at first, i was really liking this (as far as the writing style). but then it got redundant. normally i love didion’s detached style but for me personally, it just doesn’t work when the subject matter involves grief. that was my experience with her “blue nights”, which i read a few months ago. i have read 2 of her other nonfiction books (“let me tell you what i mean” and “south and west”), and really enjoyed those. but the detachment in those essay collections felt better than the version in her 2 books about grieving the death of her husband and daughter. both “blue nights” and “the year of magical thinking” felt very disconnected, impersonal, and tedious. 

that being said, i still think that “the year of magical thinking” is a worthy read. i can see why so many people love it. it just didn’t captivate me in terms of the writing style/approach.