nonabgo's review
4.0
Audible gave this to me for free and it was the perfect length for my ironing night. Good reason for a book, right? Except that this is not actually the book, which I will now have to hunt down and read. It is, as I found out later, an adaptation, a shorter version of the memoir - basically, as the Audible description says, a one-woman play.
But as short as it is, the impact it had on me was strong. It was such a random read that I had no idea, until the end of it, that it's a memoir and Joan Didion really went through all that. I thought it was just a brilliantly written (and performed!) short story.
It hit me hard, this story about grief. It reminded me vividly of the months after my mom died, when I felt somehow disconnected, like I was not there, like things were not really true, that she was going to come back at any moment. I related to Didion's feelings, to her disconnect from the reality. Sometimes, grief hits right when the death happens. Other times, the mind goes into a sort of protective tent of fog, and grief hits days, weeks, months later, harder than it would had you processed it earlier...
Vanessa Redgrave's performance is stellar. Well, she is stellar in anything, so no surprise here. She elevated this play to a whole new level and transported me right into Didion's psyche.
I don't recommend this to people who are freshly grieving. But as grief understanding goes, this is a good study. The incursion into Didion's mind, her thought process, her motivations were on point. I wish I could have seen this performed live.
But as short as it is, the impact it had on me was strong. It was such a random read that I had no idea, until the end of it, that it's a memoir and Joan Didion really went through all that. I thought it was just a brilliantly written (and performed!) short story.
It hit me hard, this story about grief. It reminded me vividly of the months after my mom died, when I felt somehow disconnected, like I was not there, like things were not really true, that she was going to come back at any moment. I related to Didion's feelings, to her disconnect from the reality. Sometimes, grief hits right when the death happens. Other times, the mind goes into a sort of protective tent of fog, and grief hits days, weeks, months later, harder than it would had you processed it earlier...
Vanessa Redgrave's performance is stellar. Well, she is stellar in anything, so no surprise here. She elevated this play to a whole new level and transported me right into Didion's psyche.
I don't recommend this to people who are freshly grieving. But as grief understanding goes, this is a good study. The incursion into Didion's mind, her thought process, her motivations were on point. I wish I could have seen this performed live.
ebazilereads's review against another edition
5.0
A heartbreaking read. Stunning. I may purchase a copy of this for my Grandmother, with whom I share a love of both theater and reflections on end of life.
catsccardoso's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
nadaghanim's review
4.0
This is heartbreaking and i just kept going, Vanessa Redgrave's performance is exceptional though!
paintedverse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
groovygirl858's review
1.0
Can't recommend
Grief comes in many forms and I will not critique the author's approach to it. As a listener of this work, however, I just can't recommend it. It jumped around, was hard to follow and just not what I expected from the description.
Grief comes in many forms and I will not critique the author's approach to it. As a listener of this work, however, I just can't recommend it. It jumped around, was hard to follow and just not what I expected from the description.
mssegallsays's review against another edition
2.0
Didion provides a look into the minds process of surviving great loss. Losing her husband and her daughter in a short span and how grief affected her. I read this on Audio and at times it seemed a bit disjointed. It was interesting, but somewhat confusing. Not sure if that was due to the narrator's reading or if that's just how it was written. It might have been intentional, in the way that the authors mind was scattered and overwhelmed and all over the place. Regardless, it was good not great. I don't know if I will read the full novel.
ellenmurrayb's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0