After Henry

Joan Didion's AFTER HENRY is a collection of essays from mostly the late 1980s, most published in THE NEW YORKER and THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS. SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM is one of my favorite essays and I so enjoy Didion's prose, subject matter and unvarnished take on a variety of topics. The most in-depth of the essays (sections divided into three sections: Washington, California and New York) concern the 1989 rape of the Central Park Jogger and subsequent trial, both media-driven and actual, as well as the 1988 presidential race, insomuch as it was presented by the media. She writes about the 1988 writer's strike as well as Patty Hearst, California Brush Fires, and political conventions. The subject matter is obviously less personal then her tremendous memoirs THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING and BLUE NIGHTS, but the taut, observational writing is intact, as well as the knowledge that she brings to the theme. If you are a first time reader of Didion this is not the one I would recommend - start with BETHLEHEM and then read the memoirs; however, if you are a devotee this may be the one you don't know about - so allow the completest in you to check it out.

I usually love Joan but this is the worst of her usually wonderful output. Buy white album or Bethlehem instead.

Love Reading Joan Didion. Would love to meet her! Her essays are spot-on and relevant to the times they are written and sometimes even currently.

Stunning, insightful, razor sharp analysis of political event and history water resources, social engineering and American life circa WW2. She is brilliant, prescient and objective. Have read nobody quite like her. She is genius!!!

After Henry is a gem. I depend on Didion to look under and around the public images she writes about. Her sentences on any subject give me clues as to how to look at all things.

One of the best writers for decades now. Observes and articulates many of the people and events we have been influenced by. Never lets you down.

I adore Joan Didion - will read anything written by her!

This collection of essays covers the waterfront by time and topic, but Didion brings to each her characteristic innocence and cynicism combined with personal knowledge of the events and acquaintance with the persons that inform her analyses.

Alles war ganz super und schnell! Service war sehr gut! Ich wurde diese Firma nochmals benutzen. Ich danke Ihnen nochmal.