The Western Coast

by Paula Fox, Frederick Busch (Introduction)

America and the catastrophic world of twentieth-century war, mass murder, and horror are the backdrop of this story of Annie Gianfala, a young woman who finds herself cast adrift in Hollywood with World War II looming.

Defending herself with despairing stubbornness against personal catastrophe, she is able to save her life and escape.

"Enormously touching and wholly believable."—Washington Post Book World

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Paula Fox was an American author of novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her novel The Slave Dancer (1973) received the Newbery Medal in 1974; and in 1978, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. More recently, A Portrait of Ivan won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2008.

A teenage marriage produced a daughter, Linda, in 1944. Given the tumultuous relationship with her own biological parents, she gave the child up for adoption. Linda Carroll, the daughter Fox gave up for adoption, is the mother of musician Courtney Love.

Fox then attended Columbia University, married the literary critic and translator Martin Greenberg, raised two sons, taught, and began to write.

Reviews

[LW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ciò di cui hai paura diventa la tua unica vera vita

Molto buona la prima parte - on the road - in cui Annie arriva in autostop in California ,senza un soldo, e finisce per sposare un attore-marinaio , appena conosciuto (che poche ore dopo le nozze la lascia per imbarcarsi ...)
Nella seconda parte qualche pecca c'è:ecco, forse una bella sforbiciata ,di un centinaio di pagine avrebbe solo giovato!La narrazione procede tra incontri con personaggi di ogni tipo (alcuni restano però solo abbozzati , sfuggenti )e ancora tanta strada ,una festa dietro l'altra , una stanza in affitto dopo l'altra , ambienti vacui , splendenti e crudeli
Dopo un po', quel perenne broncio adolescenziale di Annie , il suo distacco dalle cose , dalle esperienze le fa perdere di fascino e...
tende a far prudere le mani :)
In quello che scrive Paula Fox ci sono molti elementi autobiografici ( come si fa a non avere grande simpatia per lei ? ) Un ’infanzia difficile, i ripetuti abbandoni , il padre alcolista, i matrimoni sbagliati , operaia e cameriera a sedici anni , a venti reporter nell’Europa del dopoguerra , poi modella per Harper’s Bazar, lettrice di soggetti a Hollywood ed anche comparsa , infine insegnante e scrittrice di libri per ragazzi e poi per adulti ,certo una donna sorprendente e con mille risorse!
In questo romanzo però, il suo stile unsentimental mi ha convinto meno che ne Il vestito della festa ,dove la sua scrittura mi è parsa molto più intensa ed efficace

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts about The Western Coast by Paula Fox

Annie—aimless Annie—forsaken Annie—Dreamboat Annie.

Heading out this morning into the sun
Riding on the diamond waves, little darlin' one
Warm wind caress her
Her lover it seems
Oh, Annie
Dreamboat Annie my little ship of dreams
Going down the city sidewalk alone in the crowd
No one knows the lonely one whose head's in the clouds
Sad faces painted over with those magazine smiles
Heading out to somewhere won't be back for a while… Heart-Dreamboat Annie

(Please forgive me, I had a momentary flashback to an old favorite 70’s song because Annie and her adventures started Ann Wilson’s voice softly singing in my mind. So I dug around on YouTube and found a vintage concert performance—here it is should you care to indulge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQDJ45qJHBQ)

Annie is a child of fate—taking things as they come—an innocent prone to dreams, yet wary enough to stay out of trouble—and after an indulgence with self-pity, she’s plenty smart to call it quits when enough is enough—move on—to grow as she turns slowly to face a transcendent disappointment with the way things are, and an honest to goodness disgust with oneself in the world.

“Everybody teaches me,” she said ironically, “as if I were the world’s village idiot.” page 38
(I had to burst out laughing when I read that—holy shit funny, only because I’ve experienced/felt this myself.)

