Making History

by Carolyn See

Describes the misfortunes, relationships, and fragile reality of a wealthy family living in the cosmopolitan Los Angeles of the future

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 1991

About the author

Carolyn See was the author of ten books, including the memoir, Dreaming: Hard Luck and Good Times in America, an advice book on writing, Making a Literary Life, and the novels There Will Never Be Another You and The Handyman.

She was the Friday-morning reviewer for The Washington Post, and she has been on the boards of the National Book Critics Circle and PENWest International. She won both the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Getty Center fellowship. She lived in Pacific Palisades, California.

See also wrote books under the pen name Monica Highland, a name she shared with two others, her daughter Lisa See and her longtime companion, John Espey, who died in 2000.

See was known for writing novels set in Los Angeles and co-edited books that revolve around the city, including a book of short stories, LA Shorts, and the pictorial books Santa Monica Bay: Paradise by the Sea: A Pictorial History of Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Ocean Park, Pacific Palisades, Topanga & Malibu, and The California Pop-Up Book, which celebrates the city's unique architecture.

Reviews

[Mari Spallone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a long time to get to the part where I felt for the characters. I’m still not sure I really got it, the point, except that life is fragile and special and ephemeral, and involves suffering whether you’re born into wealth or dirt-poor or somewhere in between. It does live up to the rendering of life at a particular point in time centered in families and culture of LA. It seemed to stray from that, multiple subplots that didn’t come together coherently for me. So narrative was disrupted and at times frustrating to read. So many unrelated characters. And really very, very, very sad. Heavy on the sad and light on the hope. Darker than many of her other books. Looking forward to reading Golden Days next and glad I read this first.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked Golden Days so much, I'm surprised this one didn't click at all. The writing's just as sharp, but none of the characters felt real, so nothing seemed to matter. Hard to care about what story there was. Add in a bunch of random death at the end, and one wonders what the point is.

[E.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on both the beauty and the brittleness of life.

[Katarzyna Bartoszynska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, not even sure how I feel about it. What an odd book.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read and the ending has one of the most unique takes on the afterlife I've ever read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book three times. Each time it's brought me to tears. Gut-wrenching.

[Rhod · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like some Carolyn See books, but this one finally wore me down. There is only so much vomit and horrible accidents one can endure while the "story" traces a family through one crises after another.

[J. Fenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love everything Carolyn does....this one's my fav. though.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read.