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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 Art & Literature Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Women Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking
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Vanessa Redgrave is a treasure. This is a powerful performance of a moving story. It's great to hear the voice of and inner world of an older person. .. this is quite rare today.

A great performance

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I could not imagine this to be any better. Incredibly sensitive, lyrical and delicately performed.

Perfect

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Vanessa Redgrave’s reading really is a performance; this book is very close to being a monologue. Redgrave captures Joan Didion’s voice so perfectly; American, wavering, perplexed. She brings so much more to this audible telling than a hard copy would. For Didion to have somehow got through this tremendous loss was no mean feat, and while it may not offer up any quick remedies or pop psychology for grief, it is a stunning emotional outpouring. Having recently lost a family member- I found this book to be incredibly moving.

Extraordinary

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Vanessa Redgrave is simply brilliant, I’ve read the book but the audio is more real and intimate.

Audio better than reading the book

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With tender vulnerability, Joan shares her poignant story of love, loss, and resilience, revealing the courageous ways she navigated the darkest moments of her life. Brilliant performance by Vanessa Redgrave.

Poignant

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Very moving. Didion’s writing is stunning, tough to follow at times but so passionate that it doesn’t matter if parts haven’t quite added up or made sense. So much passion in this performance from Vanessa Redgrave, truly beautiful.

Incredible Performance

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was recommended to me shortly after my father died. I'd say that would have been the wrong time for me to read this book. it captures the raw insanity of grief quite viscerally and extra helpings of that at the time were unnecessary. several years later, I appreciate it is speaking truth about very difficult feelings and I wouldn't want to read it again.

was recommended

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I was gripped and listened to the entire audio book in the one sitting. A sad story worth sharing delivered in a genuine heartfelt way. Psychiatrists may call it denial but really, she was just hopeful.

True to grief and loss

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I will listen to this again & again. A masterpiece both in the written word and narration.

Unforgettable

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A brief reflective story about life, love, relationships and the struggle for acceptance and understanding imparted by unexpected loss of loved ones.

The narrator, Vanessa Redgrave, gives a wonderfully powerful performance bringing the character and the character’s struggle to life as she delivers this soliloquy.

I was left reflective and wanting more of both story and narration.

A beautiful story about life, love, relationships

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