Annie flows, flits, and filters her way through the dense cast of characters, friends, husbands, lovers, relations, acquaintances of various races and creeds, and Communists—New York City to California to New York City again, plotting to leave for Europe—in the span of time, the Great Depression is winding down, WWII is beginning and then ending—yet Annie seems mostly oblivious to these larger events—she’s a microcosm of the big picture, and dwells within her parameters until something or someone forces her out of them—she moves on to the next thing, her head filled with dreams and fears.

…her father had said that when you get what you want, it turns to ashes. It was all in the anticipation. P.259

Nailed it, nailed it, nailed it—dreams and realities—reality sucks after achieving the dream, unless you’re mature enough to accept that this is how things are out there in this thing called life. It’s part of growing up…

“Everyone has an unhappy life. That’s no distinction.” (for context: Ben Greenhouse speaking)
“Some people seem happy.” (for context: Annie speaking)
“Well, they aren’t. They’re just trying to be superior to the general condition.”
“There are people who can’t even consider such a question—they suffer from not having enough food or shelter—”
“Stop!”
“I won’t. Look at the way you’re dressed! How can you speak of unhappiness when you have the choices you have!”
“You don’t know anything about my choices, and I’m aware of the suffering of the vast majority of mankind and I don’t want to hear about that ideal socialist state full of hairy little domestic groups, running around hacking each other to death in the name of progress. You’re looking for a way to explain things to yourself. You’ve picked the inevitable one at your age. Shaw said that anyone who wasn’t a socialist before thirty had no heart and anyone who was a socialist after thirty had no head.”
“I’d rather have a heart.”
“That’s a disgusting line to draw. As if we don’t have to live with both! That’s the curse of it all!”
A conversation between Annie and Ben Greenhouse—pages 186-187


Paula Fox is a writer that inspires me to write—reading each book is like rediscovering a favorite toy—or finding something precious. The Western Coast is chockfull of goodies just like Desperate Characters, The God of Nightmares, The Widow’s Children, and Poor George, (these are what I’ve read so far, I’m still building my collection.) Her vision is spot on; she’s fluent in intense grace, dark humor, tender agitation, meticulous brutality, and a keen sense of the absurd—it’s probably why I adore her work so much—good old gritty reality. Her books are a treasure chest full of words and wisdom—the kind of prickly wisdom that is so honest—because out there in the murky chaos life is unbearably ugly, yet in all of that, there is hope, love, and there is beauty along with a sweet smattering of puppies and kittens, and the once in a blue moon mini-donkey comes along to get us through it all. I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity to discover her, it took the intervention of someone like Jonathan Franzen to help get her out of print books back into the hands of readers, especially, aspiring young writers who are still sponges learning their craft. Honestly, there aren’t enough books by Paula Fox—damn.


“I was taken to California,” she said. “After awhile, I escaped.” –Last page, last sentence.

(Heading out to somewhere…won’t be back for awhile…)

[Tom Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought (after much searching) and read a vintage hardcover edition. ( Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York / First edition, Copyright 1972 / 333 pages) - the book seemed a bit of a mess, at times excellent, at times tedious and exasperating - no doubt autobiographical, as most of Paula's books are - no sense in my saying much. I did like the circa 1940 California Paula created. The confused life of a very young woman, who was ill prepared for the vagabond life she was forced to live, wasn't enjoyable but then again it wasn't meant to be. Much of the book eluded me as did the final line - it all seemed so circular, there and back gain, though of course, as long as one doesn't give up, aging happens / far and away Paula's most political book, that aspect of the book being a good thing. Again the book was worth reading. Nothing wrong with a read being upsetting. There was a humorous part (page 303) as Paula describes the actions of an old 1930's car floundering through the ice and snow. It wasn't meant to be but obviously Paula isn't that knowledgeable about front whee drive versus rear wheel drive. Things like that amuse me. Yes, there were front wheel drive cars in the nineteen-thirties though I doubt that our Annie was driving a Citroën Traction Avant. FWD cars, especially in the USA were rare. (the FWD Citroën is featured in Alan Furst's excellent Night Soldiers books)

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surreal examination of the human condition.

