I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman (2006)

bookclub book by Dev 2012 ( )

A brilliant, uplifting and genuinely amusing series of essays on life and aging. I'm going to buy this for my friends. ( )

I did not like this at all. It is too cutesy and self involved. ( )

I guess I just don't have her sense of humor. I was listening to her read her own book and found that to me it was just a list of her complaints about fashion, apartment rental in N.Y., etc. I found it hard to take when she admitted her income was above a quarter of a mil and she was complaining that her very reasonable rent was tripling when rent control was removed. I quit reading it about 3/4 of the way through - I just lost patience with the negativity. ( )

“I Feel Bad About my Neck” (me too girl…me too!🤣) by Nora Ephron

Where have I been and why have I not been reading more by this woman??lol Maybe it’s my age, but I found her hilarious and honest about the vicissitudes of aging.

Also, totally did not know she wrote the playwrights for “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” AND, that “Heartburn,” (which I think I saw in the late 80s) was based on her novel, which was based on her husband’s affair….gonna see this movie again now!LOL

Granted, it was published in 2006, and I’m glad some things have changed.

“Hair dye has changed everything, but it almost never gets the credit. It’s the most powerful weapon older women have against the youth culture.” —Although this is still true in many ways (ageism in the work field anyone?), there is more acceptance for gray hair now. 👩‍🦳

I decided to let my hair go gray when I was younger and it drove everyone insane (everyone had an opinion). So, I caved in and dyed. I then, successfully, transitioned to gray in 2015, when it was starting to become more “acceptable.” Perfect timing! She wrote: “Sometimes I think that not having to worry about your hair anymore is the secret upside of death.” I guess I figured this out before “death.” LOL!!

Her section on parenting (and how it has changed), adolescents (get a dog!LOL), empty nest syndrome (do not leave your kid’s room as they are…change it to anything else, or it may encourage them to return.lol), were funny and insightful.

Her love of reading and mention of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” by Michael Chabon reminded me that I had the book in my TBR shelf and now I’m reading it.

Her love of food and moving from neurotic-like food choices to a more centered and true-to-self approach to dinners was good to read about.

Her view on aging was more pessimistic than mine, so there were some things I did not agree with or maybe resolved before she did. She wrote: “There are dreams that are never quite going to come true, ambitions that will never quite be realized. There are, in short, regrets.” Which is true, however, it can also be an impetus for acceptance of what is, or changes to make the rest of one’s life worthwhile. I agree with her in that “Death is a sniper,” and can rob us of those we love or hit us too soon….but then all the more reason to make the best of it. Not sermonizing…just pointing out that although I disagree with her philosophically, I still found her “views” funny and relatable.
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And she must have known this (make the best of it) at some level, because of the ending…and yes… “one capful is never enough” – Use the good stuff, don’t skimp on what makes you happy, don’t wait to live.
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What an interesting woman! ( )