Didion and Babitz
With an abundance of pop-psych insight and who’s-who detail.
Read Full Review >>
Anolik’s zealous bias...gibes magically with the outsize, lesser-known Babitz, but doesn’t always translate as well to the staid, lionized Didion ... Acres of familiar ground are the one shortcoming of Didion & Babitz. While the new book does offer plenty of original insight into Babitz’s career and relationship with Didion, it’s heavily skewed toward the name after the ampersand.
Read Full Review >>
Didion remains a slippery figure. In fact, the author dubiously claims that the only way to see Didion is through the 'glass' of Babitz ... The author is unafraid of sounding like a besotted teenager ... Throughout the book Anolik’s tone is self-conscious and conspiratorial, which at first feels like gossipy fun, as if she’s writing beyond the male gaze, the book both taking itself very seriously and not seriously at all. But the podcast-speak...loses its charm quickly ... Anolik doesn’t need such stylistic indulgences to bring the reader in; she is a thorough reporter with an ear for humorous detail ... It’s a promise that never pays off. Didion feels like a supporting character in the book and their rivalry feels entirely one-sided. You end up wondering if Didion thought about Babitz much at all.
Read Full Review >>
