Anybody read Joan Didion's new book?

[Wetzelbill]

"The Year of Magical Thinking"

I haven't but she is a wonderful beautiful writer. He short book "Fixed Ideas" about the Bush Administration after 9/11 is a gem. She's really great. I was just curious if any of you checked out her newest book. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

[Flying Dream Blues]

1. I haven't read it yet but a friend has been raving about it.

It's on my Christmas list! :)

[babylonsister]

2. Is this the woman who lost her husband and wrote

this as a kind of memorial? I think I saw an interview on Sunday Morning.

On edit: Yes

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/248770_natbooks18.html

Didion among National Book Award winners

By HILLEL ITALIE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- On a night when honorary winner Norman Mailer likened the literary novel to the horse and buggy, National Book Award judges helped canonize what is sure to become a classic of non-fiction: Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking."

Copper Canyon Press of Port Townsend garnered its third National Book Award in poetry for the seminal new collection by W.S. Merwin, "Migration: New and Selected Poems." It was the first National Book Award for the 78-year-old poet who lives in Hawaii.

Didion's memoir about the death of her husband, author John Gregory Dunne, brought the 70-year-old writer her first National Book Award in her 40-year career and continued a wave of virtually non-stop praise since the book came out a month ago.

"There's hardly anything I can say about this except thank you," Didion said Wednesday night, praising her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, for supporting her as she wrote her painfully personal best seller.

more...

[Southsideirish]

5. And her daughter, too, in August. n/t

[Sapphocrat]

3. It's on my wish list.

There was a great review of it in Newsweek recently, and then today the Lehrer Newshour did a most moving feature on it.

(The part about how "un-American" it is to grieve reminded me of Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death.")

I can't wait 'til I save up enough pennies for "Magical." Sounds incredible.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. Not yet. Saw her on TV with the tedious Charlie Rose.

She fascinated nonetheless.