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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
<3 joan didion, this story had me on the edge of my seat. laid out in a gripping way, humorous, extremely observational. narrator's voice is seemingly unbiased, yet character descriptions read with harsh truth.
I think I’ll need to read this again to get the full effect. Didion’s style is unique and gives a glimpse of her genius.
This is a very interesting novel. I'm still not sure if it really works.
Didion's frequent narratorial invasions seem a little gimmicky, if also fascinating to me as a writer that is interested in hearing other writers elaborate on their writing process. In some sense, this little gimmick is necessary thematically: the attempt and subsequent failure to find a center in Inez Christian (a great last name) and Jack Lovett's love story speaks to the chaos of the Vietnam quagmire. The ideas that the book brought up, and its setting, were what most compelled me: set in the last days of American occupation in Vietnam, the novel's setting in Pacific Asia brought up questions of colonialism and how White people inhabited these foreign regions. In this sense, the book reminds me of A Portrait of a Lady and For Whom the Bell Tolls, both books about Expats whose Americanness is illuminated by their displacement.
I'm leaving this slim volume with the sinking feeling that I don't understand it, and need another go. Maybe Didion is legitimately incomprehensible in this. Didion definitely knows how to think, but I'm still not convinced that she entirely knows how to write a novel--not that there is any specific formula. What I mean is that she seems to consistently miss the mark with integrating her ideas into her books, which I blame on her unconventional structural approach. Regardless I believe that most of this book works quite well and there are truly gorgeous moments here--I love this book, I think. I know that many people claim that this is a story about Inez and Jack's love affair, but I think that Didion in fact uses their relationship as a cover for all the disgusting, dark affairs happening beneath the surface. The book seems to be about everything else.
Didion's frequent narratorial invasions seem a little gimmicky, if also fascinating to me as a writer that is interested in hearing other writers elaborate on their writing process. In some sense, this little gimmick is necessary thematically: the attempt and subsequent failure to find a center in Inez Christian (a great last name) and Jack Lovett's love story speaks to the chaos of the Vietnam quagmire. The ideas that the book brought up, and its setting, were what most compelled me: set in the last days of American occupation in Vietnam, the novel's setting in Pacific Asia brought up questions of colonialism and how White people inhabited these foreign regions. In this sense, the book reminds me of A Portrait of a Lady and For Whom the Bell Tolls, both books about Expats whose Americanness is illuminated by their displacement.
I'm leaving this slim volume with the sinking feeling that I don't understand it, and need another go. Maybe Didion is legitimately incomprehensible in this. Didion definitely knows how to think, but I'm still not convinced that she entirely knows how to write a novel--not that there is any specific formula. What I mean is that she seems to consistently miss the mark with integrating her ideas into her books, which I blame on her unconventional structural approach. Regardless I believe that most of this book works quite well and there are truly gorgeous moments here--I love this book, I think. I know that many people claim that this is a story about Inez and Jack's love affair, but I think that Didion in fact uses their relationship as a cover for all the disgusting, dark affairs happening beneath the surface. The book seems to be about everything else.
Confusing at first but beautifully written, Didion sasses the shit out of you.
I typically gravitate towards Joan Didion’s nonfiction, but was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this novel. Shockingly funny, wickedly smart, and full of family drama, this is a book that will stick with me for a long time to come.
3.5 stars. It’s good bc it’s Didion (duh) but didn’t hold my interest as much as her other books
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes