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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
I have a feeling that you really have to be a reader targeted to appreciate this book. Personally I found everything I wanted when I firstly bought it. In my goal, that of reading all of Joan Didion, I really enjoyed it. Even if there were some essays that had me least convinced than others, often because of their very precise nature on matters of the time. The White Album essay stands out in particular, surely more dear to my heart because it is more personal. Indeed here we can admire all the journalistic force of Joan Didion. Her talent as a storyteller is undeniable. It is also a beautiful immersion in the 70s. It was really perfect to introduce the more engaged and observant aspect of Joan Didion. Throughout the book her quality of writing unfolds, which knows with precision and intelligence how to capture the issues and tensions of the situations of her time.
The fact that I just couldn’t seem to get into this book is not a testament to Joan’s quality of writing, but rather a continuation of the hatred I have for geography.
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.
struggled through part 1, became engrossed in part 2, loved parts 3 and 4
Perhaps I have to re-read this at a later date. Nothing took hold of me as Didion's prose usually does. I can only give it an "ok."
The chapters about Lakewood and the Spur Posse were excellent. The rest is pretty uneven.
Fantastic. Joan Didion brings her typical descriptive and captivating writing to the story of California. She weaves in her personal history with the reporter-like telling of the history and current aspects of the state. Read it!