The Last Thing He Wanted

I started this book about five times before I finally finished it. If I wasn't such a huge Didion fan, I would not have bothered because this certainly isn't my favorite work of hers. I was completely lost the first time, and a more knowledgeable friend had to explain to me the political context before I felt like I was understanding something. Even so, the story was shrouded in mystery,...more

I started this book about five times before I finally finished it. If I wasn't such a huge Didion fan, I would not have bothered because this certainly isn't my favorite work of hers. I was completely lost the first time, and a more knowledgeable friend had to explain to me the political context before I felt like I was understanding something. Even so, the story was shrouded in mystery, doubt, paranoia, and namelessness, which made it difficult and frustrating to continue. The narrative structure is really creative and would have been really slick if it worked. Told from the perspective of a journalist who is a friend of the heroine investigating this incident 10 years after the fact, the text weaves back and forth between the past and present, creating a heightened sense of intrigue as the plot slowly and methodically reveals itself. Sadly, most of the time, I just wanted Didion to tell it to me straight.   hide