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ashley_turch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Abortion, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Mental illness
ms4321's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Play it as it Lays is a sad, dark and hollow tale of mental illness and of a woman in crisis mode. We see a character going through the motions everyday and waiting for something....but also nothing at the same time. Maria drives for hours and hours in the desert with no particular destination in mind, processing the breakdown of her marriage, the institutionalisation of her only child, and her recent abortion.
The writing style is sparse in a way that adds to the story's overall bleakness. It is written in a stream of consciousness format, conveying the mental deterioration, disillusionment and detachment of the main character. In this respect, it really reminded me of a slightly more adult version of the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. However, i felt that it lacked a little something that makes Plath's novel more memorable. In refelction, the fact that I am closer to Esther's age and stage in life than Maria's possibly had something to do with this.
Overall, I'm glad to have read Play it As It Lays. However, I defintely am a bigger fan of Joan Didon's nonfiction work.
Graphic: Abortion, Mental illness, and Suicide
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
didn’t love the racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, etc…
Graphic: Gaslighting, Abortion, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Drug abuse, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Car accident
todelisus's review against another edition
A fascinating, little book. Can’t say I enjoyed the story, more like I enjoyed what (and how) the author tried to tell the reader with the story.
Graphic: Abortion and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
katrinaamartin's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Pregnancy, Suicide, Mental illness, Infidelity, Abortion, and Drug abuse
morenowagain's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Abortion
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Medical content, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Drug use
Minor: Car accident
hs259's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Abortion, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse
mitchelljohnson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book is good. But that’s it. The content is a bit hard to stomach at points, the plot is nonexistent, but the writing is great. I liked the premise and how it was executed, but I don’t think Didion was great with fiction, or maybe it was this book in particular.
I found myself forgetting characters, because none of them are really memorable. I found myself not understanding what was happening because of how much the book jumped around. I was a bit confused.
I might try her non-fiction, because her writing is very skillful and she really knows how to get a message across in as little words as possible. Her journalism background really shines in that aspect, but it makes it harsh to read as fiction. I would re-read sections constantly because I didn’t fully grasp one line, putting me off track.
I was disappointed, but I believe that there are points in your life where a book is more meaningful to you, so this just might not have been the right time for me.
Graphic: Abortion, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Chronic illness
victorialu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Abortion
emmahe's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Suicide