The Year of Magical Thinking Audiobook By Joan Didion cover art

The Year of Magical Thinking

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The Year of Magical Thinking

By: Joan Didion
Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
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National Book Award, Nonfiction, 2005

"Life changes fast....You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends." These were among the first words Joan Didion wrote in January 2004. Her daughter was lying unconscious in an intensive care unit, a victim of pneumonia and septic shock. Her husband, John Gregory Dunne, was dead. The night before New Year's Eve, while they were sitting down to dinner, he suffered a massive and fatal coronary. The two had lived and worked side by side for nearly 40 years.

The weeks and months that followed "cut loose any fixed idea I had about death, about illness, about probability and luck...about marriage and children and memory...about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself."

In The Year of Magical Thinking, Didion explores with electric honesty and passion a private yet universal experience. Her portrait of a marriage, and a life, in good times and bad, will speak directly to anyone who has ever loved a husband, a wife, or a child.

Listen to Joan Didion's full-hour interview with Charlie Rose.©2005 Joan Didion (P)2005 HighBridge Company Art & Literature Authors Grief & Loss Memoir Essentials Mental Health Awareness Personal Development Women Marriage Inspiring Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Grief Motherhood

Critic reviews

  • 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Biography/Memoir
  • National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee, Autobiography, 2005

"Many will greet this taut, clear-eyed memoir of grief as a long-awaited return to the terrain of Didion's venerated, increasingly rare personal essays....This is an indispensable addition to Didion's body of work and a lyrical, disciplined entry in the annals of mourning literature." (Publishers Weekly)
"The Year of Magical Thinking is not a downer. On the contrary. Though the material is literally terrible, the writing is exhilarating and what unfolds resembles an adventure narrative." (The New York Times)

Featured Article: The top 100 memoirs of all time


All genres considered, the memoir is among the most difficult and complex for a writer to pull off. After all, giving voice to your own lived experience and recounting deeply painful or uncomfortable memories in a way that still engages and entertains is a remarkable feat. These autobiographies, often narrated by the authors themselves, shine with raw, unfiltered emotion sure to resonate with any listener. But don't just take our word for it—queue up any one of these listens, and you'll hear exactly what we mean.

Featured Article The top 100 memoirs of all time
Beautiful Prose • Raw Emotional Honesty • Perfect Narration • Insightful Grief Portrayal • Thoughtful Reflection
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There seems to be a commonality between reviewers here and probably between readers that will gravitate to this book in the future -- the struggle to find the ground again after a great loss. There are some beautiful tributes, expressions from the heart written here in these reviews, and I found them lovely in and of themselves. Didion's book, in its straight-from-the-heart uncensored narrative is nothing less than a gift. In its revelations of loneliness, fear, anger, and loss it is a tribute to love and to healing, to the human soul; the proof that a broken heart goes on to a new rhythm that will be tuned to that soul that has left us; that those we love live on in us.

Didion's TYOMT is an enormous effort, an intimate journey that feels suspended in midair searching for somewhere to put down feet and move on. Her life of schedules and deadlines goes on in another dimension as if she dwells "somewhere between a dream and a memory" after the death of her husband. Every word feels precise, personal, and even agonizingly sharp at times as the knowledge of the loss moves from the intellectual level to the heart -- beautifully chronicled. My own loss came to call again, but instead of feeling so alone in my sorrow, I was able to acknowledge with love the impact this person had on my life -- release the pain but keep the memories.

Didion is always precise and effective with her words, but with this book she writes with a vulnerability that has a huge healing force and power. The process of grieving is nothing we look forward to, but as they say, it's the journey, and Didion in sharing hers with us shows us how to make that journey with grace and go on.

Brilliant Words of Understanding and Comfort

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A wonderful narrator takes us through the terrible year of tragedies for Joan Didion, who beautifully highlights what it means to live and experience human emotions. This was a book I could not stop, and indeed listened to several chapters over again to only to enjoy the haunting pace and voice of Ms Didion. Exceptional work.

Magical Book of the year!

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This is one of the most unique books on grief that I’ve encountered. Didion’s factual and somewhat emotionally removed approach to conveying her process with grief was really powerful, even if it was horrifying at times and doesn’t end on an uplifting note. It exemplifies how people grieve differently and brings something new to the table in the process.
My only complaint is with the narration. The pacing felt off and rushed in places, and the whole delivery felt a bit too monotone. I almost stopped in the first two chapters because of how hard it was to focus on the story as a result.

Loved the writing, wish the performance matched

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Unfortunately they chose to add ‘transition music’ at the end of chapters, which is both too loud and (at best) distracts from the book. Narration was strong enough that I still gave it high marks, but man. Hard to finish such a powerful book and have to strain to hear Didion’s words because of loud, campy music.

High marks despite horrible addition of music

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It takes a writer as experienced as Didion to be able to create the level of detail that allows us to experience the minute thought patterns and emotions that accompany a loss. Having experienced much loss myself, I could absolutely relate to her feelings. I found it comforting to have someone articulate so well what it is like. It also compels one to be more active in living life well we have it

The experience of gas

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I really enjoyed hearing how the author processed the death of her husband. her mourning process was interesting to hear, interlaced with stories of her life with John and their daughter. It was personal yet a teaching moment for me.

Retrospective, and yet not

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Any additional comments?

Probably one of the most important books I have read. Its insights are quite profound; it was as if I was given the chance to look in on someone being emotionally dissected. Ms Didion is an exquisite writer who is almost godess-like in some respects.

Being able to stand back from the pain of deep loss and garnering the strength and courage to share that experience is telling.

I absolutely admire her for that. She is truly great and I very much recommend this book.

Exquisite Writing

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Would you listen to The Year of Magical Thinking again? Why?

I have listened several times and love this book more each time I listen.

What did you like best about this story?

The writing is so lovely, almost lyrical.

What about Barbara Caruso’s performance did you like?

Barbara Caruso's performance is wonderful, I can listen to her while driving, walking, or while trying to fall asleep. She has a lovely voice which is ideally matched for this book.

Great writing and narration.

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I purchased this a while a go at a time of terrible loss and was only recently able to listen. This is not a "pick-me-up", or guide to getting over it (which would have infuriated me). It is simply an incredible woman allowing you in at the most dreadful of times.

“AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY”

Incredibly valuable to me

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Intelligent. Heartbreaking. Joan Didion shares her experience of life and love and great personal loss. This is about a journey toward enlightenment.

The Year of Magical Thinking

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