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Book 9 - Joan Didion "Play It As It Lays"

Joan Didion "Play It As It Lays" (Fourth Estate)





A fantastic novel depicting the horror associated with a life of substance and history subjected to a society that values superficiality and hypocrisy. Maria Wyeth is a young model/actress in LA, married, for a time anyway, to a marginally successful director. The first few chapters of the novel provide us with insight into individual characters' views of Maria's ultimate state, then the novel moves into the complete story according to Maria's point of view.

One should not confuse Didion's journalistic, masculine writing style with an anti-feminist point of view. Maria may be an empty vessel, but it is far more the fault of her surroundings than her own tendencies. Rather it is Didion's sensitivity to Maria's internal "life" which makes her most enchanting a female writer. She compresses metaphysical revelations into seemingly palatable statements, and the reader is advised not to be fooled by short chapters, but to ruminate for a while over every composition. Life itself is what continues us, presents the reason for us to continue to exist, despite our best intentions.

Book 9 - Joan Didion "Play It As It Lays"

Joan Didion "Play It As It Lays" (Fourth Estate)





A fantastic novel depicting the horror associated with a life of substance and history subjected to a society that values superficiality and hypocrisy. Maria Wyeth is a young model/actress in LA, married, for a time anyway, to a marginally successful director. The first few chapters of the novel provide us with insight into individual characters' views of Maria's ultimate state, then the novel moves into the complete story according to Maria's point of view.

One should not confuse Didion's journalistic, masculine writing style with an anti-feminist point of view. Maria may be an empty vessel, but it is far more the fault of her surroundings than her own tendencies. Rather it is Didion's sensitivity to Maria's internal "life" which makes her most enchanting a female writer. She compresses metaphysical revelations into seemingly palatable statements, and the reader is advised not to be fooled by short chapters, but to ruminate for a while over every composition. Life itself is what continues us, presents the reason for us to continue to exist, despite our best intentions.

I Know That Feeling

Saturday Salutations

More productive today. I completed three visits in Sittingbourne and Sheerness. Met Ewart for a couple of drinks at his haunt, a micropub run by a lady who use to work for Wetherspoons, called Donna’s Ale House.




I had a pint of Pig And Porter Gone So Fast and a Constellation Draco Bitter.

I also bought a deal from Tesco. A main, a side a dessert, and wine for ten quid. It would normally be £18. My dinner was peppered steak with peas and veg followed by a cheesecake and washed down with a Shiraz vino.



It was a delicious meal. I was quite stuffed afterward.