Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Black Swans by Eve Babitz

4 reviews

delilahgknight's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I've been wanting to read Babitz, and this collection in particular, for quite some time and I'm so glad I got around to it. Babitz's writing is so vivacious and sharp and witty. There were some stories I enjoyed more than others but even the ones that weren't my cup of tea were by no means bad. I think my favourites were 'Jealousy', 'Free Tibet', 'Coco' and 'Black Swans'. 
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agnesbebon's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

I think Stephanie Danler’s introduction to this book is perfect. She perfectly captured Eve and this novel. I particularly found myself going back to where she wrote, “There are half a dozen moments in Black Swans that feel disturbing in hindsight (Eve’s lack of political consciousness is hard to read in 2018...).” 

Eve Babitz has a wonderful writing style. As Danler writes, “her stories often felt like unfinished sketches. Observations never coalescing into an investigation, with each piece skirting any moral footing from first sentence to last.” Her writing is fun, beautiful, and dances around The Point in a way I found delightful. 

I choose to look at this book as self-aware satire, which is why I’m rating it at 4 stars. I recommend reading the book through this lens, and I often found myself wondering if she wrote it that way - it’s biographical fiction, after all. I loved how the stories were all connected, yet inconsistent (I love an inconsistent narrator), and floated back and forth through time. 
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bookgirllife's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What I have decided upon reading this book is that Eve Babitz is a cool girl. My god, what a witty and exuberant writer she made. Her character and humour shine through her prose. This was my first introduction to Babitz and I was surprised by how modern the stories were. Not sure if that's Babitz's credit or society's failure, but in either case, her work is very captivating. I loved her conversational tone. Reading Black Swans made me feel like I was listening to a friend tell me stories about what they got up to throughout different stages of their life.

One of the first standout pieces for me was ‘Free Tibet.’ I hadn’t put this book down until I reached the end of ‘Free Tibet’ and needed some time to sit with it. The way that story made me feel was something else altogether. Babitz induced a whole spectrum of emotion from the lightheartedness of the main character to the devastating ending. Every now and then you come across a story that makes you evaluate your own life and I think that's what makes for excellent art. My other favourites were 'Coco' and 'Black Swans'. These are both stories of troubled relationships and bad habits. The prose in 'Black Swans' was my favourite of the collection.

The only critique I have is the very out-of-touch and flippant commentary on the LA riots. The way she tackles this lacks tact.

That said, I will be returning to Babitz soon. I enjoyed her writing and storytelling, and I want to read more from her.
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seabirdlorna's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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