Reviews - Slouching Towards Bethlehem

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

3.69k reviews for:

I thought I was more familiar with Joan Didion's early writing but I didn't know any of these essays! It was quite a slog getting through the first half - unfortunately, I wasn't alive in 1960s America so I felt like I was missing about a million references in these essays. They were still intriguing and incredibly well written but I felt like I was constantly playing catch-up. I will never know how she writes like that though. It's sort of stark and factual and you're like yeah, this is journalism!! But somehow there is also this deep emotion that runs throughout the writing and everything feels strangely intimate... and then she hits you with a devastating and poetic last few sentences. BOOM!
I definitely preferred her more personal essays, and the last couple were fantastic. Ugh, in awe of her!! The queen of non-fiction tbh.

apfaff1994's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

bimboswhobook's review against another edition

4.0

informative reflective medium-paced

zoebardis's review against another edition

5.0

slouching towards bethlehem, los angeles notebook, and goodbye to all that are masterpieces. this collection felt a lot more personal than some of her later pieces, and is all the better for it (think less freeway, mall, and water infrastructure). i’ll be thinking about some of these essays for a very long time.