After reading Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, a memoir about the death of her husband and its aftermath, I was hesitant to take on Blue Nights, the story of the death of Didion’s daughter. How much grief can one reader bear? But I’ve been reading Joan Didion since Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Didion captures the essence of her daughter, Quintana Roo, and manages to celebrate her life. The death of a child is terrible to experience in Didion detail. Didion’s health nose-dives in the wake of these deaths so she shares her own physical problems with the reader. The fact that she gathered the courage to write about them, despite the pain and despair, moved me. I’ve included Joan Didion’s revealing interview with Terri Gross on Fresh Air below. GRADE: A-
I just put this on hold at the library. There were 17 holds ahead of me, so it’ll be a while, but I want to read this, regardless of the grief, because I’ve always liked her writing style.
BLUE NIGHTS is a short book, Deb, so you won’t be on hold for too long. After reading THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING and BLUE NIGHTS, I’m going to read lighter fare for awhile.
Have to read it but not looking forward to it. The last one nearly undid me.
I had the same reaction as you did to THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, Patti. BLUE NIGHTS is written in a different key.
THanks, George. I loved the last one (as awful as it was) but I’ve been undecided if I wanted to put myself through this. I guess I will, as I’ve read pretty much all of her non fiction.
BLUE NIGHTS is well worth reading, Jeff. But the death of a child is always tragic.
Too, too sad for me. MAGICAL THINKING, maybe, over time, but this one, I’ll skip, thanks.
Joan Didion’s writing about the deaths of her husband and daughter are heart-wrenching, Rick. They’re not meant for casual reading.
Not to sound like a delicate little flower, but this would be too much grief to even read about.
I’d have to classify THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING and BLUE NIGHTS two of the darker memoirs I’ve ever read, Drongo.