[Lulua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't care much for the communism parts. The rest of the book is a beautiful tapestry.

[Natalya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another read I picked up from You (the book). Reminded me of The Bell Jar.

[HansBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deutschspr. Besprechung aus HansBlog.de:

Paula Fox schreibt sensibel intelligent, zurückgenommen, nie auftrumpfend, fein beobachtend mit spärlichem, dabei punktgenauem Dialog. Doch hat der Roman wenig Handlung und ausschließlich uninteressante bis unsympathische Figuren – Kontaktarme, Selbstsüchtige, Bizarre, Besessene, Haltlose, Entwurzelte in Südkalifornien Ende der 1930er Jahre. Für dieses Personal fallen mir fast eher englische Vokabeln ein, loser, loner, lunatic, drifter, drunkard; hinzu kommen zu viele missionarische Betonjungkommunisten.
"My family's going down the drain", meint eine Protagonistin treffend; das gilt für alle hier (ich kenne nur das englische Original und kann die Eindeutschung nicht beurteilen). Lauter Außerseiter taumeln durch die Kulisse, die wenigen Familien und Kinder sind eigentlichen Außenseiter in einer Gesellschaft der Beknackten. Die Hauptfigur Annie wirkt völlig willenlos, ungebildet, leidet Geldmangel und Hunger, lässt sich von männlichem Treibholz zulabern, beschlafen, heiraten, herumdirigieren, beiläufig erniedrigen, "let him heave her around like a sack of grain".
Vor allem im ersten Drittel wirkt der Roman so ziellos wie sein Personal, schippert makellos getextet, aber müde geplottet von Episode zu Episode, Typ zu Typ, ohne Handlungsbogen. Erst ab Buchmitte gibt es ein paar Querbezüge, tauchen Figuren mehr als einmal auf, ohne dass die Geschichte inzwischen auf ein Ziel zusteuert. Im letzten Fünftel entsteht ein bisschen Gemeinschaft und Bezug. Dabei produziert die Autorin gelegentlich störende Perspektivbrüche und lässt Annie Dinge sagen und denken, die nicht zur eingeführten, unerfahrenen Figur passen (so etwa ihre Gedanken an Italien mit "vistas of Lombardy poplars").
Hauptfigur Annie teilt viele biografische Merkmale mit der Erzählerin Paula Fox. Einige wenige Episoden aus Kalifornische Jahre kennt man auch aus anderen Foxbüchern, etwa die Arbeit mit Mexikanerinnen in einer Nietensortierstelle oder den Aufenthalt beim wohlmeinenden Onkel. Während Fox in anderen Büchern ihre Mutter in die Pfanne haut (In fremden Kleidern, Lauras Schweigen), kriegt hier ihr unzuverlässiger Vater (leicht verfremdet) sein Fett weg. Annies Willenlosigkeit erinnert auch an die Biegbarkeit der erwachsenen Tochter Clara in Lauras Schweigen.
Freie Assoziationen
Im autobiografisch grundierten Roman Kalifornische Jahre/The Western Coast beschreibt Paula Fox ihre Adoleszenz in Kalifornien. Die Vorgeschichte ihrer Kindheit liefern die Memoiren In Fremden Kleidern/Borrowed Finery. Die Memoiren, die direkt an Kalifornische Jahre anschließen, heißen Der kälteste Winter/The Coldest Winter. Alle Bücher sind völlig unabhängig voneinander lesbar.
In Kalifornische Jahre/The Western Coast driftet eine kleine, wenig wehrhafte einsame Frau durch ein Meer voll bizarrer, einsamer Amis, ohne sich ganz unterkriegen zu lassen; das erinnert an Paula Fox' Roman Luisa/A Servant's Tale.
Andere US-Autoren beschrieben Entfremdung und Isolation in der Menge ähnlich wie Paula Fox, u.a. David Gates und teils Jay McInerney.

