horrible person who was impossible to root for. I cannot fault them for their opinions.

What I would like to propose in this critique is the opposite. Certainly, Bonnie is complex. She suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & in my unprofessional opinion, shows signs of Schizoaffective Disorder.

Our ability to share with one another has muddied our understanding of complex issues. One might feel nervous about speaking to a cashier but this does not mean that one has an Anxiety Disorder. A person who lives with conditions that shape the mind & in turn, the world around them, do not experience life in the same ways as those who do not.

Once again, I cannot necessarily fault people for not grasping the complexities of mental illness & mental disorders; if one is sheltered, one cannot know. Admittedly, I am rather happy to know that people experience life free of the burden that shadows out the light.

Unfortunately, due to this, conditions like the ones I listed above leave people upset, disgusted, & rather repulsed with the person in question. When exploring the realities that Bonnie has experienced throughout her life, it would be simple to conclude that she has had a rough go.

While growing up she lost her father to suicide; her mother fell into a Depressive episode due to grief; her mother attempted suicide; her mother died in palliative care. Her best friend adopted her into her family. Bonnie was welcomed into a home with a father & a mother; a brother, & a sister. She became a surrogate for the childhood she never got to experience; when she slept she was sound & secure.

Rather than accept that this was an experience that would advocate a change which Bonnie would be unprepared to deal with, the people in Bonnie’s life perpetrated actions that allowed her condition to worsen. This is not to say that it was their fault; Bonnie is responsible for her person. What is perhaps rather more difficult to accept is our participation in the lives of people we meet in passing & in whose precious time we nestle our hours.

Without a loving home, Bonnie would have had nothing to compare; her life would have remained a series of unfortunate events. She was accepted into a home & then these same people allegedly spoke badly about her when she was healing.

There is no easy way to reflect on the events of this book. I cannot fault the foster family for their uncertainty & annoyance towards Bonnie. In life, many things transpire; some regularly bad & others wonderfully good. At the end of each day, we remain in our own company & have the responsibility of owning the experiences we had along the way. There is no point in initiating change in a person’s life if the goal is to throw this same kindness in their face & reveal lies; cracks in the foundation of trust they thought they had with you.

The recollections that Bonnie shares with readers speak of a terrible thing. When Bonnie finally felt able to trust that life would not leave her out in the open alone, her adopted family was gunned down in their convenience store; Bonnie was violently sexually assaulted; & life was no more than a burdened reminder of everything she would never have again.

Throughout this book the main character is unlikeable, I will not pretend otherwise. For readers whose experience with the world is perhaps sheltered, or ground in the soil of a single neighbourhood, their time spent with Bonnie might feel altogether horrible. Bonnie does not have any redeeming features. What the reader will have to decide is whether or not she deserves forgiveness for the ways in which her brain chose to change as a consequence of the events that she experienced.

Again, to a certain extent, we are all responsible for the ways we act in the world. Bonnie did not need to leave the dog for dead by starving it & abandoning it in the woods. Bonnie did have a choice as to how she treated the innocent animals; she chose abuse & death.

I will not ask the reader to forgive Bonnie for the malaise she created in a sea of blue. Rather, what I want to draw the reader’s attention to is Bonnie’s inability to be a functioning human being.

Discussions surrounding mental health & disorders often integrate some of what I have already written; people are responsible for themselves & their actions. To be ill is not an excuse & an excuse is interpreted as being something that would automatically pardon or wipe clean the blood on the blade. The contrary is, in actuality, true.

People who are ill do not have the benefit of clear thought. Of course, journeys to heal open wounds help individuals flow through the seasons with more ease but, for some, the innocence of life is lost forever. It is positive to include details about a person’s mental state so as to better understand the facets of the illness or the disorder; in this way we become better informed as to the ways in which a brain can hanker down & demerit the life it is keeps breathing. This is true in Bonnie’s case.

Bonnie is a person whose personality is degrading; she is mean, insensitive, cruel, shallow-minded, simple-minded, & harbours a desire to mistreat others. As she maneuvers her way through memory lane, she presents the reader with a fulsome version of herself. This approach is odd given Bonnie has very little ability to see things in their entirety & rather views everything in fractions.

Perhaps, the author felt inclined to write Bonnie as a person who lived entirely in a darkness of their own making; a person who remains disinclined from turning on the light. On the other hand, readers might feel that Bonnie is lost in a catacomb that mazes under a city she has never visited. Regardless of a reader’s interpretation, this story allows them the opportunity to regard advanced stages of trauma on the brain.

