Review of Eve’s Hollywood by Eve Babitz

*Eve’s Hollywood* by Eve Babitz (1974). Published by NYRB Classics.

If you’re new here, welcome! My name is Ashley, and I started this blog as a way to archive all of the movies, television, theater, and books I’ve come across in my lifetime. I was reading and consuming so much that I couldn’t remember what exactly I’d done throughout the years, and this blog has been an incredible way to keep track of everything.

For my fellow readers out there, I have a question: do you ever have a book or author you know so much about, but have never actually read before? I feel like there are a few authors in my memory that stand out like this for me, and Eve Babitz is one of them.

I knew so much about this woman and Eve’s Hollywood, but I had never read any of her books throughout the years. I am a master of procrastinating on books and movies I want to get to. Like I actually reflect on this so much on my blog, which is an interesting phenomenon to track throughout the years.

I was wandering my library during the unemployment period, looking for something to read that I did not have to pay for, and I stumbled upon a copy of Eve’s Hollywood. I remembered that I had been procrastinating on reading this book, realized I now had too much free time besides the grind of job applications, and then decided to pick it up.

If you like what you read in this blog post though, consider clicking around and seeing what else you might like. I recently fell on that period of unexpected unemployment, and this website has been a lifeline through the little display ads that pop up at the bottom and the corners.

Let’s get into the review! I don’t want to ramble too much in the introduction. I know blogs can get a little bit lengthy with intros, and this isn’t the main event.

A look into Eve’s upbringing and chaotic life wandering the streets of Los Angeles.

This is a book that I would describe as being broken up into little vignettes. Each “chapter” (they’re not really chapters per say, just broken up) focuses on a different event, person, or aspect on Eve’s life. It’s also how she became known as the cool girl of Los Angeles, as her life is quite chaotic.

The heart of this book is Los Angeles. We learn a little bit about Eve’s background, her parents, and how they’re very much in the Jewish community here in LA. But Eve isn’t someone who would describe Los Angeles as somewhere boring though, as she meets a lot of people on her own, across all communities, showing how there’s a thriving culture in the city in the sixties and seventies.

Her stories range from how she’ll willingly defend Los Angeles to anyone who dares to insult it, a brief stint in New York that ended with her coming back to Los Angeles and loving it all over again, her high school years the adventures that come with being a teenager here, to little gossip she comes across here and there.

There are 46 of these “chapters,” and her writing style itself is a conversational one. It feels like you’re talking to someone on the ground, having a simple conversation about what’s going on and what she witnessed in that story. Not every chapter to me is a standout though—there are some brilliant stories contained within these pages, but there are also a lot forgettable ones as well.

Which is a shame, but it reminds me of the mythology behind figures like Babitz. She’s known for her reputation, and this book shows how and why she got the reputation she did throughout the years. This is a memoir told through vignettes, or essays, and she’s capturing how flighty and restless she is even through the writing style itself.

Babitz is also someone who fell into more obscurity. At the time of typing this there’s another interesting book that came out comparing her to her rival Joan Didion. Didion became more of a household name, and I could see how this happened, considering I’ve studied both women’s histories. Babitz was less brand friendly, and towards the end of her life, she became even more isolated and private.

So returning to this book is also a time capsule that preserves her legacy. It’s what people will remember her through in the end, especially as it has now been deemed a classic.

Overall Thoughts

I think for me I was interested most in getting into Babitz’s mind as someone who has been mythologized in so many ways, and thus I liked the book enough. If I wasn’t going into this angle, I probably would not have liked it as much, as my research interests are old Hollywood and 1920s-1950s Los Angeles. Babitz is describing 1960s LA throughout this book.

Anyways, I do think this is a book that everyone should pick up at least once if they’re interested in this kind of history. Babitz is someone who break through a boys’ club at the time and should be remembered like Joan was, but because she did not have the same reach, she’s falling behind after her death in terms of being remembered. I think we should keep her memory alive, and this is the perfect book for that.

Pick up a copy at your local library or indie bookstore if you’re interested in the book—I think it’s worth it if so!

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