In these coolly observant essays, Joan Didion looks at the American political process and at "that handful of insiders who invent, year in and...
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Dec 16, 2009
Conrad
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I would have a hard time articulating why I can't stand Joan Didion even if her husband and daughter hadn't just died; these days, complaining about the woman feels like torching an infirmary. But Political Fictions struck me as just unbelievably arch when I read it. When it comes to Democrats, she definitely has a bad case of Monday Morning Quarterback combined with New Convert Syndrome, so she wants ideological purity to lead them immer weiter to victory and gets bitterly mad when it doesn't.
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Mar 22, 2007
Justin
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Didion, a favorite of mine for her lyrical essays on cultural movements, such as Haight-Ashbury in 1968 in her book 'Slouching towards Bethlehem', she takes on politics in the 1980's of George Bush the first. Her harshly honest expose of the inner world of republican politics is particlarly relevant today, two decades later.
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Dec 13, 2008
Brandon
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A few observations that struck me while reading:
-The opening is predictable and pretentious. I'm tired of the attitude from some journalists that they are too good to cover the campaigns/politics. It seeps through and colors their work. I guess she's at least kind enough to air the dirty laundry right out front.
-It strains credulity to think that you can build a case that someone is being dishonest, as she does of midlevel Reagan officials in The West Wing of Oz based on More...
-The opening is predictable and pretentious. I'm tired of the attitude from some journalists that they are too good to cover the campaigns/politics. It seeps through and colors their work. I guess she's at least kind enough to air the dirty laundry right out front.
-It strains credulity to think that you can build a case that someone is being dishonest, as she does of midlevel Reagan officials in The West Wing of Oz based on More...
Nov 11, 2008
Steven
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Another gem in the crown of Joan Didion’s collection of non-fiction writing. In “Political Fictions” she explores the nature of our political system in the United States and the manner in which we all buy into the story. It is my understanding that the book was released in 200 and what struck me was just how prophetic most of her ideas were, especially in the wake of the recent 2008 election.
Various thoughts and notes I made on the book are as follows:
• A 1995 essay about New More...
Various thoughts and notes I made on the book are as follows:
• A 1995 essay about New More...
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Jul 03, 2011
Jaclyn
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I really wanted to get this one in before the election. Political Fictions is a collection of essays on the political process, political figures and noteworthy elements of various campaigns that Joan Didion observed and comments on in her uniquely analytical voice.
What I had hoped for was some insight into what all happens every four years, what all it means. "Insider Baseball" delivered with its portrayal of the Dukakais campaign from within. (The Bush-Dukakis election More...
What I had hoped for was some insight into what all happens every four years, what all it means. "Insider Baseball" delivered with its portrayal of the Dukakais campaign from within. (The Bush-Dukakis election More...
Sep 22, 2008
Bryant
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A wonderful antidote to the sometimes obnoxious over-excitement surrounding the 2008 American presidential election, Didion's "Political Fictions" reminds us why revving up the engine of hope when it comes to political change usually leads to frustration. As a marker of her often unintentional prescience, consider her observation about the robotic mantras of the 1992 DNC:
"Not much at their [the Democrats' 1992] convention got left to improvisation. They spoke about 'u More...
"Not much at their [the Democrats' 1992] convention got left to improvisation. They spoke about 'u More...
Feb 20, 2008
Hai-Dang
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As this election year heats up, Didion's cool prose delivers some much needed (at least for this citizen) critical distance on American politics.
Here's the intro to the brilliant first piece, "Insider Baseball": "It occurred to me, in California in June and in Atlanta in July and in New Orleans in August, in the course of watching first the California primary and then the Democratic and Republican national conventions, that it had not been by accident that the people More...
Here's the intro to the brilliant first piece, "Insider Baseball": "It occurred to me, in California in June and in Atlanta in July and in New Orleans in August, in the course of watching first the California primary and then the Democratic and Republican national conventions, that it had not been by accident that the people More...
Jan 09, 2010
Martin
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This collects together Joan Didion's writings on the flea circus politics of the years 1982-2000, when she was covering the national conventions for the NY Review of Books.
On the minus side, the best of these essays (such as a gem on Newt Gingrich) are slightly overwritten, and one or two about twice the length they need to be Not at all typical of Joan Didion--I don't remember a single word in excess of requirements in The Year of Magical Thinking.
On the plus side, very astute analy More...
On the minus side, the best of these essays (such as a gem on Newt Gingrich) are slightly overwritten, and one or two about twice the length they need to be Not at all typical of Joan Didion--I don't remember a single word in excess of requirements in The Year of Magical Thinking.
