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The Most of Nora Ephron
A whopping big celebration of the work of the late, great Nora Ephron, America’s funniest—and most acute—writer, famous for her brilliant takes on life as we’ve been living it these last forty years.
Everything you could possibly want from Nora Ephron is here—from her writings on journalism, feminism, and being a woman (the notorious piece on being flat-chested, the clarion call of her commencement address at Wellesley) to her best-selling novel, Heartburn, written in the wake of her devastating divorce from Carl Bernstein; from her hilarious and touching screenplay for the movie When Harry Met Sally . . . (“I’ll have what she’s having”) to her recent play Lucky Guy (published here for the first time); from her ongoing love affair with food, recipes and all, to her extended takes on such controversial women as Lillian Hellman and Helen Gurley Brown; from her pithy blogs on politics to her moving meditations on aging (“I Feel Bad About My Neck”) and dying.
Her superb writing, her unforgettable movies, her honesty and fearlessness, her nonpareil humor have made Nora Ephron an icon for America’s women—and not a few of its men.
Everything you could possibly want from Nora Ephron is here—from her writings on journalism, feminism, and being a woman (the notorious piece on being flat-chested, the clarion call of her commencement address at Wellesley) to her best-selling novel, Heartburn, written in the wake of her devastating divorce from Carl Bernstein; from her hilarious and touching screenplay for the movie When Harry Met Sally . . . (“I’ll have what she’s having”) to her recent play Lucky Guy (published here for the first time); from her ongoing love affair with food, recipes and all, to her extended takes on such controversial women as Lillian Hellman and Helen Gurley Brown; from her pithy blogs on politics to her moving meditations on aging (“I Feel Bad About My Neck”) and dying.
Her superb writing, her unforgettable movies, her honesty and fearlessness, her nonpareil humor have made Nora Ephron an icon for America’s women—and not a few of its men.
557 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
429 people are currently reading
8,920 people want to read
About the author
Nora Ephron
43 books2,656 followersNora Ephron was an American journalist, film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, and blogger.
She was best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. She sometimes wrote with her sister, Delia Ephron.
She was best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. She sometimes wrote with her sister, Delia Ephron.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
October 26, 2023
There are very few writers who can survive the reading of their collected works. Judgments are made, patience tested, fondness has a tendency to wither on the vine. While I would not place Ephron in league with Shakespeare or Pushkin, much like David Foster Wallace, her writing is authentically evocative; she has a fertile mind and a warmly ironic way with words. In fact, I recommend her essays above almost all - and make no mistake, almost all is the nest in which they are housed.
This compendium is split into nine healthy sections. The Journalist takes us through her newspaper years. The Advocate through her writings on the women's movement. The Profiler contains studies of eight notable women and is where Ephron the Essayist begins to emerge. The piece on Pat Loud is particularly sharp:
Bill Loud returned from his business trip. Pat Loud slugged him, in front of the children. He slugged her back, in front of the children. They both went to see a psychiatrist. They both stopped seeing the psychiatrist. They spent night after night getting drunk as Bill Loud recited the intimate sexual details of his infidelities. The subject of open marriage was introduced. Pat Loud began going to local bars during lunch and picking up businessmen. "We would have a few drinks and some tortillas," she recalls. "Then we would let nature take its course." She threatened divorce. He started seeing his women again. And in the midst of this idyllic existence, Craig Gilbert, a filmmaker with a contract from public television, came into their home and told them he was looking for "an attractive, articulate California family" to do a one-hour special about.
It is impossible to read this book and not suspect that Craig Gilbert knew exactly what he was doing when he picked the Louds...
Next up, The Novelist - a complete text of Heartburn which, I might argue, is less a novel than a thinly-veiled account of her reaction to the break-up of her marriage. Delicious it is, for what it is. Then we shoot to The Screenwriter - the script of When Harry Met Sally. While not the only famous screenplay she wrote in the course of her West Coast career, here it carries an addendum with some fine background on what to expect as a writer in Hollywood. The Blogger follows with twenty-four posts and is, as the genre demands, fairly conversational in tone. Finally comes "Personal" and a return to the essay form. Some if not all of these writings were previously published in collection.
