The Year of Magical Thinking Discussion Questions

1. Didion spends quite a bit of time throughout the chapter describing her life with her husband--what their home looks like, their dinners together, how they work, etc. Why do you think she includes these small details while discussion his death?

2. What do you think Didion means when she says, "This was the beginning of my year of magical thinking" (33).

3. Even while describing the events leading to John's death, Didion spends time looking for the right words (i.e., "V-fibbing" page 12) and giving us snippets of poetry (page 19 and 32), notes (page 20), and research (page 21). Why might she include this information (seemingly unrelated to the story of grief she is telling?).

4. On page 27, Didion says, "My father was dead, my mother was dead...but I would still get up in the morning and send out the laundry...Grief is different. Grief has no distance. Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the daliness of life" (27). What do you think she sees as the difference between the two feelings she is describing? How would you characterize the first? And, do you belief the difference is that great?