Ron Peters's Reviews > The White Album: Essays

My general reaction to this book was the same as it was to Slouching Toward Bethlehem and my review of that book is here: https://is.gd/ieqvUX. On average these essays are not as good but some – “The White Album” and “James Pike, American” – are on a par. “The White Album” certainly makes you fear for her mental health. “The Women’s Movement” contains good criticisms of some things said by some second-wave feminists, but it overgeneralizes those ideas wildly, throwing the baby out with the bathwater, along with the tub itself. Her essay on “Doris Lessing” is a strange read since many things she criticizes about Lessing are entirely characteristic of Didion herself. The essay “In Bogatá” is not up to her standard; it’s a jumble of anecdotes on her notion of what is ‘exotic’ in Columbia. It offers no insights. Unless you're a completist read Slouching Toward Bethlehem and give The White Album a pass.