I read the whole tome, start to finish: no idle skipping through...and, again, there are very few collected works with that kind of attentive sustainability. If you like Nora Ephron - and you would already have to be a little thrilled with Nora Ephron - here is a sunny sojourn with Her Majesty's sardonic self.
This compendium is split into nine healthy sections. The Journalist takes us through her newspaper years. The Advocate through her writings on the women's movement. The Profiler contains studies of eight notable women and is where Ephron the Essayist begins to emerge. The piece on Pat Loud is particularly sharp:
Bill Loud returned from his business trip. Pat Loud slugged him, in front of the children. He slugged her back, in front of the children. They both went to see a psychiatrist. They both stopped seeing the psychiatrist. They spent night after night getting drunk as Bill Loud recited the intimate sexual details of his infidelities. The subject of open marriage was introduced. Pat Loud began going to local bars during lunch and picking up businessmen. "We would have a few drinks and some tortillas," she recalls. "Then we would let nature take its course." She threatened divorce. He started seeing his women again. And in the midst of this idyllic existence, Craig Gilbert, a filmmaker with a contract from public television, came into their home and told them he was looking for "an attractive, articulate California family" to do a one-hour special about.
It is impossible to read this book and not suspect that Craig Gilbert knew exactly what he was doing when he picked the Louds...
Next up, The Novelist - a complete text of Heartburn which, I might argue, is less a novel than a thinly-veiled account of her reaction to the break-up of her marriage. Delicious it is, for what it is. Then we shoot to The Screenwriter - the script of When Harry Met Sally. While not the only famous screenplay she wrote in the course of her West Coast career, here it carries an addendum with some fine background on what to expect as a writer in Hollywood. The Blogger follows with twenty-four posts and is, as the genre demands, fairly conversational in tone. Finally comes "Personal" and a return to the essay form. Some if not all of these writings were previously published in collection.
I read the whole tome, start to finish: no idle skipping through...and, again, there are very few collected works with that kind of attentive sustainability. If you like Nora Ephron - and you would already have to be a little thrilled with Nora Ephron - here is a sunny sojourn with Her Majesty's sardonic self.
March 13, 2017
I wanted to give this book 5+++++ STARS 'now'....
but.....Its a book I'm *still* reading. I haven't finished 'everything' in it yet.
I'm enjoying it soooooooo much.
I'm having fun reading it not only to myself ----but sharing it with my husband (in bed).
Yes---its one of THOSE type of books. We snuggle up together --and 'pick' a short story to read to each other.
I'm only sorry I had NOT read Nora Ephron's work until now. I KNEW of her work of course. (saw all her movies --about 3 and 4 times each)....
but what an treat to have this book!
It does NOT have to be read in one sitting. From the 'egg-white' Omelette" --to "White Men".....etc. etc etc. ---I loved that "occasionally she 'herself' would read a paper that made her wonder if a reporter was a schizophrenic. lol Example? (is there such a thing as a LITTLE lie while reporting?) ..........hm???........
This woman was AMAZING!!!!
but.....Its a book I'm *still* reading. I haven't finished 'everything' in it yet.
I'm enjoying it soooooooo much.
I'm having fun reading it not only to myself ----but sharing it with my husband (in bed).
Yes---its one of THOSE type of books. We snuggle up together --and 'pick' a short story to read to each other.
I'm only sorry I had NOT read Nora Ephron's work until now. I KNEW of her work of course. (saw all her movies --about 3 and 4 times each)....
but what an treat to have this book!
It does NOT have to be read in one sitting. From the 'egg-white' Omelette" --to "White Men".....etc. etc etc. ---I loved that "occasionally she 'herself' would read a paper that made her wonder if a reporter was a schizophrenic. lol Example? (is there such a thing as a LITTLE lie while reporting?) ..........hm???........
