The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found
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- Create Date：2022-03-28 06:51:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Frank Bruni
- ISBN：1982108576
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Summary
From New York Times columnist and bestselling author Frank Bruni comes a wise and moving memoir about aging， affliction， and optimism after partially losing his eyesight。
One morning in late 2017， New York Times columnist Frank Bruni woke up with strangely blurred vision。 He wondered at first if some goo or gunk had worked its way into his right eye。 But this was no fleeting annoyance， no fixable inconvenience。 Overnight， a rare stroke had cut off blood to one of his optic nerves， rendering him functionally blind in that eye—forever。 And he soon learned from doctors that the same disorder could ravage his left eye， too。 He could lose his sight altogether。
In The Beauty of Dusk， Bruni hauntingly recounts his adjustment to this daunting reality， a medical and spiritual odyssey that involved not only reappraising his own priorities but also reaching out to， and gathering wisdom from， longtime friends and new acquaintances who had navigated their own traumas and afflictions。
The result is a poignant， probing， and ultimately uplifting examination of the limits that all of us inevitably encounter， the lenses through which we choose to evaluate them and the tools we have for perseverance。 Bruni’s world blurred in one sense， as he experienced his first real inklings that the day isn’t forever and that light inexorably fades， but sharpened in another。 Confronting unexpected hardship， he felt more blessed than ever before。 There was vision lost。 There was also vision found。
One morning in late 2017， New York Times columnist Frank Bruni woke up with strangely blurred vision。 He wondered at first if some goo or gunk had worked its way into his right eye。 But this was no fleeting annoyance， no fixable inconvenience。 Overnight， a rare stroke had cut off blood to one of his optic nerves， rendering him functionally blind in that eye—forever。 And he soon learned from doctors that the same disorder could ravage his left eye， too。 He could lose his sight altogether。
In The Beauty of Dusk， Bruni hauntingly recounts his adjustment to this daunting reality， a medical and spiritual odyssey that involved not only reappraising his own priorities but also reaching out to， and gathering wisdom from， longtime friends and new acquaintances who had navigated their own traumas and afflictions。
The result is a poignant， probing， and ultimately uplifting examination of the limits that all of us inevitably encounter， the lenses through which we choose to evaluate them and the tools we have for perseverance。 Bruni’s world blurred in one sense， as he experienced his first real inklings that the day isn’t forever and that light inexorably fades， but sharpened in another。 Confronting unexpected hardship， he felt more blessed than ever before。 There was vision lost。 There was also vision found。
Reviews
G R Jones
，
Review of Frank Bruni's Memoir The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and FoundSuccessful journalist with first world problems gets grounded when he wakes one morning with visual impairment in his right eye。Now he decides to write a collection of stories about people who suffer adversity and can manage their life and push through it to succeed。（view spoiler）[And for some reason he lets us know he got a dog and is surprised that it has a modicum of intelligence。 （hide spoiler）]Unfortunately， it's co Review of Frank Bruni's Memoir The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and FoundSuccessful journalist with first world problems gets grounded when he wakes one morning with visual impairment in his right eye。Now he decides to write a collection of stories about people who suffer adversity and can manage their life and push through it to succeed。（view spoiler）[And for some reason he lets us know he got a dog and is surprised that it has a modicum of intelligence。 （hide spoiler）]Unfortunately， it's comparable to a book about athletes and competitive sportspeople， where all he does is talk about Olympic gold medal winners and Superbowl champions。This is in no way a book which reflects the everyday reality of life for people with disabilities and those suffering with constant pain or illness。I was hoping for some greater insight into the troubles and life changes due to blindness。 Instead， we get glimpses into Bruni's life and his contemplations "analysis paralysis" about the inevitability of growing old。I'm sorry， but no matter how well Bruni writes this is over simplified and hasn't added much to the discourse on coping with disability。 。。。more
David Janove
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Beautiful book that puts the worst cards you get dealt with in life in perspective。 Important to move forward with life through any means you have。
Kris
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Reminded me of my dissertation。 So many similar themes and reflections。 Lovely writing especially the last two chapters。
SueAnne
，
4。6
Doc Thissen
，