[Moushine Zahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel I've read from American Paula Fox. The leading character of this novel, Annie, has similiarities with the leading character of the previous novel I've read from the author, but the story is obviously different in many ways. The leading character is a 17 years old American girl from New York, who goes on impulse to California and stays there during 5 years from 1939 to 1945. It is a coming of age of a young girl from teenage to adulthood, but it is difficult to connect to her due to the era.

The author brillantly:

1. depicts in detail the USA going from a post Depression era to WWII era,
2. develops well and in depth the various categories of people living and working in Hollywood and L.A.
3. describes the behaviors of men toward women and the leading character in particular.

The author emphasizes the contrast between all the men who have a condescendant behavior toward the leading character as if she were a naive and stupid girl who needs to be taken care of while Annie is actually a perceptive and nice individual with no clear agenda.

There are so many levels of reading this story with so many secondary characters and sub-stories to give them all here. The difficulty of Today's readers is to connect with these characters/stories due to an era that is long gone, but the condescendant behavior of men toward women is still present.

[Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fox is a truly impressive writer--and a uniquely powerful novelist. While I liked this one, I missed some of the compact intensity of her shorter novels. Looking forward to more of her works as I always have the thrill of not being able to predict where the narrative will go next (a unique quality all on its own). One things follows another. In that way, her novels more faithfully mirror what like is like.

[Chris Dungey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's subject matter is rather dated but Paula Fox's
prose style is not.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters felt underdeveloped, 2.6

[Miranda Williamson Coviello · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so chaotic and I disliked every character. I will say the writing itself was ingenious but I couldn’t get through this book fast enough.

[Kallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula Fox knows how a youngster bereft of family support feels. This novel admirably evokes those feelings without maudlin self-pity from the young woman narrator or sentiment from the writer. Fox never flinches; we experience L.A. in the 1940s as a raw, free-wheeling place full of unattached people with little context to hook onto -- in fact, a sort of frontier with little tradition (the way the title disconnects from its specific locale is brilliant). This novel, like others by Fox, is one I will re-read; excellent writing and an understanding of cultural context and import (conveyed through character, dialogue and setting) make Fox one of my favorite living American novelists.

[Rebecca Stuhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if I liked this book or not. I wondered about it the whole time I read it. I finally decided that it was sort of an innocent abroad or Alice in Wonderland kind of story. Young girl, left much too much to her own devices heads out to California before the onset of WW II but not before the European wars had started and rumors of the plight of European Jews had begun to spread. Most of the people the young girl knows are involved to some degree with the Communist Party and she is prone to do what people expect of her--mostly men. In the end, she leaves a very decadent and confused (Southern) California and returns to New York.

[Diane Stavrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of a deplorable 5 years of living at the bottom of a barrel.
well written for sure. The author includes a spattering of unresolved philosophy in last third of book. Two words came to mind when I finished reading it, they are: disparaging and weird.

[Lori Nemitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readbetween January & June 1983.

Original notes about the book: Weird book Kind of boring

[Gary Garth McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The recently deceased Paula Fox has become among my favorite authors. My thanks to a Good Reads friend for recommending her. The Western Coast is an intimate look at a very young woman's life in the hard time of depressed American just before World War II. She moves from New York to L.A., where she lives barely above starvation, although establishes some noted contacts through her (absent from her life) artist father and otherwise meets an array of characters as she works various jobs, including as a car hop in a Laguna Beach drive-in. The picture of Southern California in more or less 1940 is fascinating, especially seen through the eyes of one barely surviving, and the experiences of this young woman, including passing a tapeworm, are riveting. Perhaps I show my age when I say that much modern fiction portrays life as readers seem to want it to be and I find myself skimming the books, whereas writers like Paula Fox portray a more real existence that I find fascinating and savor every scene. While Fox presents her character in somewhat bleak circumstances, the book isn't tragic, or even unpleasant, because of the young woman's ability to keep moving on in search of what's better.