calais_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
And where was Kate? Who was feeding her during all of this?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Self harm
madisoncarter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-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
4.0
i tore through this book. the writing style and format was absolute catnip for me. after getting stuck on a few books that i wasn’t inspired to read, this one had me chucking in my bag everywhere the last week. everyone is terrible and i know i’m in the minority with how much i appreciated maria. she is an extremely battered woman and going through these moments with her was heartwrenching but in the end, worthy of the utmost respect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
tealeavesandcoffeebeans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
cjc's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Play It As It Lays is such an interesting, introspective novel; it’s a challenging read not due to the sophistication of the prose, but a result of the topics covered. The main character, Maria, is simply empty: faced with hardship after hardship she finds herself devoid of feeling. In a sense, this book is reminiscent of Camus’ The Stranger but it’s almost incorrect to compare the two as they differ so distinctly. Didion’s writing style is terse and sometimes confusing but it ultimately leads to profound ideas being mused upon by the reader. The sudden and persistent switch from first person to a third person narrator closely intertwined and entangled in Maria’s thoughts is confusing at first. In an interview, Didion cited her lack of skill for this shift, however; as it shifts the reader’s perception of the novel so profoundly, it’s hard to accept it as mere fate not impacted by any literary decision. The alteration in point of view allows the reader to not emphasize with Maria per se, but rather sympathize with her. Just as one would observe a friend, the reader observes Maria as an outside party. It would be nonsense if I claimed to understand the novel in its entirety, if there is even meaning to be found, so I look forward to reading Didion’s work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Gun violence
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