This woman was AMAZING!!!!
April 15, 2023
Rating: 4.35
Unlike most compilations, this has an air of autobiography mixed with memoirs, commentary and scripts which make for an interesting view of Nora's life. For those unfamiliar she's renown for writing/directing "Heartburn", "Harry met Sally", "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Julie & Julia" among others.
Born to parents who were alcoholic screen writers, she inherited the gift of writing. Soon after graduating college she dove into the world of NY journalism where both newspapers and magazines employed her. During those years, her love for cooking grew as did her sense of humor which was dampened during her second marriage to Carl Bernstein. The persistent type, Nora's insights on marriage, parenting and cooking make for engaging, funny and in some cases, heart wrenching stories.
Included are the book, "Heartburn" which I loved along with scripts of "Lucky Guy" a Broadway play and her iconic 'Harry met Sally' where the famous quote, "I'll have what she's having" surfaced. In addition, excerpts of her journalism, commentary and memoirs add to the mix.
What I enjoyed most was learning how life experiences translate into her screenplays. Examples include how 'Harry met Sally' blossomed from experiences with Rob Reiner; marriage to Carl Bernstein, the basis for "Heartburn" and "Sleepless in Seattle" from the years between her three marriages. A classic NY sense of humor, Nora can leave you laughing out loud; her skill at word smithing unrivaled.
Overall, its a unique 'look' at her career and experiences that illuminates the 'how' of her talents.
Unlike most compilations, this has an air of autobiography mixed with memoirs, commentary and scripts which make for an interesting view of Nora's life. For those unfamiliar she's renown for writing/directing "Heartburn", "Harry met Sally", "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Julie & Julia" among others.
Born to parents who were alcoholic screen writers, she inherited the gift of writing. Soon after graduating college she dove into the world of NY journalism where both newspapers and magazines employed her. During those years, her love for cooking grew as did her sense of humor which was dampened during her second marriage to Carl Bernstein. The persistent type, Nora's insights on marriage, parenting and cooking make for engaging, funny and in some cases, heart wrenching stories.
Included are the book, "Heartburn" which I loved along with scripts of "Lucky Guy" a Broadway play and her iconic 'Harry met Sally' where the famous quote, "I'll have what she's having" surfaced. In addition, excerpts of her journalism, commentary and memoirs add to the mix.
What I enjoyed most was learning how life experiences translate into her screenplays. Examples include how 'Harry met Sally' blossomed from experiences with Rob Reiner; marriage to Carl Bernstein, the basis for "Heartburn" and "Sleepless in Seattle" from the years between her three marriages. A classic NY sense of humor, Nora can leave you laughing out loud; her skill at word smithing unrivaled.
Overall, its a unique 'look' at her career and experiences that illuminates the 'how' of her talents.
February 7, 2016
My advice: just read Heartburn. It's a smart, pithy and hilarious portrait of a marriage breaking down, loaded up with Ephron's trademark wit and some stylishly sharp writing. The script and reflection on When Harry Met Sally is also worthwhile, but the rest of this is pretty inessential - mean-spirited profiled of minor US celebrities of the 1970s, reproduced blog posts from the mid 2000s and a whole bunch of writing on modern-day etiquette (purses, dinner parties etc etc). The writing is always breezy and Ephron knows how to hit her punchlines, but a lot of the pieces in here felt disposable and unnecessary to me.
April 16, 2017
The Most of Nora Ephron - Nora Ephron I love Ephron’s writing, so reading this is a pure delight. But after having reread Crazy Salad, I’m really sorry that there weren’t more feminism pieces in it. Those pieces are often now unspeakably dated, but we have to remember the past, and remember that equal rights aren’t something anyone is ever given, that we have to fight and keep fighting.
