A review by rosemarieshort
The World According to Joan Didion by Evelyn McDonnell

emotional informative slow-paced

3.5

3.5 stars. The World According to Joan Didion is a rumination on the writers life and in many ways the way it interspersed with Evelyn McDonnell’s own. Whilst there are times where this works (when McDonnell undertakes a pilgrimage of sorts to Hawaii to follow in Didon’s footsteps) there are also times when it doesn’t. There are also really fascinating chapters (the one outlining Didion’s relationship with her daughter) but ones which seem overwritten about an element of Didion’s life which was incredibly slight. I felt like I learned little that was new, but enjoyed living in Didion’s world for a while. McDonnell is unapologetically a huge Didion fan, so there’s clear bias shown. However I didn’t find this problematic, as McDonnell is transparent about this throughout. Overall for someone less familiar with Didion, or someone who just wants to reflect on Didion for a while, this is a good read. If you’re looking for deep detail on her life or fresh insights, you may not find what you’re looking for.