In this dramatic adaptation of her award-winning, bestselling memoir, Joan Didion transforms the story of the sudden and unexpected loss of her husband and their only daughter into a stunning and powerful one-woman play. “This happened on December 30, 2003. That may seem a while ago but it won’t when it happens to you . . .” Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times called the memoir that was the basis for the play, “an indelible portrait of loss and grief . . . a haunting portrait of a four-decade-long marriage." The first theatrical production of The Year of Magical Thinking opened at the Booth Theatre on March 29, 2007, starring Vanessa Redgrave and directed by David Hare.

Quicklets: Learn more. Read less. The Year of Magical Thinking documents the painful year of 2004 in author Joan Didion's life as she deals with the death of her husband John and the serious illness of her daughter Quintana. It's her most critically aclaimed book to date, earning her the National Book Award in November 2005 and the Pullitzer Prize for biography/autobiography. The book was also a finalist in the National Book Critic's Circle Award. On March 29, 2007 Didion's adaptation of the book for a Broadway play came to life with Vanessa Redgrave as the sole cast member. The production toured the world and has been translated into several other languages.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The word ordinary never left my mind, because I realized that there was no forgetting it: the word was in fact the ordinary nature of everything preceding the event. I knew that the story had come from me because no version I heard included the details I couldn’t yet face. #2 I am a writer, and I have a sense that meaning is resident in the rhythms of words and sentences. I needed to find meaning in the death of my husband, John Gregory Dunne, nine months and five days ago.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The word ordinary never left my mind, because I realized that there was no forgetting it: the word was in fact the ordinary nature of everything preceding the event. I knew that the story had come from me because no version I heard included the details I couldn’t yet face. #2 I am a writer, and I have a sense that meaning is resident in the rhythms of words and sentences. I needed to find meaning in the death of my husband, John Gregory Dunne, nine months and five days ago.

A concise and professionally-researched summary of Lionel Snell's book: "My Years of Magical Thinking". From Alden Marshall’s Condensed Esoterica series, this complete summary provides a fast and straightforward way to understand and study the main ideas and concepts of the original source text. About the Original Book: My Years of Magical Thinking by Lionel Snell is an autobiographical journey into his history of thinking about the nature of reality, cognition, and human development. The core of the book presents the author’s view that civilization moves through a cycle of different governing values systems, which he calls cultures, from artistic to religious to scientific to magical, and then back to artistic. Although he explores each culture (except art) in some depth, magic receives the bulk of the attention, as he feels it is the part of the cycle we are currently moving into. The author goes to great lengths to distinguish magic as a system of thinking about the world, rather than comprising any specific acts, abilities, or rules in itself. Added-value of this summary: * Save time * Understand the key concepts * Expand your knowledge Note to readers: This is an unofficial summary and analysis of the book and not the original book itself. Alden Marshall and the Condensed Esoterica Collection are wholly responsible for this content and are not associated with the original author in any way. You are encouraged to purchase and read the original text in addition to this summary.

Christian Lönneker systematically explores the phenomenon of magical thinking in the context of severe grief reactions focusing on intrusive forms reported by bereaved individuals seeking professional support. The author succeeds in proposing a comprehensive definition of magical thinking and a rationale for its association with grief based on various disciplines, such as psychology, anthropology, and the cognitive science of religion. Within the scope of a grounded theory study, case reports comprise themes like bringing the deceased back to life, the magical efficacy of religious rituals, and attempts to ward off harmful influences of the dead.

This book is a compelling reference guide for book clubs on the work of Joan Didion, with summaries of her major works and discussion questions. * Discussion questions on Joan Didion's works, literary movements, and literary analysis * An exhaustive bibliography of additional writings about Didion as well as similar authors and books