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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i enjoyed this i think but comparing it against the year of magical thinking was setting it up for failure from the start, coupled with expectations from joan didion's gargantuan legacy, commentary on her time
the start and ending are interesting - some stuff in between maybe not as much, but that could also be because i really don't relate at all
i need to thank this book though for inspiring me to try hard to not be part of 'a generation made ill by too much freedom'
the start and ending are interesting - some stuff in between maybe not as much, but that could also be because i really don't relate at all
i need to thank this book though for inspiring me to try hard to not be part of 'a generation made ill by too much freedom'
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i didn’t realize just how old this was and the racism and homophobia definitely caught me off guard.
i wasn’t a big fan of the writing style either :(
i wasn’t a big fan of the writing style either :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“There was a silence. Something real was happening: this was, as it were, her life. If she could keep that in mind she would be able to play it through, do the right thing, whatever that meant.”
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Joan Didion is an incredible writer. It is a shame the story is a bit played out (or maybe just dated):
A starlet divorcee suffers the feminine mystique post-break-up. She has a back-alley abortion and issues with aging and Daddy. There's not much to like about her personality, but It's Okay because she's a)hopped up on pills, b) pretty enough to lay and c)losing her marbles. She detaches further and further and further.
We watch it happen. Whoo, ennui.
And yet this book has it's haunting moments. And prose, the lovely prose.
p.s. I love despicable characters, believe you me. Maria just was not my personal brand of heroin. There's something simpering about her, and I get the distinct notion that She Is Absolved because the world is so cruel to sexy starlet divorcees. They are not exempt, anyway.
A starlet divorcee suffers the feminine mystique post-break-up. She has a back-alley abortion and issues with aging and Daddy. There's not much to like about her personality, but It's Okay because she's a)hopped up on pills, b) pretty enough to lay and c)losing her marbles. She detaches further and further and further.
We watch it happen. Whoo, ennui.
And yet this book has it's haunting moments. And prose, the lovely prose.
p.s. I love despicable characters, believe you me. Maria just was not my personal brand of heroin. There's something simpering about her, and I get the distinct notion that She Is Absolved because the world is so cruel to sexy starlet divorcees. They are not exempt, anyway.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To say this novel was written in 1970, its message around fame and addiction is still very relevant. I found the relationships between some of the characters as interesting and others to be very painful. Maria’s constant switching between independence and submission articulated well her flaws and her hatred for the situation she found herself in. Her relationship with Carter and his ability to control her, even when seemed so done with his games, was slightly confusing. My favourite relationship in the book was that of Maria and BZ, I think both characters brought out better versions of each other in comparison to how cancerous Carter and Helene (to each of Maria and BZ respectively) were. Overall, it is a good read but Didion’s style of writing made it hard to digest at times, the short paragraphs and switches of time periods was also not always so clear. And despite only a 3 star review, the book includes one of my favourite lines I’ve ever read “I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game”.
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes