Samurai Widow

by Judith Jacklin Belushi

Judy Belushi has waited eight years to tell her story. Brimming with color, anecdote, and the presence of people such as Bill Murray, Penny Marshall, Carrie Fisher, Chevy Chase, James Taylor, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson, this memoir relates a journey through a troublesome time; a journey she never expected to take, with a destination she could not have imagined. 24 pages of photographs.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

427 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1990

Reviews

[Karon Phoenix-hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm on a John Belushi kick at the moment so I've just read this . I am re-reading Wired and I've watched the Final 24 hours as well . So what's my impression ? First and foremost the book is about Judy's love for John and how she got over his death . Woven into this is how she quite naturally didn't want to accept his drug problem was as bad as it was and wanted to preserve her memories of her husband which the media in various forms did not really allow her to do and how she came to terms with that . What is interesting in reading Wired and watching the Final 24 (where Judy is extensively interviewed ) is that she is clearly far more comfortable with how much drugs John did now than she was when writing this . This makes the denial more evident . There's no doubt John had talent but he was also self destructive and at a time when people were less aware of what drug abuse was and what could happen . It's a fascinating read and I do recommend you read it in conjunction with the others and then watch Animal House or the Blues Brothers and remind yourself of what we lost

[Andis / Slytherin 🐍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story

[Jill Kemerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been on a John Belushi kick lately, and the last book I read (Wired by Bob Woodward) filled in the blanks of his career and tragic final months, but it left me empty as far as why John was such a compelling figure to so many people. What was it about him that made him such a beloved star?

Judy Belushi chronicles her life after John died in this touching, deeply compelling book. It starts with her finding out he died, and ends several years later on a happy note as she embraces love a second time around.

Less about John than about Judy's quest to make sense of his death and how to create a life without him, this book still manages to fill in the personal blanks that Wired left out.

Ultimately, I was very inspired by her candid reveal of becoming a widow at thirty-one, and how treasured John was to her.

I loved this book. I'm glad I read both this and Wired because together, they gave a more complete record of such an iconic figure.

[Deb Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

She wrote a touching and loving tribute to John Belushi.

[Geoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly harrowing look into the aftermath of the death of one of my comedy idols from the person who was affected the most by it, such a privilege to be let into a widows deepest thoughts and learn whole new meaning to grief and letting go. Truly heartbreaking

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, honest description of the grief process. I'm reading Wired at the same time, which she initially cooperated with, but after publication, fought against. I don't see them as one good, one bad; rather, they were two different people with different perspectives and backgrounds who chose to write about John. She wonders why Woodward wrote so clinically, so unemotionally about her husband, but, as he told her when he was chosen to write Wired, that was not the genre he was used to; he was a reporter. So, what do you expect? These two books together make a more clear picture of Belushi and his life.
However, though she comes across as up front, once Wired came out, you can see denial coming through; no, he wasn't a junkie, he wasn't that bad, etc. Good guy or not, funny man or not, he was an addict. And his end came as no surprise. Sad.

[Bud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caught in the maelstrom that was the death of John Belushi, it seemed an impossible task for his widow Judy to survive without losing her mind. Rather than a tell-all about her late husband, this is a book about a grieving woman navigating her way through loss, struggling to start anew, and surviving the attacks of vultures who looked to exploit and tarnish her husband's name.
Judy's narrative and diary entries tell a self-deprecating, honest, funny, sad, and ultimately beautiful story. Judy was a talented woman who preferred to work away from the spotlight, but "Samurai Widow" allowed her to vent all that she'd kept relegated to diaries and edited interviews for almost a decade. This isn't a biography of John Belushi or a 400-page denunciation of "Wired" and the Hollywood culture - this is Judy's story.

[Courtney Bowerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago, and loved it, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I finally decided to order my own copy off Amazon. Rereading it really helped me get through the first year of the pandemic, because I found myself relating to Judy’s grief, anger, and struggle to find her footing in a world irrevocably changed. My favorite part had to be the the letters from John to Judy that made my ache just think about. For those that loved the recent documentary about John and wondered about how Judy went on after, I definitely recommend reading.

[Josh Zlatkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad but Funny

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt account of Judith Belushi's experiences following the sudden death of husband John and her recovery. This is a good follow-up to Woodward' s WIRED.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I expected. This is a memoir of a how a widow grieves and recovers from the loss of the love of her life. The structure is primarily in diary form. There are stories of John, but set more as recollections to put her current state of mind in context. Her observations about how media treats celebrity death and those close to them is as relevant today as it was in 1990. Her stages of grieving will resonate with anyone who has had a traumatic loss.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me years ago by someone who felt I could relate to it as I was grieving the death of my child. It didn't help. This book is about the grieving process faced by John Belushi's widow after he died. Although I sympathize with her loss I didn't experience a feeling of connection with her at all. In addition, the book was so poorly written I found it painful to read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago. It's basically a recount of John Belushi's life as told by his ex-wife. It has a lot of great photographs of the belushi family and the aykroyd family. If you're a fan of John Belushi, it provides a lot of interesting insight into his personal life.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I was never particularly a John Belushi fan, this book is one of my all time favorites. I read it shortly after the death of my son and found it to be a very real, very touching journey through the grieving process. This was a true love story!

[Anita Smith]

Had to bail on it. I was hoping for a read about John Belushi's life before he died, not after. I get it was supposed to be in a journal format, but it was too disorganized and all over the place for me.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good primer for the other side of the belushi story.

[Amy G. Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a much nicer and palatable portrayal of John Belushi than Wired did. Delved a little more into Judith Belushi's life post-John than I was necessarily interested in, but was a good read.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written and reads quickly for being over 400 pages long

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#21 of 130 books pledged to read during 2020
#4 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023