Having had a similar vision problem， I was intrigued to read this book。 What I found was so much more than expected。 Clear insights into life， powering through adversity， and just being a better person overall。 This is a must-read。
Kevin
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It's a beautiful exploration of personal loss， specifically disability， how some people react to it， and how a few cope with it。My favorite passages were about the dog Regan， her simple joy at being alive， and the joy she brings to the author。 It's a beautiful exploration of personal loss， specifically disability， how some people react to it， and how a few cope with it。My favorite passages were about the dog Regan， her simple joy at being alive， and the joy she brings to the author。 。。。more
Roberta Laughland
，
This is a wonderful book。 EVERYBODY！ Read this book。 He writes about his vision loss（which I can relate to， and the uncertainty of future vision loss） but this book is so much more。 It is filled with so many stories of the courage of people in his life。 Some famous， some not so much。 He is a wonderful writer and story teller。 The long chapter on his dog will certainly be enjoyed by all you dog lovers。 I really liked this book。 He read the audible book， which was wonderful。 I have always been a g This is a wonderful book。 EVERYBODY！ Read this book。 He writes about his vision loss（which I can relate to， and the uncertainty of future vision loss） but this book is so much more。 It is filled with so many stories of the courage of people in his life。 Some famous， some not so much。 He is a wonderful writer and story teller。 The long chapter on his dog will certainly be enjoyed by all you dog lovers。 I really liked this book。 He read the audible book， which was wonderful。 I have always been a great fan of his。 5 stars for sure！ 。。。more
Elaine
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A little reminder/guide to focus on the good things and not the “holes in the road”。 Appreciated his off-handed references to the fact that aging necessarily entails some physical decline and pretty much guarantees that we will experience loss。 It’s never unique to us as individuals。 As Bruni writes， by at least middle age， we could all be wearing sandwich boards with our pains and losses writ large。 His message is that there are ways to embrace the joys in our lives despite our hardships， grief A little reminder/guide to focus on the good things and not the “holes in the road”。 Appreciated his off-handed references to the fact that aging necessarily entails some physical decline and pretty much guarantees that we will experience loss。 It’s never unique to us as individuals。 As Bruni writes， by at least middle age， we could all be wearing sandwich boards with our pains and losses writ large。 His message is that there are ways to embrace the joys in our lives despite our hardships， grief and pain， and that doing so offers us new ways of being， seeing and doing。Easy to read if just a bit padded feeling。 。。。more
Holly
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I love this book！ As a long time fan of his NYT columns， in this book， Bruni writes what is close to a meditation on his changed life and the others he interviews or knows， as they manage to supersede loss， tragedy， aging and the physical and mental challenges of life after difficult diagnoses。 He details how he learned to handle his near blindness in the new dusk of his life through learning from others experiencing similar and difficult circumstances。 Paralleling his age， the metaphor is deep I love this book！ As a long time fan of his NYT columns， in this book， Bruni writes what is close to a meditation on his changed life and the others he interviews or knows， as they manage to supersede loss， tragedy， aging and the physical and mental challenges of life after difficult diagnoses。 He details how he learned to handle his near blindness in the new dusk of his life through learning from others experiencing similar and difficult circumstances。 Paralleling his age， the metaphor is deep and profound， he is an amazing writer and communicator， empathetic and authentic， an amazing read。 。。。more
Natalie Serber
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I loved this tender book。 I learned so much about how we can truly face what seems insurmountable， how we can grow and change in the face of pain and loss。 It turns out， we are all starfish！
Zoë
，
This is a beautiful book about resilience， which we each must， at one or more times in our lives， foster as we face adversities or challenges。 Bruni not only tells about his life but the lives of others who have dealt with medical/physical illness and triumphed。 He writes in an openhearted way which feels welcoming and genuine。
Jan
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An engaging and very thoughtful book on coping with loss--on compensating for loss--on over-coming loss。 I needed this book right now。
Patricia Anstett
