Review of The year of magical thinking by Joan Didion
Review The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion The Year of Magical Thinking is a deeply moving memoir by Joan Didion, published in 2005. It chronicles the year following the sudden death of her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, and her struggle to cope with that loss while also caring for their critically ill daughter, Quintana. The book opens on an ordinary evening: Joan and John are sitting down to dinner when John suddenly collapses from a heart attack and dies. This moment marks the beginning of a year filled with intense grief, reflection, and emotional turmoil for Didion. Throughout the memoir, Didion shares her raw and honest experiences of mourning. She writes about the shock, denial, anger, guilt, and deep sadness that follow John’s death. One of the central themes of the book is "magical thinking"—the irrational belief that she could somehow reverse what happened. This manifests in her reluctance to throw away his shoes or clothes, as if he might retur...