A review by sarabookshelf
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

emotional

3.75

I feel conflicted reviewing this book as it's so personal, honest and emotional, and it recounts in vivid detail a very difficult period for the author. However, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The continuous name dropping was a bit much, at times it felt a bit clinical and detached, but there were some amazing quotes about grief and dealing with grief in it that really resonated with me. Overall, not bad, but if you're looking for comfort or meaning in mourning, this book is not for you. 

“Grief is different. Grief has no distance. Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the dailiness of life.”

“I could not count the times during the average day when something would come up that I needed to tell him. This impulse did not end with his death. What ended was the possibility of response.”

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