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: Vanessa Redgrave
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About this listen

When celebrated writer Joan Didion’s life was altered forever, she wrote a new chapter. In this adaptation of her iconic memoir, Didion transforms the story of the shattering loss of her husband and their daughter into a one-woman play performed by Tony Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who originated the role on Broadway in 2007. Written with Didion’s trademark style of cool observation, The Year of Magical Thinking weaves back and forth in time, taking listeners on a poignant journey through heartbreak, grief, and resilience. It’s an unforgettable theatrical experience that resonates with anyone who has ever loved.

©2005 Joan Didion (P)2020 AO Media LLC
Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Women Celebrity Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Funny Suspenseful Witty Feel-Good
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Our favorite moments from The Year of Magical Thinking

"That's what I'm here to tell you."
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"I guess that was when I knew..."
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"There's nothing I do not discuss with John."
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  • The Year of Magical Thinking
  • "That's what I'm here to tell you."
  • The Year of Magical Thinking
  • "I guess that was when I knew..."
  • The Year of Magical Thinking
  • "There's nothing I do not discuss with John."

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What listeners say about The Year of Magical Thinking

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I Really Enjoyed This Book

I'm thankful the Author chose to share her experience in this book. The narration really helped give the story it's tone.

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30 people found this helpful

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Surprised by it’s creative approach

Such a poignant, sensitive sharing of unimaginable loss.
It felt like a person close to me were sharing her experiences, thoughts & feelings.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Performance ruined it for me

I really wanted to like this, but the way Vanessa Redgrave portrays Joan Didion was distracting. The accent, the feeble sound of her voice, just didn’t feel like Joan Didion to me. However, it’s a beautifully written script.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Magnificent

This story is filled with raw truth. It is So humbling. Narration is outstanding. Beautifully written. Worth the listen.

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Beautiful and heart wrenching.

Thank you for sharing your story Joan. Vanessa did a wonderful job. It was very moving.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lyrical and yet...

I think it almost unfair for me to rate this when I must admit that I experienced reliving my personal suffering because of it. Devastating loss of all forms changes everything from that instant it lands at your feet. You’re never the same. Not even remotely. Maybe to others externally, but inside yourself ... never. Didion’s descriptions touched well on much of the “magical” (I can feel the resentment that occupies me over the use of that term as if it’s a pleasurable experience) thinking that one does. It is admirable that she described grieving so eloquently, yet I can’t stress enough how triggering it will be.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Very good, not as rich as the whole book

A very good dramatization of Joan Didion's memoir of extreme loss. The book is so much richer though. Still recommended though. If you enjoy this, read the full book.

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it tags at your heart strings.

Best story about dealing with grief I have heard. Of course Ms. Redgrave is fabulous as the reader.

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Mesmerizing!

I don’t know which I was more drawn into, Didion’s recounting of her husband and daughter’s illness and death or Vanessa Redgrave s reading. Both complemented each other and made the story, the experience, well, magical. Not in a “happy” magic way of course but more in the way that magic happens through communication. I felt my own losses so beautifully expressed and for an hour and a half was transported.

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Emotional

The year of magical thinking is a well done performance by Vanessa Redgrave—-an intimate novella about the author’s family’s medical tragedies.

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