Yet another buddy read with a child. I'm doing much more of that than I realized
library copy
Yet another buddy read with a child. I'm doing much more of that than I realized
library copy
July 19, 2023
An impressive anthology of Ephron's works, showcasing (if it's possible to do both these things at the same time) both her versatility and her consistent, distinctive voice. Divided into sections: The Journalist, The Advocate, The Profiler: Some Women, The Novelist, The Playwright, The Screenwriter, The Foodie, The Blogger, and Personal. I had never read and really enjoyed the novel, Heartburn, a funny and poignant story of a marriage falling apart in the face of the husband's affair, based on the end of her own marriage to Carl Bernstein. I also had fun with the period pieces from the 60s and 70s, reading about 'women's lib,' food trends of the time, and her own youth and parents. She was quite something.
February 24, 2014
The World According to Nora Ephron
Thank God for Nora Ephron. Before she came along, the primary role model for a smart, wise-cracking female writer was Dorothy Parker, known both her sharp wit and her unenviable life. (After too much drinking and too many bad relationships; she died a famous but unhappy woman.)
Nora, thankfully, provided the witty woman writer with a much better template. You can be female and funny, and you can soar, both personally and professionally. Not without challenges, of course, but Nora showed us how to navigate those as well. When hubby Carl Bernstein betrayed her, for instance, Ephron turned his betrayal into the best-selling “Heartburn,” then went on to find lasting love with writer Nicholas Peggi.
Nora, apparently, had it all.
Except, alas, a good long run. Ephron died in 2012 at just 71. Now “The Most Of Nora Ephron,” collects the best of her work across many genres. Essays, Articles. A novel. Both a play and a screenplay. Even blog posts! At a whopping 576 pages, is this too much of a good thing? Absolutely not. I just hope somebody is working on a collection of Ephron’s letters. I’d love to read those too.
Even if you‘re a long time fan like me, there will be work here that you’ve missed. I own all of Ephron’s book, but had never read her blog. I’d also missed a lot of her early reporting about politics and journalism for venues like “The New York Post” and “Esquire”
Will you love every page? Probably not. I skimmed the essays about soufflés and omlettes and the perfect pastrami sandwich (nothing puts me to sleep faster than food writing). And I quickly lost interest in “Lucky Guy,” her play about journalist Mike McAlary (published here for the first time). But I breezed happily through the rest, taking great pleasure in the terrific writing, and the many funny lines Ephron is famous for:
“If pregnancy were a book they would cut the last two chapters.”
“Beware of men who cry. It’s true that men who cry are sensitive and in touch with feelings, but the only feelings they tend to be sensitive to and in touch with are their own.”
“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”
I particularly enjoyed Ephron’s magazine journalism from the 1970s, especially her articles about the dawn of the Women‘s Movement, which vividly evoke the sense of possibility, solidarity and excitement (not to mention the petty infighting and rivalries) of those early days.
Ephron herself seems destined to have become a feminist. One of four daughters of Henry and Phoebe Ephron, a successful screening-writing team (responsible for movie classics like “Desk Set”) Nora was raised both to write and to make a good living at it by an uber- successful career woman who famously advised her daughter, on her own death bed: “take notes.”
Ephron, in turn, gave this good advice to the graduating class at Wellesley, her own alma mater, in 1996:
“I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some ways to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.”
The irony, of course, is that Ephron herself was (due, in part to her own Wellesley education) very much a lady. When she did rock the boat (and she achieved many ground-breaking “firsts“ in her career) she did it with wit, and without raising her voice. Feminist but also deeply feminine, Ephon was a firm believer in the classic paradigm of wedding Mr. Right, then becoming a wife, mother and home maker. She was a best-selling writer who also prided herself on her ability to give a fabulous dinner party. (In the essay “About Having People to Dinner” she shares her dinner party secrets, including “It is absolutely essential to have a round table.”)