As her dream house is built, Bonnie allows herself the feeling of excitement; soon she will evade the human world for her personal paradise built in the likeness of “Three’s Company” (1976). I have never seen this show & for most of the book, I had to check records for references to the cast or search for photos of the scenes; most of what took place left me feeling apathetic.

Instead of wondering at the distance between myself & Bonnie’s comfort, I chose to look for my own. When I was young, my grandma & I used to watch episodes of “The Golden Girls” (1985) together. As I grew up, I found myself going back to the series over, & over again. Since my grandmother’s passing I meet her in the televised security of a story I know well; one that does not change in the ways of life; a series of events yet unknown to me.

I am inclined to believe that many people will understand Bonnie’s desire to live inside a place she deems as safe. In the world in which we live, safety can be a passing fancy or a concept one rarely encounters. Rather than roll the dice, Bonnie chose to take things into her own hands—I cannot blame her for that.

There is, however, a difference between having a favourite show, film, album, blanket, food, or hat rotate through life with you & what Bonnie has chosen which is to say; it is normal to find comfort in various aspects of life. It is unhealthy to shed the skin you live in to nestle through a groove so that you are never felt by life as a whole, ever again.

Though there were parts of this story that left me confused; the convict, the pets left behind by a contractor who knew a woman to be deliriously unwell; the storm; the best friend; the story as a whole tells the tale of an experience that deserves to be shared. One is lucky to never understand what it feels like to want to hide in the ground forever.

Ultimately, within this story, I found myself picking apart the plot to reveal the inner workings of a mind that could not voice reason into the malady it suffered. Surely, Bonnie could love the cold stone facade of the wandering convict & surely, she would have it in herself to love the story that allowed her to perish within its antiquated design.

As the train track & Christmas village that waited yearly for its time to make way into the hearth; Bonnie’s life will probably never be healed, wait & pace the halls of confinement as she did. Inside the dark there is always the form the human eye cannot absorb.

In Bonnie’s recollection she murdered her friend. Perhaps, she murdered the woman she loved & instead of admitting this to herself she wrote herself a letter in her lover’s hand. Perhaps, instead of murdering her best friend, Bonnie lashed a knife against her own skin. There is no set conclusion to this story. The reader will not receive the reprieve of a final moment between the characters they met within this book.

When all is said & done, that was not the point in their meeting. Readers, people at writ large, will probably never meet someone like Bonnie but, they will rewatch their favourite series; they will settle to re-watch their favourite film, replay their favourite song, & tell someone close to them about the intimacy of their prized piece of art.

Within books, one is granted the ability to live a life that does not belong to them. We grow as individuals when we expose ourselves to the wandering eye of the skylight; the omniscient being that heaves monstrosities in our mind.

Though, I would not like to be in Bonnie’s shoes, I wish her well. I am hopeful that stories like this one remind us of who we are. Whether one is at ease or weighed down; one is in this life, if only for a moment. In as much time as it might take to read this book, one is given permission to forgive the horrible violence of invisible illness & the ways in which it cauterizes the self; preventing thy own freedom from within.

Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, & Ashley Hutson for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm a lover of odd books. When I read the premise for this one, I was all in. As I read it, I needed to stop often and really think about what WASN"T being said. More than a quippy or dark story about a girl obsessed with a television show, this is a book about trauma. It's a book about what trauma can do to a person. It's a book about what the human mind will do to escape trauma. In that sense, I loved it. It was visceral how much the main character was trying to escape from something she couldn't process. All of that being said, the reader needs to bring a lot to this book. So much of the point, in my opinion, comes from the reader reading between the lines and thinking about the motivations of the character, what is reality and what is contrived, and finding empathy for her even though she isn't likable. I enjoyed this book, but it's work.

Bonnie Lincoln lives a sad, lonely life -- one where a tragedy-marred past haunts her and causes her to shut out everyone and everything around her, preferring to escape into the safe, contained world of the '70s sitcom Three's Company.

When she wins a billion dollar lottery, Bonnie's finally able to shirk off the world completely -- despite the best efforts of her ex-best friend Krystal who is dealing with tragedy in her own way. Deciding to live out the rest of her days in solitude, Bonnie retreats to a mountain compound where she's used her newfound fortune to painstakingly recreate every set on the show, so she can live out the lives of each character one by one, entirely erasing the identity -- and life -- of Bonnie Lincoln.

