The Year of Magical ThinkingThe Year of Magical Thinking
Score Modern
What it's about
On December 30, 2003, Joan Didion's husband of nearly forty years, the writer John Gregory Dunne, collapsed at their dinner table and died of a heart attack. Their only daughter was in intensive care at the time, critically ill. Didion tells what happened over the following year as she tried to understand his death, and how grief made her, a famously clear-eyed writer, believe for a while that he might come back.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's one of the most precise and honest books ever written about grief.
You'll love it if you liked
A Grief Observed
When Breath Becomes Air
The Cost of LivingGood to know
It's short. Didion's daughter died after the book was written; she wrote about that loss in Blue Nights.
By the numbers
- Readers30 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics97 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller45 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #125 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #358 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #712 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
More by Joan Didion
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Play It as It Lays
The White AlbumIf you like this, read next
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Seabiscuit: An American Legend
John AdamsExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Year of Magical Thinking worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #712 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Year of Magical Thinking about?
On December 30, 2003, Joan Didion's husband of nearly forty years, the writer John Gregory Dunne, collapsed at their dinner table and died of a heart attack. Their only daughter was in intensive care at the time, critically ill. Didion tells what happened over the following year as she tried to understand his death, and how grief made her, a famously clear-eyed writer, believe for a while that he might come back.
How long does it take to read The Year of Magical Thinking?
About 6 hours (241 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Year of Magical Thinking won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2005).
What should I read after The Year of Magical Thinking?
If you liked it, try A Grief Observed by CS Lewis, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy.