"I know something about dread myself, and appreciate the elaborate systems with which some people fill the void, appreciate all the opiates of the people, whether they are as accessible as alcohol and heroin and promiscuity or as hard to come by as faith in God or History."

I absolutely loved this when I wasn't bored, lol. Joan Didion's writing style is entrancing, flowered with powerful descriptions amidst a whirlwind of poignant and poetic stream-of-consciousness thoughts, she makes you feel like you are a part of the world about which she writes. Being from all over California - born in Loma Linda and moving around San Bernadino until I was 8 years old, then living in Napa and frequenting San Francisco and Berkely throughout my teenage years, followed by spending my early 20s in Hollywood - much of this book hit very close to home. Of course, I wasn't born until 1986 so it was a vastly different time, but you don't grow up there without being affected by the history and culture. And all of that makes up for the parts of the book that would have put me to sleep if I weren't driving.