The last days of the late, great State of California

by Curt Gentry

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0007EJRQ2
• Release Date: January 1969
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 401 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An allegory for our time

In the wake of Kristina and Rita, this is a book whose time has come again. We humans so fear 'natural' disasters, yet we lack the political will and moral fortitude to make the life we do have on this earth worthwhile for all. Gentry was uncannily far-seeing (especially for one writing in pre-Reagan America). Wonderful irony, eloquent mix of fiction and history.

Hey! Dontcha tell anybody the whole place is shakin' away!

I prolly haven't thought about this great book in years, and whaddya know, I no sooner get home from the polls after voting AGAINST Total Recall, and a magnitude 3.5 earthquake hits home right here in the ultra-Kalifornian city of San Diego -- Amerika's Finest. Well, I just had to write. I read this book when it was new and I was almost new, back in the dystopian years of Ronald Raygun's first administration as governor of the Late Great State ("Seen one redwood..." you know the rest...) It was a great time to be in high school, shades of Almost Famous and all, but a terrible time to be an environmentalist. Earth Days were new and Kalifornia was growing old, and cranky, and ultra-conservative. Christ! They called the Guard out to quell student uprisings on the Berkeley campus, and Mario Savio was told to shut up. Not that I much sympathized with the so-called Free Speech Movement. I loved what John Steinbeck, the pater-familis of the true California had to say about it, "I'm not sure what they mean by free speech; let's just hope that if they get it they grant it to the rest of us." Anyway, I think it is a perfect time to bring this great novel of California history, politics, and social satire back into print. If you haven't read it, read it. If you have, read it again and pray for Rosemary's Baby.

A grand what-if

I first read this a few years after it came out, maybe 1971, and I have to say, while it was fascinating, it also made me a lifelong convert to the "I'm never moving to California" camp. If even half the outrageous, rich narrative is true (and in the first 3/4 of the book I have every reason to believe it is) it's reason enough to be leery of moving out there. Never even been there, but Gentry's book showed the stranger, darker side of cultists, Ronald Reagan, Los Angeles and Kalifornia Kulture. Haven't seen my copy of the book in probably 20 years now -- they should definitely consider reprinting it!

A 30yr memory!

I read this book in the early 70's and loved it! I found it funny, tragic and obviously, memorable. I've thought about it often and am now trying to find a copy to re-read. I'd like to see if it is as good as my memory thinks it was and if it is as good, share it with some California "Johnny come lately" friends!

Perceptive, timeless look at the Lost State

A macrame of essays covering the importance of California to the popular culture and material prosperity of the world. "What if California slid into the ocean..." plot knits the essays together. Best parts- Dick Tuck, Ronald Reagan, E Clampus Vitus/Jackson, Watts Riots, Cults, Redwoods. Worst parts- occasional name-dropping and unexplained topical references and inside jokes. This is pre- "Helter Skelter" Gentry; thus the book only patchily closes the '60's decade. Ideal book project for hypertext; or read it by your favorite search engine.