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A review by zenoutta10
A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Oof. Ouch. Ow. Owie! Another incredible Joan Didion piece that left me teary-eyed and heartbroken.
It never ceases to amaze me how well written both her fiction and non-fiction is. Her words flow with a special rhythm that has the ability to hypnotize you then BAM she hits you with a perfectly-crafted sentence that causes you to set down the book and take a giant, deep breath.
While I didn’t find this to be as tight as Play It As It Lays, it was still an outstanding and engaging novel I feel I could recommend to anyone! A bit slow to start, but once you get through about the first 30ish pages — strap in! (In particular, Parts Two & Three were absolutely *chefs kiss*… and I cried quite a bit.)
And the characters! While the story is told to us through Grace, the true centerpiece of this story is Charlotte Douglas and boy did I want to just rip her out of the pages to give her a big hug. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, the absolute scum that is Warren Bogart — completely hatable and a perfect villain in the story.
Joan, you absolute, freaking genius!
It never ceases to amaze me how well written both her fiction and non-fiction is. Her words flow with a special rhythm that has the ability to hypnotize you then BAM she hits you with a perfectly-crafted sentence that causes you to set down the book and take a giant, deep breath.
While I didn’t find this to be as tight as Play It As It Lays, it was still an outstanding and engaging novel I feel I could recommend to anyone! A bit slow to start, but once you get through about the first 30ish pages — strap in! (In particular, Parts Two & Three were absolutely *chefs kiss*… and I cried quite a bit.)
And the characters! While the story is told to us through Grace, the true centerpiece of this story is Charlotte Douglas and boy did I want to just rip her out of the pages to give her a big hug. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, the absolute scum that is Warren Bogart — completely hatable and a perfect villain in the story.
Joan, you absolute, freaking genius!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death