The World According to Joan Didion by Evelyn Mcdonnell

Book: The World According to Joan Didion
Author: Evelyn McDonnell
Genre: Biography, Feminist, Women's studies, Journalism, Memoir
Published by: Harper Collins, HarperOne in 2023
Pages: 256
Recommended for: Every Book Nerd, Literature enthusiast, Classic Lover, Age Group above 15

Among Barnes & Nobels best books of 2023

Other books by the author: Rock She Wrote, Queens of Noise: The Real Story of Runaways, Army of She: Icelandic, Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, and Rock n Roll, Stars don't Stand Still in the Sky. 

Book Review: 
I loved this book, every bit of it and I felt more in love with this amazing woman and writer- Joan Didion. I haven’t read any work of Didon to date, just watched a documentary on Netflix based on her- ‘The Center Will Not Hold’ and ever since I had a curiosity about reading her works. After reading this biography based on her life as a writer, wife, and mother my interest is highly piqued. This book is a beautiful and accurate insight into how Didion brought new journalism into the world. 

This book is well-researched, incredibly written, and takes us to the parts of Didion’s life beyond her fame and words. Joan was brave, honest, and unique in her ways, she lived life with an attitude, a style, and a stamina that didn’t seem to get affected or dither by anything. Until her husband’s and daughter’s death only a few years apart. Evelyn wrote about her personal life with much interest, the author interviewed close family members and friends and that side of Joan is even more lovable and inspiring. There’s this enigma about her whether she was shy or introverted or funny and social creature, she was different for different people I guess.

Joan's writings gave an idea of Western living in a way that was never before expressed by anyone, she dwelled behind the limelight, and she was never the kind of feminist people want others to be, she never even promoted that idea, neither talked about it, but her writings were enough to represent her thought, that were nothing but about equality and respect for women.

I loved the book, I have three pages full of lines from the books, and I have added many books by Joan in my cart, just a tiny bit of disbalance in this book is when the author starts fitting herself into the story, I understand that she was just comparing the situation or proclaiming her love for Didion but it seems extra and unwanted. Also, a little bias on the author’s part is noticeable, except for Joan’s signature style of oversized sunglasses and cigarette in hand, there’s no flaw, no insecurity, nothing about that person, is it possible? I don’t know but would I recommend this book, YES, YES, YES.

Characters: It's a Biography, so the characters are all people who ever existed in the closed parameter to Didion. Joan Didion, her husband John Gregory Dunne, her daughter Quintana Rao Dunne, and many of her friends. 

The Core of the Book: McDonnell wrote about the life and works of Didion's life in a way that slightly shifts our focus from the fame and achievements of Joan to the person and writer she was. Joan was exceptional when it came to writing, she was straightforward forward, and deep, and she sure does have a knack for expressing grief in the most real way, that may make her readers even cry at times. Didion appreciated every single thing she got in life, but not without mentioning the smallness of grand things and vice-versa. 
How can her love for writing be not seen, when she has written everything from essays, articles, plays, and books; all the while diversifying her niche from the history & culture of California (her city) to counterculture, to Hollywood lifestyle, politics, and even female oriented literature, where she didn't particularly point that out but delivered a content that is capable of bringing the change. 
The vivid description of Didion's physical demure and how it led people to build their own perceptions about her personality is really something that is so believable and yet often always misses our attention, while we are talking about her. 

About the Author: Evelyn McDonnell is an American writer and Associate Professor of Journalism and New Media at Loyola Marymount University. She is known for writing Memoirs & Non-fiction about culture, music, and society. This book is McDonnell's final tribute to one of her ideals and inspirations- Joan Didion, where she doesn't place the mentioned writer in the spotlight from the beginning and start appreciating her works, rather she embraces her as a human, made up of multiple dreams and hopes, all the while being entwined among the worries of life. Evelyn incredibly made all the fans of Didion fall more in love with her and called out all the new readers to dive into her writings. The author managed to change the fixed mindset people had about the 'The Queen of California Noir' and transformed it into something even more sumptuous. 

Conclusion: For all the Didion fans, for all the female writers, for all the literature lovers; pick up this book blindly. Either get to know about this amazing human and writer Joan Didion, whose work is still relevant after decades, or fall more in love with her if you are already a fan. This book surely made me read Didion's work and man oh man, how grateful I am for it. This book is the finest introduction one can give to a veteran, it's sensitive, real, vibrant, thoughtful, and intimate. there are several pictures of Didion, with her partner, daughter, friends, books, and her iconic cigarettes and sunglasses. 

External Links: Buy Here
                           IG Review
                           IG Reel