Julie’s review of The Year of Magical Thinking > Likes and Comments

Loved this one. Man can she write!

Debbie wrote: "Loved this one. Man can she write!"

I know, she's so good--and her voice is really distinctive.

There's one other criticism of this book that didn't fit into my review that I want to address: that Joan Didion does too much "name-dropping." First of all, she really doesn't. Second of all, she worked as a successful screenwriter for years. She's friends with some well-known people. Is she supposed to lie about it so the reader doesn't feel insecure and inferior? Whatever.

I agree completely. Harrowing and amazing book. This IS what grief is like.

Dave wrote: "I agree completely. Harrowing and amazing book. This IS what grief is like."

Thanks, Dave! This is another book that I think people will still be reading decades from now. It's destined to be a classic.

I was put off reading this book for a long time because a friend who was a book reviewer hated it. She did like Isabel Allende's similarly sad book about her daughter Paula. I finally read this one and thought it was very beautiful and moving. In retrospect I think my friend found it too detached which I think is only to say that it wasn't the way she had experienced grief in relation to those close to her. And I think that's understandable too.

Seana wrote: "In retrospect I think my friend found it too detached which I think is only to say that it wasn't the way she had experienced grief in relation to those close to her. And I think that's understandable too."

It's understandable that a reader might not entirely relate to the way she expresses her grief, because we're all different, but I didn't think the book was detached at all and I've yet to see a review that uses the actual text to support that idea. My problem with some of the reviews on Goodreads is that they're so critical of the way Joan expresses her grief that they seem to be implying there's a right and a wrong way to express grief. Not only is that not true, but there's no one out there in a position to tell Joan Didion (or anyone for that matter) how she "should" be expressing it.

I don't usually like to base my review on answering back to negative reviews, but in this case I just found most of the negative Goodreads reviews to be baseless. I think there's ample evidence that Joan Didion wasn't detached at all, or at least no more than anyone in a similar situation.

I agree with you Julie, but I think that Didion's style may lead some people to reading her as detached. I can remember feeling that way about some of her earlier essays, though I didn't feel that about this book. I think what I am trying to say in my friend's defense is that one's own grief can distort one's reaction to how someone else describes their own. I'm sure reading Didion's book sent many people back to deaths and tragedies they had faced, which may have led them to come from a not entirely objective place while reading her.

Another review I "liked" without reading...just to let you know "I liked it" for real! Seems like this might be better than Blue Nights. I'll have to give this a try.

Seana wrote: "I agree with you Julie, but I think that Didion's style may lead some people to reading her as detached. I can remember feeling that way about some of her earlier essays, though I didn't feel that ..."

That's a good point about the lack of objectivity, particularly if the reader's own grief is fairly new. I've had one major loss (i.e., death) in my life thus far and I might have read this somewhat differently if I was still actively grieving.

I also definitely agree that her essays often feel detached. I've read a number of them this summer and that was my main frustration with them. I suspect that may have colored my reading of this book as well--I was expecting it to be as detached as the essays, and when it didn't feel that way to me, I couldn't help but admire the way she finally showed some vulnerability for a change, and in regard to something so difficult.

Snotchocheez wrote: "Another review I "liked" without reading...just to let you know "I liked it" for real! Seems like this might be better than Blue Nights. I'll have to give this a try."

Thanks, Robbie. I haven't read Blue Nights--although I plan to--but my impression is that the two books are pretty different (and that this one is better). I can't decide how you might feel about this, but it's worth a shot.

Yes, I think I was bracing myself for detachment too and was surprised that it didn't read that way to me either.

Amazing review, Julie! Great critique of the no-win light in which Didion is cast by the collective negative reviews. I think you're right in that there's no correct way to grieve or to write about grieving, but maybe because we're so uncomfortable as a society with aging, illness, death, grief and loss, it's easy to critique writers who try to tackle this topic without resorting to typical Hallmark card sentiment?

Jenna wrote: "but maybe because we're so uncomfortable as a society with aging, illness, death, grief and loss, it's easy to critique writers who try to tackle this topic without resorting to typical Hallmark card sentiment?"

Thanks, Jenna! You're definitely right about how uncomfortable we are with those topics--good point. Still, it would be nice if a grieving person could be given the benefit of the doubt. My less charitable feeling is that a lot of people read this because it was on the bestseller list and just found it too far of a stretch from their usual Nicholas Sparks-type reads. (Hey, I admitted I was being uncharitable!)

Ooh, nice review.

And thanks for poking me; I like your stuff! Looking forward to having more of it in my feed.

Alex wrote: "Ooh, nice review.

And thanks for poking me; I like your stuff! Looking forward to having more of it in my feed."

Ha, I see you had to vet me before you accepted. Fair. :) Looking forward to seeing more of your reviews as well. It was your review of Fahrenheit 451 that pulled me in.

Well, I mean, I like reading peoples' book reviews, too. They help me think about books. In fact your review here inspired me to go update my review of this book, which has grown in my memory since reading it and especially since reading another Didion book and realizing what kind of author she is by nature.

Julie, if I may comment, this is a remarkably empathic review. Like you, I do not understand the criticism levelled at Didion and I’m so pleased to read a review that is intelligent and compassionate. Bravo!

Interesting review. I , too, wonder about the criticisms of Didion's work on grief. The emotions are raw , the swamping of hope so intense. It completely engulfs the reader in the struggle to go on.

Thank you, Laysee and Lori. I agree, it still drives me crazy when people call Joan Didion "cold." It makes no sense to me at all. Her Blue Nights was equally perfect in its own way, so if you haven't read it I recommend it.

That's one in the gonna read heap!

she was brilliant. RIP Joan Didion.

Love your last paragraph! Thanks for your thoughts!

Jordan wrote: "Love your last paragraph! Thanks for your thoughts!"

Thanks Jordan!

Great review, Julie!

Beautifully said, Julie. Thank you for such a precise review.

Giselle wrote: "Beautifully said, Julie. Thank you for such a precise review."

Thank you, Giselle!