Let Me Tell You What I Mean

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

I've read only the first few essays, so it's early days with this one, but I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen this one mentioned before. I think it's great.

65 likes1 stack add

LindaLappin

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

“I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” --Joan Didion

#WeRemember @Eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Great quote! 2y

16 likes1 stack add1 comment

Christine

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

pick

My credibility as a reader and a Californian was questionable because I‘d never read Joan Didion. Was so sorry to hear of her passing but appreciated learning more about her via its coverage. This collection was Libby-available, so I went with it. Glad I did, because the long foreword taught me a lot about Didion and her writing, and I enjoyed each piece. I‘ll read more of her work and am especially eager for more of the CA-focused stuff.

DivineDiana I have two of her books on my TBR stacks, that I now plan to read in 2022. 🙂 2y

Christine @DivineDiana Aww, great. I hope you love them, when you get to them! 2y

43 likes2 comments

AlizaApp

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

pick

Joan is perfect as always in this collection of previously unpublished work. I can see why a few of these might have been overlooked before but I was still happy to read them now.

29 likes

Kimberlone

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

pick

Mild pick. I love Joan Didion‘s writing, and there were some standout pieces in this collection, but the book was too slight to really justify its existence. The foreword by Hilton Als constituted 12% of the book, and there are only 6 total essays included, some of which I skimmed more than read, and others I sank into. The essays about Gamblers Anonymous and Ernest Hemingway‘s writing were my favorites.

57 likes1 stack add

thebacklistbook

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

so-so

I found Ms Didion's writing style easy to engage with. Though I did not agree with her on most things discussed in this essay collection. Except the Martha Stewart chapter.

3 likes

Pruzy

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

pick

Going to be catching up on reviews so be prepared for a flurry of posts in the next hour!

Let Me Tell You What I Mean was my first Joan Didion book. It was a decent starting point to understand the legend that is Didion! At the same time I left the book feeling like I need to read her more iconic works to fully get what she is all about.

Recommended!

britt_brooke I still need to read this! I think you‘ll really enjoy her other nonfiction. I love when she writes about 60s California the most. 3y

Pruzy @britt_brooke Yes! That is the iconic Didion stuff I want to read! Have you read the essay collection Dead Girls by Alice Bolin? Despite the title of her collection one of the essays is about what it was like for her reading Didion‘s works about LA when Bolin herself just moved to LA and was a lonely newcomer 3y

britt_brooke @Pruzy I haven‘t, but I‘ll add it to my TBR - thanks! 3y

Pruzy @britt_brooke Hehe, you added it to your tbr? Awesome! 3y

65 likes4 comments

Augustdana

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

Just finished the intro, and I‘m excited to get into it this weekend. Happy Friday!!

13 likes1 stack add

BekaReid

Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion

pick

Joan Didion is always able to draw me in and give me something to think about in an understated, nudging manner. This collection of essays was no exception. "Some Women" stands out the most, but I recommend it as a whole.

17 likes1 stack add