I give props to Ashley Hutson for the premise of this book. It's extremely interesting and unlike any other book I've read. Told in first person perspective, we get fully immersed in Bonnie's world of obsession and quest to obliterate her identity and fragment herself into each of these fictional characters that are more real to her than anyone in her life. In that way, the novel takes on a suffocating air. We live through Bonnie's pain. We feel her sense of isolation and distrust of the outside world, understand the warmth such a controlled, artificial world brings her. It's a stark portrait of mental anguish dealt with in a wholly unconventional way.

I enjoyed the lavish descriptions of the sets she built to mimic the world of Three's Company. Hutson clearly had to watch a lot of the show to describe every room, piece of furniture, and decoration in such vivid detail -- as well as the characters that inhabited it. The lushness of the world she built really gave the novel a sense of authenticity that made it all the more emotionally hard to swallow. And while the descriptions were out-of-this-world, I feel like they took up a large portion of the book, which left less room for an exploration of Bonnie's relationship with Krystal and the handful of other characters she interacted with throughout the story.

I also appreciated the way Hutson used Krystal to explore another avenue of grief and emotional distress -- one more familiar to us and more similar to Bonnie's own experience than she was ever able to recognize in the book. It was refreshing to have the characters fit together and push against each other in such a way that allowed them both to move forward. While neither of them are really likeable characters, they're well done. I just wish there was more interaction between them throughout.

The story does end in a simple, satisfying way. I just think I didn't connect with it as much as some others might. However, the writing is excellent -- so if you like literary fiction with a slightly oddball tilt, I would definitely add this one to your TBR!

Perhaps you need to be a big Three’s Company fan to truly enjoy this?

Is anyone really a big Three’s Company fan? Other than the protagonist of this book, that is.

I struggle a lot with protagonists who I feel sorry for but don’t especially like, and that played a big role in my lack of enjoyment of this novel.

Bonnie has had a terrible time of it and I certainly felt bad for her, but she’s just not a very interesting person. Even taking what is surely severe situational depression into account for her demeanor, she still didn’t do much for me other than elicit pity.

I understand what the author was trying to do with Bonnie’s obsessive attachment to a dated, hammy sitcom, but I just struggle to feel much about someone who is this obsessed with a tv show. And not even a *good* tv show.

The fact that the show is outdated is of course part of the point the author is trying to make, but to me it’s SO outdated and lacking in the kind of nostalgia most people want to revisit that it just makes the whole book feel sort of out of touch, even as the reader recognizes that this is exactly Bonnie’s problem and that’s the whole point.

Again, I understand what Hutson was trying to do, but it just makes for a depressing read that does little to capture the reader’s attention.

One’s Company was such a unique book that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it. Definitely one of the most interesting novels I’ve read this year.

Bonnie has survived a horrible tragedy that leaves her with lasting trauma. Her “salvation” comes in the form of Threes’s Company, which she discovers during a late night plagued by insomnia. She doesn’t want to be Bonnie anymore - but she can be Jack, Chrissy & Janet. After Bonnie wins the largest lottery in history she decides to do just that.

There aren’t many characters in this novel so we spend a lot of time with Bonnie, who isn’t the most likable character. Even so the author did a great job of making me care for her. I got anxious for her every time the threat of something new and horrible loomed outside the world she created for herself and I just wanted her to find peace and work towards processing her grief. There are times where the author really messes with your mind so you’re not sure what exactly is real and what’s in Bonnie’s head.

This book isn’t one that I would recommend to everyone, but it’s one I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I look forward to checking out future books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton and Company for a review copy.

To say I was blown away by Ashley Hutson's ONE'S COMPANY is a bit of an understatement. I finished it a few weeks ago and am still thinking about it, digesting it's plot and twists, and thinking about the main character Bonnie. It's a book about depression, obsession, and fantasizing about what one might do if they win the lottery.

This is what happens to Bonnie, a loner who is processing trauma by immersing herself in her DVD collection of the 70s TV show Three's Company. When she wins the lottery unexpectedly, she decides to spend all of her money to recreate the show in a reclusive mountain mansion where she will live each character for an entire year. It's a pretty bonkers plot, and I loved every second of it. The themes of escaping reality through pop culture and art you love certainly resonated with me, and I loved how it was taken to the extreme in this case. The ride was so fun, but also tragic and moving at the same time. I cannot recommend enough.

