A review by afi_whatafireads
South and West: From a Notebook by Joan Didion

informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

he way I want to be as cool and unbothered as her.

I swear, reading this had been like getting a glimpse of this beautiful, cool, lady that we all aspire to be. Not only that we get her insights of the 70's politics at the time, especially on blacks, her commentary on slavery and also her observations of the discrimination from the different classes of race at the time in the South, we also get to know Didion as a person in some ways.

I loved her observations on the women and children at the time, the way this woman is so bloody hilarious and its lowkey like listening to your friend gossiping but in an intellectual way :') And lowkey, I love how unhinged and a menace this madam can be, and I'm highkey all here for it.


"It occurred to me almost constantly in the South that had I lived there I would have been an eccentric and full of anger, and I wondered what form the anger would have taken. Would I have taken up causes, or would I have simply knifed somebody?"


This was her commentary after listening to a speech about women having to conform to "weak-beings" and I liked how her train-of-thoughts are just relatable. This book is as mundane as it can be but its written in a witty, wonderful but also non-info-dumping, which makes reading about the politics at the time fun.

Definitely a book that I ddin't expect to love but loved it anways. What a read.

4.25🌟for this gem!