Miami

View other editions of Miami.
View books by Joan Didion.

A tremendous piece of reportage - Rated
Joan Didion's book is a guide not only to the politics and culture of Miami in the 1980s, but also to the wider currents of American political life in that decade. It is well written, very easy to read and surprisingly gripping given that in a sense it is a work of current affairs about a period that is now 20 years behind us.

The writing is clear yet evocative, the book is well structured building over its course to provide a real feel for the city and its people (particularly on the interaction of the Anglo-Americans and Cuban-Americans) and works well to show how the history of one time and place reflects on the wider history of which it forms part.

This is not a light hearted book, it is very easy to read but it is in large part a tale of corruption, grimy politics and the social currents that can hide just out of sight of the gaze of the the casual tourist. It gives a tremendous insight into a fascinating city, but it doesn't tempt you to move there and I doubt the Miami tourist board are as taken by it as I am.

This is part of a Granta series of reissued great works of reportage, having read it I can see why Granta considered it worth republishing and why it is so highly regarded as a piece of high quality journalistic writing.