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If you or someone you know has been given lemons but hasn't made lemonade out of them， this might be just the right insightful， helpful book。 It comes in an audio version so it may be particularly appropriate for those facing loss of vision， as has New York Times columnist Frank Bruni， who was rendered legally blind and more after a rare stroke affected the optic nerve in one of his eyes and makes him at risk of the same thing happening in his good eye。 He recounts the shock， the diagnosis to vi If you or someone you know has been given lemons but hasn't made lemonade out of them， this might be just the right insightful， helpful book。 It comes in an audio version so it may be particularly appropriate for those facing loss of vision， as has New York Times columnist Frank Bruni， who was rendered legally blind and more after a rare stroke affected the optic nerve in one of his eyes and makes him at risk of the same thing happening in his good eye。 He recounts the shock， the diagnosis to vision loss and how he adapted then goes on to find a dozen or so motivating stories of others faced with similar， even worst， physical losses， from physical disability， aging or both。 If you have confronted a similar crossroad and emerged with greater insight， patience， wisdom or _most importantly_ gratitude， the examples feel a tad repetitive after awhile， a yes I get it conclusion。 But cudos to Bruno for finding a way of elevating and making upbeat a story about physical disability， as well as aging。 。。。more
Chris
，
I have followed Frank Bruni’s writing career for decades and when he has a new book come out， I’m there to read it。 A few years ago when he wrote about waking up with blurred vision in one eye， and the subsequent months of doctor visits and prognosis， I read with interest; as someone who is probably legally blind without my glasses， let alone one who makes a living reading and writing， I couldn’t imagine what I would do if it were me。 Bruni asks that question of himself， but also of others: how I have followed Frank Bruni’s writing career for decades and when he has a new book come out， I’m there to read it。 A few years ago when he wrote about waking up with blurred vision in one eye， and the subsequent months of doctor visits and prognosis， I read with interest; as someone who is probably legally blind without my glasses， let alone one who makes a living reading and writing， I couldn’t imagine what I would do if it were me。 Bruni asks that question of himself， but also of others: how will you navigate if you are faced with something scary， traumatic， horrifying？ He recounts the terror of the “what if”-- what if that other shoe drops， or in this case， the possibility the other eye goes blind？ Bruni faces this scary question head on， bringing his reader on his new life path。 And along the way we meet others， friends and also new acquaintances， some who have gone through unspeakable health crises and other traumas。 Bruni focuses on their stories of resiliency and what they do （or have done） to carry on。 “Accentuate the positive， eliminate the negative” is how the song goes。 And this doesn’t mean that there aren’t incredibly dark and sad times in their lives， but everyone， Bruni included， are prime examples of moving forward and taking one fork over the other in the road to continue walking and living life。 。。。more
Jennifer Bernauer
，
Listened with Libby because came available in my cue。 Closer to a 3。5。 I enjoy mr Bruni in the New York Times。 This book was post his vision lost and how he adjusted to the disability。 Many essays together with stories of inspirational people。 On aging and grief and loss。 Favorite were stories with his parents and Andrew luck。 Second half of book better than first。 Cherish what is left in your life is the key to thriving。 General theme of onward。 Easy to follow and read by the author
Dale
，
Not only is this wonderfully written， the insights and anecdotes are insightful， heartwarming and inspiring。 I don't often bookmark and online passages unless I'm planning on discussing the book at a book club meeting but I just could not help myself while reading this。 What a wonderful experience。 Not only is this wonderfully written， the insights and anecdotes are insightful， heartwarming and inspiring。 I don't often bookmark and online passages unless I'm planning on discussing the book at a book club meeting but I just could not help myself while reading this。 What a wonderful experience。 。。。more
Alicia Mcallister
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Superb！One of the most beautifully written books on diminishing eyesight that I have ever read 。 I suffer from this situation and it has given me a whole different outlook。 Thank you， Frank Bruni。
Jane
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Such a beautifully written book。 Moving and inspiring。
Diane Barnes
