Part 2, Travels 1971-1986: Chapters 1-5 Summary and Analysis

In chapter one, Crichton begins his stories about sex and death in Los Angeles. By this time, Crichton and his wife were both living in California and were separated. LA was not really like anything Crichton expected. The author had rented an apartment in a place where people often went when they were getting divorced. Crichton was in a strange city, and he was lonely.

Crichton describes people at the pool in his apartment complex. Life in Los Angeles was not nearly as exciting as Crichton had hoped. Although there were some movie stars in the area, they tended to wear dark sunglasses and avoid all of the common people.

Crichton's tales of goings-on in the apartment complex are quite funny and bizarre. One story deals with Miss Jenkins, a young lesbian who...