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Blue Nights

Blue Nights book cover
BN
Biography & Memoir Non-Fiction Biography & Memoir Fiction

by Joan Didion

starstarstarstar_halfstar
3.75 (15.9K ratings)
calendar_today 2011
description 208 pages

Blue Nights by Joan Didion holds a well received rating of 3.75 out of 5, based on 15.9K reader ratings. First published in 2011. The book spans 208 pages.

About Blue Nights

From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old.  Blue Nights opens on July 26, 2010, as Didion thinks back to Quintana’s wedding in New York seven years before. Today would be her wedding anniversary. This fact triggers vivid snapshots of Quintana’s childhood—in Malibu, in Brentwood, at school in Holmby Hills. Reflecting on her daughter but also on her role as a parent, Didion asks the candid questions any parent might about how she feels she failed either because cues were not taken or perhaps displaced. “How could I have missed what was clearly there to be seen?” Finally, perhaps we all remain unknown to each other. Seamlessly woven in are incidents Didion sees as underscoring her own age, something she finds hard to acknowledge, much less accept.  Blue Nights—the long, light evening hours that signal the summer solstice, “the opposite of the dying of the brightness, but also its warning”—like The Year of Magical Thinking before it, is an iconic book of incisive and electric honesty, haunting and profoundly moving.

Detail Value
Author Joan Didion
Published 2011
Pages 208
Kindle Price $13.99
Genres Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Fiction
Average Rating 3.75 / 5.00
Total Ratings 15,852

Reader Ratings & Analysis

Rating Overview

3.8
starstarstarstar_halfstar
15.9K ratings
With a rating of 3.75, Blue Nights is rated below the global average of 4.17. Compared to its genre average of 3.97, it performs below the genre benchmark.

How It Compares

3.75
This Book
3.97
Biography & Memoir Average
4.17
Global Average

Frequently Asked Questions

What genre is Blue Nights?

Blue Nights is categorized as Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Biography & Memoir.

Is Blue Nights worth reading?

Based on 15.9K reader ratings, Blue Nights has an average score of 3.75 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."

How many pages is Blue Nights?

Blue Nights has 208 pages.

Who wrote Blue Nights?

Blue Nights was written by Joan Didion. It was first published in 2011.

What is the ISBN for Blue Nights?

The ISBN-13 for Blue Nights is 9780307267670.0.

How much does Blue Nights cost on Kindle?

Blue Nights is available on Kindle for $13.99. Pricing may vary by region and promotional offers.

Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026