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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Joan Didion was a phenomenal writer, but Americans just aren’t as interesting as they think they are
3.5 ⭐️ Honestly, not my favorite Didion book. The family history felt a bit dry especially in the beginning. It picked up a bit more about 70 pages in but still was a bit of a slog. It all felt kind of disjointed. I finally got back into towards the end. I really enjoyed the chapters about the planned California community but again didn’t fully understand their place in the book. Since Didion passed I’ve been reading through her books and there are definitely other books you’re better off reading from her body of work.
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I found the topic of this book, and Didion's reporting on it, very interesting. I thought the part where she discusses her own book within it was a little confusing and unnecessary, although maybe if I had read the book I would be more understanding. Generally really solid.
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
slow-paced
So soooo good. I'm from the same part of California as Didion and I can really connect with her prose. There's a dissonance, an uprising when she's writing and you get the sense that things are changing, good and bad. I can't say enough good things about Didion's writing; she has a unique perspective at pivotal historical events. She also describes places near my childhood home and it's interesting getting a viewpoint on those before they turned into something new in my own "Where I was From" story. I recommend this wholeheartedly, not just to California natives but those interested in nonfiction pieces that challenge you. The White Album is also a noteworthy mention.
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced