The Year of Magical Thinking
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 2005 Knopf cover |
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| Author | Joan Didion |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Memoir |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Released | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 240 pp (Knopf hardcover edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 1-4000-4314-X (Knopf hardcover edition) |
The Year of Magical Thinking (2005), by Joan Didion (b. 1934), is an account of the year following the death of the author's husband John Gregory Dunne (1932-2003). Published by Knopf in October 2005, the book was immediately acclaimed as a classic in the genre of mourning literature. It won the National Book Award in November 2005.
The narrative structure of the book parallels the mental re-living of a tragic event that is common to many experiences of grief. The outline of the story remains constant: Didion and her husband were returning home after a visit to their daughter Quintana, then in a New York hospital battling life-threatening illness. At dinner John collapses, is taken to the hospital, and pronounced dead. But with each replay of the event, the focus on certain emotional and physical aspects of the experience shifts. Didion also incorporates medical and psychological research on grief and illness into the book.
Didion applies the iconic reportorial detachment for which she is known to her own experience of grieving; there are few expressions of raw emotion. Through observation and analysis of changes in her own behavior and abilities, she indirectly expresses the toll her grief is taking. She is haunted by questions concerning the medical details of her husband's death, the possibility that he sensed it in advance, and how she might have made his remaining time more meaningful. Fleeting memories of events and persistent snippets of past conversations with John take on a new significance. Her daughter's continuing health problems and hospitalizations further compound and interrupt the natural course of grief.
[edit] The Play
On March 29th, 2007, the Broadway adaptation of Didion's novel, directed by David Hare, opened with Vanessa Redgrave as the sole cast member. The play expands upon the memoir by dealing with the 2005 death of Didion and Dunne's daughter Quintana. Previews began March 6th.
[edit] Trivia
- The book appears in the ninth episode of Commander in Chief (TV series), The Mom Who Came to Dinner: president Mackenzie Allen's mother, Kate Allen, has fallen asleep while reading it.
- The letters highlighted in turquoise on the front cover of the book spell "John," her husband's first name.
- The book appears in an episode of Gilmore Girls.
- The book is quoted by Del.icio.us founder Joshua Schachter in an interview with John Heilemann of CNNMoney.com [1]
[edit] External links
- Audio interview with Joan Didion by Kurt Anderson (2005). Studio 360. March 2, 2007.
- CNNMoney.com article 'Tag Sale' January 31, 2006