Ephron’s work appeals to so many because she was a feminist, but a feminist with a deep fondness for the opposite sex, who believed in romance and happy endings. In other words, an optimist. What, after all, is the underlying message of her hit movie “When Harry Met Sally?“ Men and women, inevitably, misunderstand each other. And lie to each other. (The evidence? That famous faked orgasm.) Clearly, making love work is an impossible challenge. So? Let’s fall in love anyway.
When I asked friends and fellow writers how they felt about Ephron, the response was 100% positive.
“I loved her writing.”
“I wanted to be like her.”
“I wanted to write like her.“
“I always wanted to meet her.”
“I had a huge crush on her.”
“Those essays. Those movies… what’s not to love?”
There were no dissenting voices. Everyone felt good about Nora.
And me? I’m just one of the many writers who aspire to hit the mark that Nora achieved. I want to be honest and smart and funny, and, at the end of my run, to be able to look back on a life well-lived. (Including stirring up some trouble on behalf of women.)
But when a disgruntled reader dismisses one of my own humorous essays with, “You‘re no Nora Ephron,” I don‘t mind.
Who is?
(This essay first appeared on www.womensvoicesforchange.org.)
Thank God for Nora Ephron. Before she came along, the primary role model for a smart, wise-cracking female writer was Dorothy Parker, known both her sharp wit and her unenviable life. (After too much drinking and too many bad relationships; she died a famous but unhappy woman.)
Nora, thankfully, provided the witty woman writer with a much better template. You can be female and funny, and you can soar, both personally and professionally. Not without challenges, of course, but Nora showed us how to navigate those as well. When hubby Carl Bernstein betrayed her, for instance, Ephron turned his betrayal into the best-selling “Heartburn,” then went on to find lasting love with writer Nicholas Peggi.
Nora, apparently, had it all.
Except, alas, a good long run. Ephron died in 2012 at just 71. Now “The Most Of Nora Ephron,” collects the best of her work across many genres. Essays, Articles. A novel. Both a play and a screenplay. Even blog posts! At a whopping 576 pages, is this too much of a good thing? Absolutely not. I just hope somebody is working on a collection of Ephron’s letters. I’d love to read those too.
Even if you‘re a long time fan like me, there will be work here that you’ve missed. I own all of Ephron’s book, but had never read her blog. I’d also missed a lot of her early reporting about politics and journalism for venues like “The New York Post” and “Esquire”
Will you love every page? Probably not. I skimmed the essays about soufflés and omlettes and the perfect pastrami sandwich (nothing puts me to sleep faster than food writing). And I quickly lost interest in “Lucky Guy,” her play about journalist Mike McAlary (published here for the first time). But I breezed happily through the rest, taking great pleasure in the terrific writing, and the many funny lines Ephron is famous for:
“If pregnancy were a book they would cut the last two chapters.”
“Beware of men who cry. It’s true that men who cry are sensitive and in touch with feelings, but the only feelings they tend to be sensitive to and in touch with are their own.”
“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”
I particularly enjoyed Ephron’s magazine journalism from the 1970s, especially her articles about the dawn of the Women‘s Movement, which vividly evoke the sense of possibility, solidarity and excitement (not to mention the petty infighting and rivalries) of those early days.
Ephron herself seems destined to have become a feminist. One of four daughters of Henry and Phoebe Ephron, a successful screening-writing team (responsible for movie classics like “Desk Set”) Nora was raised both to write and to make a good living at it by an uber- successful career woman who famously advised her daughter, on her own death bed: “take notes.”
Ephron, in turn, gave this good advice to the graduating class at Wellesley, her own alma mater, in 1996:
“I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some ways to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.”
The irony, of course, is that Ephron herself was (due, in part to her own Wellesley education) very much a lady. When she did rock the boat (and she achieved many ground-breaking “firsts“ in her career) she did it with wit, and without raising her voice. Feminist but also deeply feminine, Ephon was a firm believer in the classic paradigm of wedding Mr. Right, then becoming a wife, mother and home maker. She was a best-selling writer who also prided herself on her ability to give a fabulous dinner party. (In the essay “About Having People to Dinner” she shares her dinner party secrets, including “It is absolutely essential to have a round table.”)
