Nora Ephron (1941–2012)

As a fan of the films Ephron has written/directed, I knew I would probably like this as well. However, I did not expect to find myself quite as engaged or entertained as I was. Aside from the heavy use of a certain homophobic slur towards the end (1983 was a different time, after all), I feel like this was perfectly well-crafted with a story that is simple at it's core, but never bogged down by its flashbacks and personal anecdotes. I saw others point out how heavily autobiographical this- as someone who loves to hear other people's real life stories, I didn't mind how thinly veiled the autobiographical quality is. It has a witty voice that I can easily hear coming from the likes of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, but listening to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep was probably the best possible format I could've chosen to take in this book. I can't wait to read more books by Nora Ephron, as this is probably my favorite read of the year.… (more)

Heartburn seems to me like one of those books that everyone else has read besides me. After a mention of Nora Ephron in the book I was previously reading (Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen), I thought it was high time that I dug it out. It’s a very funny read that I read in just over 24 hours.

The story is about the end of a marriage. And yes, it is very, very funny in places. In others, it’s painful and sad and occasionally it’s about the logistics of dismantling something that was meant to be forever. It’s not a deep look at all the feelings and problems, but it’s a fun read. Rachel is a food writer who is seven months pregnant when she finds out his husband has been having an affair with a tall, plain woman. It’s a jolt straight to the heart and Rachel takes off for New York. It’s a bumpy ride that involves family history and broken friendships (but overall, it’s still very funny).

Throughout the narrative are short recipes for a variety of foods (although no souffle, despite what the cover blurbs tell me). These sometimes worked for me, sometimes not. I understand that they are related to Rachel’s identity and food is a soothing mechanism for her, but sometimes they just pulled away from the story from me.

The story is generally quite funny overall despite the context, but it does get quite serious towards the end. It’s a sharp contrast to the earlier hilarity and mixed-up situations that Rachel finds herself in. Her soon to be ex, Mark, also steps up here from his endless searching for topics to write about in his column. I’m not sure whether it’s meant to redeem him in part, but it doesn’t last too long. Ephron takes any sympathy the reader might have felt for him and skewers it soon afterwards.
The whole story is brutally honest and not overly well structured – but given that Heartburn is what we would call autofiction these days, it has much more authenticity to it. It’s messy, full of bad decisions (think a drunken proposal before falling into a pond) and small wins, from the petty to the expensive. I liked Rachel’s voice – it’s rare to get a likeable character who remains that way despite full access to her thoughts and I enjoyed the revenge factor. Some of the story is quite dated in places (seriously, was paying for your plane ticket while on the plane a thing?!) and I still have no idea what a Cuisinart is because I’ve only ever known it as a brand of ice cream maker. Some attitudes to LGTBQIA people and the mentally unwell are also cringe inducing (and the long conversation about how one knows if a woman is a lesbian doesn’t really add to the plot). Other parts are an interesting look at history (do people still get mugged on the subway for their jewellery?).

Overall, this is a funny read – it’s not the be all and end all of literature, but it’s still good fun.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com… (more)

A quirky semi-autobiographical novel about one woman's life dealing with her cheating husband while being seven months pregnant with their second child.

I've never read any of Ephron's books, but I have to say that her films are my guilty pleasures. She had an enchanting whit about her and could make the most depressing and severe situations (in this case finding out your husband is an absolute piece of garbage who is in love with another woman) sound light.

While this isn't really the type of book that I gravitate towards and I wouldn't exactly call it a "great novel," I was so captivated by her writing, humor, and charm. I HIGHLY suggest listening to this on audio - Meryl Streep is a phenomenal narrator.… (more)