Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

Play It As It Lays

Joan Didion with David Thompson (Contributor)

231 pages • first pub 1970 (editions)

fiction literary challenging reflective slow-paced

Description

A ruthless dissection of American life in the late 1960s, Play It as It Lays captures the mood of an entire generation, the ennui of contemporary society reflected in spare prose that blisters and haunts the reader. Set in a place beyond good and ...

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Community Reviews Summary of 6,034 reviews

Moods

dark 78%
reflective 62%
sad 56%
emotional 52%
challenging 34%
tense 26%
mysterious 10%
funny 5%
adventurous 3%
relaxing 1%

Pace

fast 38%
medium 33%
slow 28%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 88% | A mix: 8% | Plot: 1%

Strong character development?

It's complicated: 45% | No: 39% | Yes: 13% | N/A: 1%

Loveable characters?

No: 48% | It's complicated: 42% | Yes: 8%

Diverse cast of characters?

No: 89% | It's complicated: 4% | N/A: 3% | Yes: 3%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 91% | It's complicated: 6%

Average rating

3.9

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Content Warnings

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