The Year of Magical Thinking

Locations
Call Number: 921 Didion, Joan, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Didion, Joan
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

thought-provoking submitted by smgop on June 24, 2016, 11:59am Didion's journey through grief and bereavement give words to the heaviness of the heart. Her perspective on living after the loss of one's soulmate is profoundly touching and thought-provoking.

The Year of Magical Thinking submitted by leighsprauer on August 4, 2018, 10:34pm Joan Didion writes the memoir-like story of the year following her husband, John Gregory Dunne’s, sudden death. She attempts to make sense of this loss, as well as her daughter’s severe and prolonged illness, and come to terms with her new life, both in relation to others and to her sense of self. Didion’s spare, straightforward prose reads like a diary, and in fact I had the feeling that she began it as such, or at least with the possibility that it might remain private. I’m glad it didn’t. Having never read any of Didion’s other work, I was struck by her masterful storytelling, research, and obvious intellect. Beyond that, it was fascinating to read her account of the processes of grief and mourning, and especially the confounding, selective irrationality that can occur. I could relate: after my sister-in-law’s death 11 years ago, I had similarly irrational thoughts about reversing time, petitioning God to bring her back a la Lazarus, etc. It was moving to read another person’s experience with grief.

Different in space and time submitted by ccrose on August 27, 2019, 9:56pm That moment when a beloved person dies goes beyond any experiences. I appreciate what Didion has done to try to describe how a mind tries to comprehend finality.
Her ability to write, describe, organize, sidetrack and explain called for her to stay very self-aware. It is a very kind-hearted writing. She knows readers may have no experience so she goes slowly, building examples of that magical thinking. I recommend this book for those who are grieving though the readiness to read it may come a long time after the loss.

Poignant, a Little Painful Study of Grief submitted by sVfGI7Glt2pz7GZgVB90 on August 15, 2020, 10:54pm
Didion's influential book on grief is a clear-eyed depiction of losing oneself after losing a loved one. In the aftermath of her husband's (John Gregory Dunne) death, Didion investigates grief with persistent meticulousness. In so doing, she provides a road map of an intense loss of control that is both revelatory and soporific.