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Play It As It Lays

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( 76,118 ratings, 8,999 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion is a stark, haunting novel set in 1960s Hollywood. It follows actress Maria Wyeth as she navigates through a life marked by personal and professional crises, exploring themes of isolation, despair, and the search for meaning amidst chaos. Didion's poignant prose captures the disintegration of the American Dream in an intimate and unsettling way.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy introspective explorations of personal despair set against the backdrop of 1960s and 70s Hollywood. Joan Didion's precise prose captures the disintegration of a woman's life, making it a gripping read for those who appreciate psychological depth and societal critiques.

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Play It As It Lays

A profoundly disturbing novel that ruthlessly dissects American life in the late 1960s, from the author of The White Album and The Year of Magical Thinking.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Play It As It Lays is a striking exploration of American life in the late 1960s, penned by the acclaimed author Joan Didion, also known for her works The White Album and The Year of Magical Thinking. Set against the arid backdrop of the Nevada desert and the insidious glitter of Hollywood, this novel revolves around Maria Wyeth, a once-promising actress now adrift in a fog of despair and disconnection. Maria is in her early thirties, divorced from her husband, and finds herself cut off from meaningful relationships with friends and family. Her life has spiralled into a monotonous routine of incessant freeway driving, where her only companions are the endless miles of asphalt and her haunting memories. Maria's existence is marked by a numbing detachment from both pain and pleasure, making her the epitome of a generation diseased by an abundance of liberty. She navigates life with an eerie sense of fatalism, embodying a haunting portrait of a woman who has exhausted all desire and motivation. More than five decades after its original publication, Play It As It Lays continues to resonate with readers, shedding light on the disintegrating fabric of American society during a tumultuous era. Didion's masterful prose ruthlessly dissects the underbelly of the American dream, revealing the emptiness that can lurk beneath its glamorous facade. This novel is undeniably a profoundly disturbing yet compelling narrative that captures the essence of a time and place with unflinching honesty.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Play It As It Lays is described as a nearly perfect novel that is both heartbreaking and inescapable, written with sharp and precise prose. Didion's lucidity is compared to the bright, sometimes painful Los Angeles sunlight, and the book has been revealed as a favourite modern American novel by other renowned authors.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780007414987

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 November 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 150g

Pages: 224

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About the Author

Joan Didion is one of America's most respected writers, her work constituting some of the greatest portraits of modern-day American culture. Over the four decades of her career, she has produced widely-acclaimed journalistic essays, personal essays, novels, non-fiction, memoir and screenplays. Her memoir The Year of Magical Thinking won the National Book Award in 2005.

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