“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” --Joan Didion
#WeRemember @Eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” --Joan Didion
#WeRemember @Eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
My credibility as a reader and a Californian was questionable because I‘d never read Joan Didion. Was so sorry to hear of her passing but appreciated learning more about her via its coverage. This collection was Libby-available, so I went with it. Glad I did, because the long foreword taught me a lot about Didion and her writing, and I enjoyed each piece. I‘ll read more of her work and am especially eager for more of the CA-focused stuff.
Joan is perfect as always in this collection of previously unpublished work. I can see why a few of these might have been overlooked before but I was still happy to read them now.
Mild pick. I love Joan Didion‘s writing, and there were some standout pieces in this collection, but the book was too slight to really justify its existence. The foreword by Hilton Als constituted 12% of the book, and there are only 6 total essays included, some of which I skimmed more than read, and others I sank into. The essays about Gamblers Anonymous and Ernest Hemingway‘s writing were my favorites.
I found Ms Didion's writing style easy to engage with. Though I did not agree with her on most things discussed in this essay collection. Except the Martha Stewart chapter.
Going to be catching up on reviews so be prepared for a flurry of posts in the next hour!
Let Me Tell You What I Mean was my first Joan Didion book. It was a decent starting point to understand the legend that is Didion! At the same time I left the book feeling like I need to read her more iconic works to fully get what she is all about.
Recommended!
Just finished the intro, and I‘m excited to get into it this weekend. Happy Friday!!
Joan Didion is always able to draw me in and give me something to think about in an understated, nudging manner. This collection of essays was no exception. "Some Women" stands out the most, but I recommend it as a whole.