L.A. Woman by Eve Babitz

Read July 2019. Published in paperback by Canongate 4th July 2019. Originally published 1982.

This is a book about what it means to be a true LA Woman.

Sophie is a twenty-something young woman in the sex, drugs and rock and roll era LA, part-time photographer and groupie/lover of Jim Morrison.
She has always been the wayward daughter of her German immigrant parents, brought up in a bohemian, musical household and determined to go her own way. She lives and breathes the Hollywood lifestyle and has been unable to keep away from its pink sunsets and palm trees.

Lola is a German immigrant, who settled in Hollywood and who has seen the changes over the years, while appreciating its eternal soul. She is a friend and contemporary of Sophie's parents and she see that Sophie is a kindred spirit.

Both live out their decadent and dazzling lives - the embodiment of the LA Woman - Sophie with the fullness of youth, and Lola full of stories and nostalgia.

*********************************************************************************

This book was originally written in 1982, by the cult writer and embodiment of the LA Woman, Eve Babitz. It is being republished as part of the new Canongate Canons collection of books which are total cult classics.

It is essentially a coming of age story, told by the young Sophie, about her upbringing and experiences that have led her to where she is in 1970's LA.
She is the embodiment of the free-thinking and sexually liberated LA female, whose life revolves around the party/movie/rock and roll scene.

Her story chimes well with the current vein of 1970's nostalgia novels, such as Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, whilst offering much more depth in relation to the history of Hollywood and its women-folk.

The depth comes from Sophie's relationship with Lola.
They are share the same emotional intensity and outlook, and understand each other perfectly, despite the wide disparity in their ages.
Sophie likes nothing better that to listen to Lola reminisce about her wild past and browse Lola's collection of photographs. In this way Sophie learns about the history of the city she loves, as well as the past of her own family and their friends.

Both Lola and Sophie's stories will take you back to two very different times in LA - the glittering hey-day of the movie glamour era and the hip rock and roll scene of many years later - whilst still being about the same archetypal woman.

This is a novel of the most wonderful prose, that glides off the page and it is very compelling. It deserves its place as a cult classic about strong women, who are not afraid to live the lives they want, and I hope the re-issue will bring it to the attention of a whole new generation of readers.