Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Year of Magical Thinking

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

The year of magical thinking

Summary

The book follows Joan Didion during the year after her husband passes away.

Source
I heard about this book on cbc.radio, when a play based on the book was playing in Toronto. Matt Galloway mentioned that it was a book he had purchased many copies to give out to friends. Later, while watching a Michelle Williams' interview, she refer to her year of magical thinking after Heath Ledger's death.



My thoughts
I started reading this took in December and just had a few pages left but didn't finish it until today. Not sure why. I didn't think it was that sad considering the topic. The one sad moment I could imagine, was right after losing her husband, her first instinct was to tell him about it, because he was the one with whom she shared important events in her life. However, she obviously couldn't do it.

Joan Didion discusses these little irrationalities, hence the title of the book. For example, when she is finally able to give his clothes away, she holds on to his shoes, just in case he comes back. She knows it's not "rational" but she can't help herself. There is even a little food related anecdote. When Julia Child dies, Joan feels relief that Julia can cook for her husband. Again, she know it isn't to be.

I may pick this book up again when I need it in the future.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

someday this pain will be useful to you

Someday this pain will be useful to you by Peter Cameron.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You Cover

Summary
About a few days (weeks?) in James Sveck's life, an 18-year old who doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

Source
I read about this on Laineygossip.com, on which she shared pictures of the movie that is based on the book.

My thoughts
This was a very quick read. I don't know that I loved it, nor did I hate it. I can somewhat relate to James' lack of direction but I'm not sure I felt particular empathy with him. I think I felt more like he should just snap out of his funk.

I did mark this passage because I could relate to these feelings toward my own mother:
"I knew she wanted to help me. I knew she was my mother and loved me and I didn't want to be mean, but there something else inside me, something hard and stubborn that was mean."

Another passage I liked:

"I found this spectacle somewhat depressing, because I had always thought, or hoped, that adults weren't necessarily as hobbled by mindless conformity as so many of my peers seem to be. I always looked forward to being an adult, because I thought the adult world was, well - adult. That adults weren't cliquey or nasty, that the whole notion of being cool, or in, or popular would cease to be the arbiter of all things social, but I was beginning to realize that the adult world was nonsensically brutal and socially perilous as the kind of childhood."

While I understand his feelings toward adult, I would have expected these thoughts from someone more mature and I thought James acted quite immaturely often. I guess that's what being a teenager is all about, having very mature thoughts but not quite acting at that level

I feel a bit bad because it seems that from reading reviews, this book has touched many people. Obviously from the passages above, I did somewhat relate to the main character but I didn't always understand his actions, nor his surprise to the consequences of his actions. Maybe I wasn't supposed to?