Thinking about “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion
by Nikola Durkovic
I am in the middle of the process of writing my final paper and some thoughts and questions are going through my head so I wanted to share them:
Although “The Year of Magical Thinking” speaks of terrible tragedy, its not a downer! The writing, by one of the main participants of the tragedy, is exciting! How crazy is that? As Joan Didion once said: “The way I write is who I am, or have become.”
Dissembling nature of memory and grief?
Does the fluid narrative structure represent disorientation by stress caused by sudden death?
Juxtaposing of hard, cold, documents-supported facts with most personal and precisely expressed feelings – the signature of Didion’s alchemy.
Mystical quality of the book?
Musical quality of Didion’s writing? Rhythm is life!