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A review by sarasreading
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Unlike some of the other books I've read recently that deal with death and grief and have helped me process my own fears and trauma, this one brought them all to the forefront, making it a pretty stressful read for me.
I enjoyed the author's use of repeated phrases throughout, as it really mirrors how the brain plays those little moments over and over again. She's a skilled writer for sure. It was just a difficult read for me that, in the end, didn't help with my own healing and possibly took me a step back. It was written in the first year after she lost her husband and nearly lost her daughter, so it's all very fresh for her.
I recommend it if you don't have fears or existing trauma around sudden loss, otherwise proceed with caution.
I enjoyed the author's use of repeated phrases throughout, as it really mirrors how the brain plays those little moments over and over again. She's a skilled writer for sure. It was just a difficult read for me that, in the end, didn't help with my own healing and possibly took me a step back. It was written in the first year after she lost her husband and nearly lost her daughter, so it's all very fresh for her.
I recommend it if you don't have fears or existing trauma around sudden loss, otherwise proceed with caution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Medical content