Scan barcode
jashegerova's review against another edition
5.0
what an absolute joy. Didion has a way with words that Really Is Quite Something. makes you want to move to Cali and listen to the doors.
shimmery's review against another edition
5.0
‘We tell ourselves stories in order to live... We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the “ideas” with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.
So begins the first essay, The White Album, which gives this collection its name. The fantastic thing about Didion, however, is that she does not impose herself or her ‘narrative line’ on the world around her. Whilst she is undoubtedly an eccentric character, her awareness of both herself and the flaws of narrative mean that she approaches situations with an open mind, ready to report what she finds as opposed to arriving with a preconception of what she thinks she will find and building a story around that.
The essays here are about the 60s and their aftermath and cover a diverse range of topics — she writes about the Manson murders, the women’s movement, The Doors, but also other things she is fascinated by that are discussed less — how water is moved around California, or an orchid breeder.
Her intelligence and style is so evident throughout; it’s the kind of book that you finish knowing you’ll have to reread it to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
So begins the first essay, The White Album, which gives this collection its name. The fantastic thing about Didion, however, is that she does not impose herself or her ‘narrative line’ on the world around her. Whilst she is undoubtedly an eccentric character, her awareness of both herself and the flaws of narrative mean that she approaches situations with an open mind, ready to report what she finds as opposed to arriving with a preconception of what she thinks she will find and building a story around that.
The essays here are about the 60s and their aftermath and cover a diverse range of topics — she writes about the Manson murders, the women’s movement, The Doors, but also other things she is fascinated by that are discussed less — how water is moved around California, or an orchid breeder.
Her intelligence and style is so evident throughout; it’s the kind of book that you finish knowing you’ll have to reread it to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
iemegosh's review against another edition
2.0
i’m sorry but I CANNOT WITH THIS WOMAN i cannot pretend to like this any longer i hate i hate i hate i only liked the one about georgia okeefe and some other one that i don’t remember
dumbgirlreads's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Nonfiction is not really my thing but this was stunning obviously
willbreinholt's review against another edition
4.0
Joan is the goat. Most of my favorites are in slouching toward Bethlehem though. The 60s brought out the best in her writing.
hhohorst's review against another edition
2.0
i think i’m too dumb to understand wtf was going on in this. still love you though joan