Scan barcode
tillydaisym's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Abortion
batrick_pateman'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
4.25
my god this was brutal. bitter, relentlessly bleak, scathing in its portrayal of late 60's hollywood culture. i have to start reading happier books. hopefully The Virgin Suicides will be a bit more fun and upbeat :)
didion's prose is excellent and reminds me a lot of shirley jackson's (jacksonian? shirleyesque?). it's stripped-down and deceptively simple: words and sentence structures are basic, but every word and every single detail is chosen and placed with such thought and precision that what you end up with is deep, moving, and psychologically complex in just a few lines. didion captures such a rich, anguished mixture of feelings with such brevity, and I like it a lot.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, and Abortion
samiisteffenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
risemini'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
2.75
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Abortion, and Death of parent
marithap's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Drug use
amilou'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
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide
joanacanada's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, and Abortion
chealey14'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
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Abortion
cillehh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
jellogirl2010's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
There's something deeply unsettling about being in someone's thoughts who isn't really actually even having thoughts.
*******************************************
A solid three stars from me. This book leaves me with more questions than answers. Sparsely written, it leaves more to the imagination than tells you what's going on. Which in most cases, I'd appreciate but here, I just want to know.
Like was BZ abusive to Helene? WHY was Helene so torn up over his suicide if they were married only for appearance's sake? Was this a pro-choice message or pro-life with Maria's slow descent into madness after her abortion? Or was she always mentally ill and the abortion was the final nail in the coffin?
It's a well-written, thought-provoking book that like "Lolita" and "The Color Purple" will leave me searching for answers and meaning between the pages long after I return it to the library.
Joan Didion is a visionary and I'm obsessed.
Graphic: Abortion
Minor: Suicide