On the plus side, very astute analy More...
May 01, 2011
Caroline
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Didion dedicated this collection of essays on campaigns to her husband, the journalist John Gregory Dunne. The dedication, unidentifiably brutal or tender, goes like this:
"This book is for John Gregory Dunne, who lived through my discovering what he already knew."
Read this like John, for the pleasure of recognizing some of its truths. Didion's position is, as usual, all irascibility and rancor for the showmanship of presidential politics. She misstrusts columnis More...
"This book is for John Gregory Dunne, who lived through my discovering what he already knew."
Read this like John, for the pleasure of recognizing some of its truths. Didion's position is, as usual, all irascibility and rancor for the showmanship of presidential politics. She misstrusts columnis More...
Dec 07, 2011
Jeanette
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Didion is supposedly a compelling clear writer. Not in this book. It's darn near unreadable, which is a pity. Basically, Didion deconstructs political campaigns in the late 80s and 90s, and has disdain for everyone. That's great. Politicians truly earn disdain every day. In my younger days, I loved Didion's tone, but now it just grates. She offers nothing but disdain -- one can imagine her making that mildly sour face -- it just isn't worth a real frown, you know. I simply wish I hadn't
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Sep 03, 2011
Jason
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I read this in June 2002 and I can't believe I forgot to add it to my list. It is an excellent guide to all the wingnuts popping up in politics. Better yet, it was written just about the time the wingnuts began to pop up.
Jan 01, 2012
Frederick
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A collection of essays first published in the "New Yorker' magazine. Many of them are quite old, dating back as far as 1988. I skimmed one from '2000 and found it to be tedious and incoherent.
Dec 14, 2009
Seán
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Lance Mannion on the Journalist as Impressionist:
The best journalism is the work of writers who see it as their job to base their opinions on verifiable facts and deliver impressions that are the result of taking a long, hard look at the facts and thinking deeply and seriously about them in order to understand what they hinge on and what hinges on them.More...
That’s what Bill Moyers does. That’s what Joan Didion does, that’s what John McPhee does, and, when they were in their prime, u
Apr 10, 2011
Tommy
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I feel smarter for reading Political Fictions. Seriously though, it's a well-sourced look at politics I lived through but didn't appreciate or understand enough.
May 22, 2007
Lindsey
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I heard/saw Joan Didion speak at Mizzou just after this book was released. Basically she chronicles politics of the last two decades, from the election of George H.W. to his defeat by Clinton to Clinton’s impeachment to the election of George W.
Didion is wry and often sardonic and it’s easy to see why the NYT has described her writing as “night scope sniper prose.” Indeed, and Didion’s target is the pansy, self-serving politicos who hide behind their spin-doctors.
Her wr More...
Didion is wry and often sardonic and it’s easy to see why the NYT has described her writing as “night scope sniper prose.” Indeed, and Didion’s target is the pansy, self-serving politicos who hide behind their spin-doctors.
Her wr More...
May 28, 2008
Marit
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I found this book by chance, perusing the magnetic shelves at Zandbroz, a funky indy store in downtown Fargo, ND. Bought it on a whim and found that I just love Didion's writing style and combining it with this subject matter just leaves me smiling, wanting more. The pictures painted of the political world are revealing, feeding my always-hungry curiosity.
Mar 26, 2008
Ricky
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It's not perfect and it's not as lyrical as some of her other essays but it's a good book.
I've heard many criticisms of this book and I don't think any of them are particularly valid.
Her message may not be deep enough for some other, more intellectual writers but I think it's important because it's sensible and accurate.
I've heard many criticisms of this book and I don't think any of them are particularly valid.
Her message may not be deep enough for some other, more intellectual writers but I think it's important because it's sensible and accurate.
May 15, 2008
mike
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Joan Didion's writing reminds me of J.M. Coetzee's and James Woods': they always take their critical analyses one step beyond everyone else's.
Oct 21, 2008
DoctorM
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Acid, spare, coolly distanced--- Joan Didion's political writing is all those things. And she's always--- always ---worth reading.
Jul 15, 2007
Gregg
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Didion is one of the best living authors today and she takes on politcis in a wonderful journalistic way that few journalists do.
Dec 17, 2009
Mike
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some of the essays get pretty thick with politics and history, but there's some remarkable journalism here.
Jul 10, 2008
Joan looks at the frail egos of some of past political leaders including Clinton and Gingrich.
Sep 09, 2010
Kevin
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Good stuff. Inspired me to get her collected non fiction works "we tell ourselves stories in order to live"
Feb 04, 2012
Jan 21, 2012
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