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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
perfect . no notes. it’s didion.
In hindsight, I appreciate this book more than I did a month ago when I finished it. Certainly more than I did while I was reading it... while I was reading it, I didn’t really enjoy it at all.
I did appreciate the vulnerability and honesty of the experiences and emotions being related. And, by the end of the book, the jumbled organization and flow of thought is recognized as obviously intentional.
But I just felt like I had a hard time relating to the author and her experience— not of grieving or loss, since that is universal. (And, indeed, it helped me see how universal grief is considering how little else we had in common.) But the extremely frequent references to international vacations, considering buying a home in Hawaii, living in New York City and dining out and visiting with the elite.....
Not even close to my life and experience, and I felt like I had to get over those alienating hurdles before I could get more from the book.
I did appreciate the vulnerability and honesty of the experiences and emotions being related. And, by the end of the book, the jumbled organization and flow of thought is recognized as obviously intentional.
But I just felt like I had a hard time relating to the author and her experience— not of grieving or loss, since that is universal. (And, indeed, it helped me see how universal grief is considering how little else we had in common.) But the extremely frequent references to international vacations, considering buying a home in Hawaii, living in New York City and dining out and visiting with the elite.....
Not even close to my life and experience, and I felt like I had to get over those alienating hurdles before I could get more from the book.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
This book is on a special shelf of books I hate so much, I can't give them away and pass on the misery to others. Hate, hate, hate this name-dropping, pretentious, self-centered book.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
When I bought this book, I didn’t realize grief and loss were imminent in my own life. I was probably about 40 pages in before I got that news. I thought about stopping the book, like reading it would be too much. I’m glad I didn’t.
Joan’s ability to put a feeling as bizarre as grief into words is incredible. Many have tried to make the horrible feeling make sense or mean something; Joan captures it both accurately and beautifully. I felt seen. I felt understood.
As many people do when experiencing grief, she pours over memories and dates and facts. She blames others. She blames herself. She tries to rationalize. It’s a portrait of pain created with the most beautiful paint.
For people in the throes of grief, this may be too much. It is direct and biting in its truthfulness. For those not experiencing it, it may be hard to decipher. She is thinking magically after all. It doesn’t make sense out of that context. For me though, it hit the spot. A great introduction to Didion’s work.
Joan’s ability to put a feeling as bizarre as grief into words is incredible. Many have tried to make the horrible feeling make sense or mean something; Joan captures it both accurately and beautifully. I felt seen. I felt understood.
As many people do when experiencing grief, she pours over memories and dates and facts. She blames others. She blames herself. She tries to rationalize. It’s a portrait of pain created with the most beautiful paint.
For people in the throes of grief, this may be too much. It is direct and biting in its truthfulness. For those not experiencing it, it may be hard to decipher. She is thinking magically after all. It doesn’t make sense out of that context. For me though, it hit the spot. A great introduction to Didion’s work.