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I finished this book last night while waiting with my husband in the emergency room。 He had experienced crazy blood pressure spikes and drops， a racing heartbeat， and a general sense of lethargy all day。 He's fine （ it was not a heart attack）， we came home at 2 a。m。， let the dog out and went to bed。 Little things。How appropriate to be reading a book about aging and loss and finding the beauty in all those things we've taken for granted while we concentrated on raising families and getting ahead。 I finished this book last night while waiting with my husband in the emergency room。 He had experienced crazy blood pressure spikes and drops， a racing heartbeat， and a general sense of lethargy all day。 He's fine （ it was not a heart attack）， we came home at 2 a。m。， let the dog out and went to bed。 Little things。How appropriate to be reading a book about aging and loss and finding the beauty in all those things we've taken for granted while we concentrated on raising families and getting ahead。 Aging begins at birth and so does loss。 Bruni recalls a philosophy professor in college teaching that all of life is adjusting to loss。 He was a successful columnist for the NYT when， at the age of 52 he had a stroke affecting the optic nerve in his right eye。 It not only gave him limited vision on that side， but he faced the very real possibility that it could happen in the left eye as well， leaving him blind。 He not only gives us his story， but delves into others who have experienced disability of one sort or another， and lived happy lives in spite of， or maybe because， it forced them to change direction。A beautiful book that brims with joy， hope and possibility， written by a man who knows how to write about important things， like the love of a dog， good wine and food， friends and family， and taking each day as it comes。 You know， the little things。 。。。more
LindaConz
，
For me， this book was very personal as I， like author Frank Bruni， have a condition in my right eye that has required many of the same diagnostic tests and shots in my eye。 I have a resulting loss of vision as well。 I felt a strong “me too” as he described these procedures， the fear and unfamiliarity of losing his sight， and the way his blindness was， for those around him， invisible。 To anyone looking at him， he appears normal and not handicapped because he can see with his left eye。 It does all For me， this book was very personal as I， like author Frank Bruni， have a condition in my right eye that has required many of the same diagnostic tests and shots in my eye。 I have a resulting loss of vision as well。 I felt a strong “me too” as he described these procedures， the fear and unfamiliarity of losing his sight， and the way his blindness was， for those around him， invisible。 To anyone looking at him， he appears normal and not handicapped because he can see with his left eye。 It does all the work。 This is my situation as well。 While he wants to be “normal” and do the things he used to be able to with ease， every new day is still a challenge。 I appreciated the way he “learned to see” others with compassion and sought to more deeply understand people he came in contact with， realizing that everyone his a back story， a struggle， a wound…He gives many examples of other people who have learned to live and thrive despite handicaps， illness， and serious setbacks。 I found these stories and his own inspiring。 。。。more
Xin Gao
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Beautifully written。 As a visually impaired person I resonate with his experience a lot and have definitely gained a new perspective from him。
Tatiana Machado-Griffin
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This is a beautiful reflection on life’s unexpected turns， and how to reframe， reflect and grow from them。 I love how many stories the author explored to share different perspectives on how to adjust and adapt from not only from losing sight， but also other challenges， such as living with Alzheimer’s and learning to move with a lost limb， for example。 I also loved the depiction of age， and how after your 60s you become wiser， less prone to stress， and more accustomed to embracing the beauty of l This is a beautiful reflection on life’s unexpected turns， and how to reframe， reflect and grow from them。 I love how many stories the author explored to share different perspectives on how to adjust and adapt from not only from losing sight， but also other challenges， such as living with Alzheimer’s and learning to move with a lost limb， for example。 I also loved the depiction of age， and how after your 60s you become wiser， less prone to stress， and more accustomed to embracing the beauty of life。 This is a moving account of how one can turn something difficult into growth， and find ways to move through it with the recognition that some days are better than others， and most days you just get by。 I am deeply moved and inspired by the stories shared in this book。 。。。more
Rosa Schnyer
，
what a gift！ This book is such a gift！ Beautifully written， honest， poignant。 A swell of gratitude and the urge to pick up the phone， to call Frank Bruni， and just say thank you for writing such an important book。
Nan
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Bruni's book is a heartfelt and engrossing discussion of his experiences after a stroke impacted the sight in one of his eyes。 But beyond that， it provides much food for thought on how to navigate with empathy and optimism the challenges we all encounter in life， especially as we age， and the interactions we have with others dealing with challenges。 Bruni's book is a heartfelt and engrossing discussion of his experiences after a stroke impacted the sight in one of his eyes。 But beyond that， it provides much food for thought on how to navigate with empathy and optimism the challenges we all encounter in life， especially as we age， and the interactions we have with others dealing with challenges。 。。。more
Elisabeth Sheehey