One's Company is unlike any other book I ever read, and. I really appreciated how unique the story was. I also thought the main character, Bonnie, was an interesting character study on how humans can deal with trauma.

I think I would have loved this book if I watched Three's Company. It was a lot of details on the show and the world the Three's Company world Bonnie was building. I also wish it was funnier/had more moments of levity. I highly recommend it if you are a Three's Company fan though.

Thank you so much to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sad. NOT funny. But DESERVES four stars. I finished it BECAUSE it was well written, but I would not have read it had I known what was coming.
Some of the blurbs at the beginning of One's Company called it a Black Comedy. I did not laugh once. In fairness, the novel is well written, hangs together, has some great characters and Bonnie Lincoln and how she proceeds when she wins a bazillion dollar lottery is amazingly wrought. But it is a sad, introspective book about a very damaged woman who needs to live as a character in Three's Company to survive. Bonnie is a woman in her early twenties who has only ever had exactly one friend. Both her parents are dead and you would not call her family one that was memorable in a good way. She's recently gone through a horrible trauma, coming out of a situation as the only survivor-- if you want to call it survival.
Somehow, the old sitcom, Three's Company, comforts her and she becomes obsessed. When she wins the biggest lottery ever, Bonnie creates an alternate world for herself of the Three's Company set and sets things up so that she will live alone there and be one of the characters from the show each year, moving from apartment to apartment, but always existing in the 1970s.. We already know the concept of this novel going in. It's in the blurbs. Personally, the best thing about the book, is what I THOUGHT it was going to be. Something light and silly and a little pathetic but in a way that doesn't make you curl up in pain. Well done. Wish I had not read it.

What an odd little book! Why Three’s Company? The level of detail was great and the tone very consistent.

I liked this book! It was good for fans Ottessa Moshfegh and Mona Awad as described, but didnt' feel as chaotic or disgusting, which... OK I admit maybe I missed that. It was a slow burn for sure and it took me a bit to get through for that reason, but I enjoyed it when I was reading it. I think I would have gotten through an audiobook a lot faster. I WILL say that I think I would have liked it better if I knew anything about the show Three's Company, but I'd also say you might expect that based on the description lol. It was nice. Nice is the perfect way to describe it, actually.

dnf; i think this was more of a me issue than the book but i tried really hard to get past the fact i only know bits and pieces about what three's company was due to the fact my parents used to watch it but because this book was so reliant on this premise of recreating this television world as a safe space was hard to wrap my head around. i do think I will try this one again at a later date because there seems to be so much promise in it outside of my current issue and as such, i believe it it deserves a second chance from me. I will be updating my rating when this happens!

this was bonkers…but obviously in the BEST way. a unique deepdive into the psychological effects of a traumatic event as we follow Bonnie immersing herself so much in her favorite TV show that she uses lottery winnings to literally recreate the sets of the show and live as its characters

On paper, this book sounds like something I should have loved. For some reason, perhaps because I picked this up at the wrong time, I feel indifferent to it. I could not connect with the narrative voice. I didn't particularly care for the emphasis on Three's Company.

This book was a heavy insight into escaping your past trauma. I liked the idea of winning the lottery and re-creating the Three's Company set. I thought the book would be more light and humorous, but it was actually a contemplation of trauma and mental health issues.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Oh boy. This one was a doozy and quite honestly unlike anything I’ve ever read. One’s Company is the story of Bonnie Lincoln. From the start, it’s clear Bonnie has some eccentricities and prefers to keep to herself, which are a result of her own upbringing and of a traumatic incident that killed most of her adopted family and resulted in her own sexual assault. Her main escape from her memories and her PTSD is her favorite show - Three’s Company.

On a fluke, Bonnie plays the lotto - and then she wins. And not just a little bit of money - but the largest lottery winnings in her state’s history. What does Bonnie decide to do with all that cash? Move to the mountains and build a real life replica of the Three’s Company set and begin to live like each of the characters without ever having to come face to face with another human again.

This just wasn’t my cup of tea - I couldn’t relate to the character or sympathize for Bonnie. She’s incredibly unlikable and her avoidance of her trauma or even recognition of it made me insane. The story dragged for me and by the end I was so over it, that the ending felt like a relief. If you like new and absurd - this is for you.

Thanks to W.W. Norton & Company, Ashley Hutson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!