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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Opening Sentence of the Day: Play it as it Lays



"What makes Iago evil? some people ask."

-- Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

Heroine Maria (pronounced Ma-eye-ah) follows this opener with the soul-deadened, "I never ask."

This short, bleak novel about Hollywood shows up on several "must read" lists, including the All-TIME Top 100 and Erica Jong's Top 100 books by women.  I'm tearing through it because it is mesmerizing. But what a train wreck!
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2 comments:

  1. SFP1/27/10, 11:41 AM

    We reading Slouching Towards Bethlehem my freshman year of college and I read Play It shortly thereafter.

    I still love it to pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bybee1/28/10, 12:49 AM

    I'd love to reread Play It As It Lays.

    ReplyDelete