L.A. Women
by Ella Berman
A view of Hollywood in its least glamorous (3/20/2025)
I read this book in one sitting as I was on a long flight. I found the main characters shallow, and unlikable the jealous and vampiric Lane was particularly distasteful. The reason for her reserve and coldness was well explained. The character of Gala was particularly cartoonish. Her relationship with the rock star Gabriel reminded me of "Nearly Famous" and the relationship between Curt Cobain and Courtney love with Jim Morrison thrown in. It rang more true than Lane and Scotty, the other love story.
The only true struggle was Charlie's attempt to grapple with his gayness. How do you write a story of the 60's and 70's without mentioning the Civil Rights struggles and the Vietnam war and Watergate? Writing was good but not memorable. I would recommend that this can easily be missed