addystape's reviews
290 reviews

Didion recounts the death of her husband and illness of her daughter, both very sudden events. Didion weaves various elements together to paint the whole picture of the process of mourning including citations from Freud, medical textbooks, poems, autopsy reports, logs, and memories. Recurrent themes, beliefs, and principles emerge. In journalistic style, she lays bare her grief by describing its symptoms, reconstrucing events, and making observations.