Joyride
A Memoir
Published on 6. November 2025
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-83895-549-6 (ISBN)
Description
'Brilliant...A high-spirited, exhilarating memoir' Wall Street Journal
'In Joyride, the takeaway often has as much to do with the art of living as the art of writing' Elle
'Wise and exuberant...It's funny, as well. Just masterful' David Sedaris
'Superbly good...Ebullient, frank, moving, and inspiring' Booklist (starred review)
'The story of my life is the story of my stories,' writes Susan Orlean in this exhilarating memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is Orlean's most personal book ever, a searching
journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head over heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work (including Adaptation and Blue Crush) and confronting mortality.
Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean's bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her careermaking days working alongside such icons as Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour
and Sonny Mehta, forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.
Infused with Orlean's signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life.
'In Joyride, the takeaway often has as much to do with the art of living as the art of writing' Elle
'Wise and exuberant...It's funny, as well. Just masterful' David Sedaris
'Superbly good...Ebullient, frank, moving, and inspiring' Booklist (starred review)
'The story of my life is the story of my stories,' writes Susan Orlean in this exhilarating memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is Orlean's most personal book ever, a searching
journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head over heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work (including Adaptation and Blue Crush) and confronting mortality.
Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean's bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her careermaking days working alongside such icons as Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour
and Sonny Mehta, forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.
Infused with Orlean's signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life.
Reviews / Votes
For anyone who's asked - and haven't we all - "How does she write like that?," this wise and exuberant book is the answer. It's funny, as well. Just masterful -- David Sedaris A spry, entertaining memoir/writing workshop by a nonfiction artist at the top of her game * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * Delightfully chatty and engaging...If you are a newcomer to all things Orlean, this inspiring memoir is a great place to start * Oprah Daily * Orlean is always superbly good literary company, here she deepens the intimacy, welcoming readers into the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of an exemplary and empathetic writer who revels in life's oddities, mysteries, and splendour * Booklist (starred review) * Orlean (The Library Book) offers a master class in nonfiction writing and an indelible portrait of a bygone era of magazine journalism in this excellent personal history * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * Enthralling and inspirational...[a] fine and heartfelt saga * Observer on THE LIBRARY BOOK * Orlean, a longtime New Yorker writer, has been captivating us with human stories for decades, and her latest book is a wide-ranging, deeply personal and terrifically engaging investigation * Washington Post on THE LIBRARY BOOK * An exemplary work of creative non-fiction... I can't recommend this book highly enough * Scotland on Sunday on THE LIBRARY BOOK * Susan Orlean has long been one of our finest storytellers -- David GrannMore details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
518 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83895-549-6 (9781838955496)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Library Book, Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award-winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and on Substack.