--- product_id: 14256385 title: "The White Album" brand: "joan didionsusan varonaudible studios" price: "£24.48" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14256385-the-white-album store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # The White Album **Brand:** joan didionsusan varonaudible studios **Price:** £24.48 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The White Album by joan didionsusan varonaudible studios - **How much does it cost?** £24.48 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14256385-the-white-album) ## Best For - joan didionsusan varonaudible studios enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted joan didionsusan varonaudible studios brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful analysis of American situations and troubles *by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023* Beautifully written. Gave a wonderful and complete view of the period. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars Didn't see that coming *by K***R on Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2023* Her speaking on migraines.... wow! Beautifully said. I can't wait to read more from Joan. She writes like I think, about everything... ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars One or Two Solid Singles *by C***E on Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2014* The White Album is a collection of essays written and published from the late sixties to early seventies. I guess they're supposed to "define a generation," that generation being the sixties. Essay topics range from race relations (the Black Panthers), Charles Manson, shopping malls, and travel. Most of the essays were published individually in publications like Esquire and The Saturday Evening Post.Taken out of context, many of the essays can be disorienting. Didion often writes from the perspective of an insider looking in, and not being an insider, I feel uninvited. For example, when she writes about James Albert Pike, I had no idea who he was, and after reading the essay, I still have no idea who he was. I had to look him up on Wikipedia. And in one rambling piece, she writes about lounging around in Hawaii in a way that's more tedious than sitting through an endless reel of vacation photos. The irony is that she writes "the point of sitting there [at a private beach of a tropical resort] was not at all exclusivity, as is commonly supposed on Waikiki, but inclusivity." Then she talks about all the Presidential children, society women, celebrities, and corporate millionaires stay there. I probably wouldn't read whatever publication these were originally in, and that's fine.But, with that out of the way, the personal essays are more readable, even though Didion is still obtuse here. I don't mean that in a negative way. We're asked how a writer "mak[es] something of those details." Didion seems to just present them to us and let us draw our own conclusions, but that's a style I appreciate. (In the essays mentioned last paragraph, my conclusion is "I don't care" and it's nice of Didion to let me come to that conclusion on my own.)I really enjoyed "Many Mansions," about the abandoned governor's mansion in California. I never knew about this at all, and Didion does a good job explaining the situation and the context. I liked "In Bed," which is about grappling with her migraine. I liked "On the Mall," about the rise of the shopping wall, which is especially sharp in contrast with today's decline of the shopping mall. And I enjoyed "On the Road" a piece with a double meaning of "Where are we heading?" Where is Didion going on her book tour? Where is the country heading at the end of a decade?The standout piece is the eponymous essay "The White Album." This is a sprawling piece of scenes from the Sixties, everything from Scientology, to political movements, to Jim Morrison and the Doors, to Linda Kasabian (a member of the Manson Family who lived in Milford, NH!) I liked this piece as the cultural time capsule it is. However, some of Didion's details are strange. When in the recording studio with Jim Morrison, she writes "I counted the control knobs on the electric console. There were seventy-six." This is in the middle of dialogue. I guess it's to signify how bored she is?Anyway, like any essay collection, this is hit or miss. I can see how a more coherent memoir work, like the The Year of Magical Thinking or Blue Nights, might be more compelling, mostly due to their personal nature. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14256385-the-white-album](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14256385-the-white-album) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-04-28*