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wonderful。I read this in two sittings， I loved the intimacy of it， and the honesty。 This book appeared at a time of crisis for me， and it elevated and informed my thinking。 Excellent。
Susan
，
Well written and a great book for understanding the fear of losing vision。 As someone with a chronic retina condition， this book was exactly what I needed。 The author lives with partial blindness and may lose sight in his good eye。 Nobody I know shares my fear of going blind。 Reading stories of how people cope with blindness was comforting。
Todd
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Review TK。 Short version: some nice passages and musings， but too often plays out like a collection of interviews with a Chicken Soup for the Soul aftertaste。
Janet M。
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Always a fan of frank bruni。 Admire him greatly for sharing such honest thoughts about this difficult part of his life。 It is extremely inspiring 。 Looking forward to hearing him speak arpt WHite plains library！
John Mainieri
，
Frank Bruni's compassionate， vital new book starts like this-"They say that death comes like a thief in the night。 Lesser vandals have the same MO。 The affliction that stole my vision， or at least a big chunk of it， did so as I slept。 I went to bed seeing the world one way。 I woke up seeing it another"。In 2017， Bruni woke up to discover he could not focus or hardly see in his right eye。 Like many baby boomers， he assumed it could be cured with medication。 It could not。 What he was diagnosed with Frank Bruni's compassionate， vital new book starts like this-"They say that death comes like a thief in the night。 Lesser vandals have the same MO。 The affliction that stole my vision， or at least a big chunk of it， did so as I slept。 I went to bed seeing the world one way。 I woke up seeing it another"。In 2017， Bruni woke up to discover he could not focus or hardly see in his right eye。 Like many baby boomers， he assumed it could be cured with medication。 It could not。 What he was diagnosed with-and still has-is non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy， NAION for short。 It affects one in 10，000， though doctors think that's an undercount because many cases， especially in the elderly， go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed。 He is essentially blind in his right eye， with a 20% chance it could happen to his left。 His story is not his journey of diagnosis and treatment。 That takes only a few chapters。 This beautiful book deals with adjusting to his affliction， re-adjusting his world， as well telling of others he has met who do the same with their disabilities and/or life-changing diseases。This is a book about hope in a seemingly hopeless world。I've been reading Mr。 Bruni's work for some time。 He was the Vatican correspondent for the NY Times before becoming that paper's restaurant critic。 That job was a distinct turnaround but oh， was he good at it。 His reviews were always colorful， always right on target， sometimes maddeningly so。 I got to interact with him on a secret basis。 When I was the maitre d' for a once cuisine-changing Italian restaurant， he was a infrequent guest who lit up a room。， who would show up incognito （not really） to review the store。 Handsome and soft-spoken， he would both shy away from attention but quietly command it。 I would also often see him at other restaurants。 My workplace， he once wrote， could have been a 4 star recipient， but for the overly loud music。 And he was right。 I enjoyed reading him and would sometimes see him in my neighborhood， but we never spoke。This book， however， speaks volumes。 Instead of the old saying about turning lemons into lemonade， Bruni writes， "when God gives you lemons， take a bow" and "try， as best as possible， to summon an intellectual curiosity about the bitter bequest。。。"。 He writes of the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade， seemingly "out of character" for both of them， to point out what people see on the outside often belies what's happening to them on the inside。 He writes of An elderly blind woman who teaches line-dancing to others so afflicted。 Of the blind carrer diplomat who kept going， knowing he'd be blind by the age of forty， yet accepting of what he had been dealt。 Of the young man whose eyes never developed as a child， who is now the director of service for a "quickly growing restaurant group in Las Vegas"。 He writes of people with Parkinson's， with blindness and deafness， of a judge in D。C。 who's had a successful career who tells him， "Starfish can regrow limbs。。。but that's nothing compared to what human beings can do"。 Other starfish include a deaf recording engineer， a doctor who went blind and took up birding， and blind photographers， who redefine shapes and "see" with their ears。In short， this a book about healing and acceptance。 It is a profoundly humane book， exhilarating and loving。 These words resonate-"。。we'd all be a whole lot less consumed with our own misfortunes and slights-and a whole lot more understanding of other people's moods and misdeeds-if each of us had just a glimpse of the burdens that people were shouldering， the fears that they were strangling， the scars that they were concealing"。I say， Amen。 。。。more
Grace Hoffmann
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