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Democracy
Democracy | Joan Didion
7 posts | 9 read | 9 to read
Inez Victor knows that the major casualty of the political life is memory. But the people around Inez have made careers out of losing track. Her senator husband wants to forget the failure of his last bid for the presidency. Her husband's handler would like the press to forget that Inez's father is a murderer. And, in 1975, the year in which much of this bitterly funny novel is set, America is doing its best to lose track of its one-time client, the lethally hemorrhaging republic of South Vietnam.As conceived by Joan Didion, these personages and events constitute the terminal fallout of democracy, a fallout that also includes fact-finding junkets, senatorial groupies, the international arms market, and the Orwellian newspeak of the political class. Moving deftly from Honolulu to Jakarta, between romance, farce, and tragedy, Democracy is a tour de force from a writer who can dissect an entire society with a single phrase.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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AmyG
Democracy | Joan Didion
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I voted by mail. I am lucky to live in a state that sends ballots to everyone. Now I will read and bite my nails. 😬

Aims42 We have to sign up to request mailed ballots, but it‘s so easy!! Dropped mine off at the courthouse on Sunday, received the confirmation my ballot was processed and counted this morning 🙌🇺🇸 1y
AmyG @Aims42 It IS easy! 1y
68 likes2 comments
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CafeMom
Democracy | Joan Didion
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I enjoyed the documentary “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold” much more than I enjoyed this book. This documentary is available for streaming and on DVD on Netflix. It is well worth a watch.

AshleyHoss820 I‘ll have to give both a try! Thanks for the suggestion! I‘ve been looking for good documentaries lately! 😊😊😊 (edited) 4y
Nute I really enjoyed this documentary about Joan Didion‘s life and writings as well. It made me want to read everything written by her. 4y
9 likes2 comments
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CafeMom
Democracy | Joan Didion
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Mehso-so

“Her novels and essays explore the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos, where the overriding theme is individual and social fragmentation. A sense of anxiety or dread permeates much of her work.” I never really connected to this story or any of the characters. Her writing style, at least in this book, is not for me. #1001books

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CarolynM
Democracy | Joan Didion
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Pickpick

My IRL book group is having a "read anything by Joan Didion" month. I've started with this one and I think it was a good choice. She takes meta fiction to a new level by making herself,as the writer, the narrator of the novel and comments not only on the action as it takes place but also the decisions she makes in presenting it. The story itself is fairly slight, but the background of domestic and international politics is fascinating.

Cathythoughts I only ever read The Year of Magical Thinking... very memorable read. 5y
61 likes1 comment
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MLRio
Democracy | Joan Didion
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Listen to @strandbookstore and ✌🏻ote! #ElectionDay

16 likes1 stack add
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Liz_M
Democracy | Joan Didion
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Pickpick

This is a curious story, told in jigsaw fashion, of how life lived in the public eye distorts reality. Each puzzle piece is an image or a perfect moment, but presented out of order and repeated if a second piece illuminates an earlier one. The author also discusses the difficulty in shaping the story and the other novels that could be told.

I am not sure I understood the plot, but the writing is so phenomenal that I don't care.
4.5 🌟 #1001

12 likes1 comment
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BooksForYears
Democracy | Joan Didion
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#AprilBookShowers Day 11 - Set in SE Asia

Published in the US in 1984, Didion's slim novel takes the reader from Malaysia to Vietnam, and then across the Pacific to Hawaii.

Also, can we have a moment for this unbelievably 80's author photo on the back cover 💯👌

Gina Love this photo of her 7y
ReadingEnvy She always has so much distinct personality in her photos! 7y
124 likes2 stack adds2 comments