While the book was initially confusing because of the sheer number of characters he introduces in the beginning, I soon realized that Frey's intention in this novel was not to follow a conventional plot line, but was centered around a place rather than a specific person. This novel was centered around the theme of life in LA in the twentieth century. He explores its growth, what attracts people to it and what kind of people end up there. It does not disappoint if you have read his other work and, like myself, greatly enjoy his literary style. The flexibility in his plot allows him to tell four main stories at one, one of a Mexican-American girl working as a maid with large thighs and low self-confidence. Another of a successful film star named Amberton and life in and out of the public eye. A third is of Old Man Joe, a homeless man, infatuated by Chablis who sleeps in a bathroom. Finally, a young couple who have been each other's comforts and support from a young age as they deal with their abusive parents, they drive west.
Frey allows the reader to understand the city, become familiar with everyone from the hopelessly crushed, addicted and mentally unstable to those who seem on the opposite end of the spectrum, those with success - and all of the benefits and disadvantages that come with popularity and wealth. He presents LA mainly as a city of extremes, hopes, dreams and escapes.
I greatly enjoyed this book and think it is a terrific read.