Ephron’s work appeals to so many because she was a feminist, but a feminist with a deep fondness for the opposite sex, who believed in romance and happy endings. In other words, an optimist. What, after all, is the underlying message of her hit movie “When Harry Met Sally?“ Men and women, inevitably, misunderstand each other. And lie to each other. (The evidence? That famous faked orgasm.) Clearly, making love work is an impossible challenge. So? Let’s fall in love anyway.
When I asked friends and fellow writers how they felt about Ephron, the response was 100% positive.
“I loved her writing.”
“I wanted to be like her.”
“I wanted to write like her.“
“I always wanted to meet her.”
“I had a huge crush on her.”
“Those essays. Those movies… what’s not to love?”
There were no dissenting voices. Everyone felt good about Nora.
And me? I’m just one of the many writers who aspire to hit the mark that Nora achieved. I want to be honest and smart and funny, and, at the end of my run, to be able to look back on a life well-lived. (Including stirring up some trouble on behalf of women.)
But when a disgruntled reader dismisses one of my own humorous essays with, “You‘re no Nora Ephron,” I don‘t mind.
Who is?
(This essay first appeared on www.womensvoicesforchange.org.)
May 29, 2014
Reading The Most of Nora Ephron was like visiting with an old friend. It was fun to time travel as in each section the articles are in chronological order. It was fun to relive the 70's & 80's with the gift if knowing how history played out. Her early works about her early career in journalism, the days when "girls" were not writers but in the mailroom or clippers or fact checkers, was enlightening and fascinating.
I have now, finally, read Heartburn and thumbed through the When Harry Met Sally script. Her food writings were a treasure. But I think she really shined on her blog posts and later articles for her last couple of books.
Fan or new reader of Nora, this collection is a treat. Every time I picked up this book, I felt like I was spending time with one of my best girlfriends. That was Nora's gift.
I have now, finally, read Heartburn and thumbed through the When Harry Met Sally script. Her food writings were a treasure. But I think she really shined on her blog posts and later articles for her last couple of books.
Fan or new reader of Nora, this collection is a treat. Every time I picked up this book, I felt like I was spending time with one of my best girlfriends. That was Nora's gift.
April 13, 2014
After finishing The Most of Nora Ephron, I have to say that it is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Nora Ephron was a great writer. She was positive, funny and wise. Robert Gottlieb did a great job putting the selection together posthumously, although it was started with Ephron prior to her passing. The selections, all previously published, included newspaper columns, blog posts, a novel, play and screenplay. She was a feminist, a foodie and, in the end, an aging woman. I’ve tabbed her recipes and her words of wisdom. Her hilarious writing helped me through a long, dark winter. It’s definitely a book I’ll revisit. I'd give it an A+++. The Most of Nora Ephron is definitely a GREAT read!
August 14, 2020
Well all I have been talking about is Nora Ephron for weeks so I’ll keep it short: this book is EVERYTHING, which is not a phrase I use. But it is. So I must.
Hail 🙌🏽
Hail 🙌🏽
September 10, 2013
Nora Ephron was a funny woman. She could write and had a knack for getting to the small intimate details of life that make you say, "I totally know what you mean!" as you laugh.
There's a lot of different material in this volume. Journalistic writing, her novel Heartburn in its entirety, the script for "When Harry met Sally", various and sundry essays.
Some if it wasn't so much for me. Many of the journal articles were written in the 70's about famous folks who aren't so famous anymore.
I've read Heartburn before and enjoyed reading it again. When Harry met Sally is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it was interesting seeing the script, which isn't exactly like the movie. We also get Ephron's ruminations on what it was like to produce the script. The latter part of the book was more interesting to me. The essays, like "I Feel Bad About my Neck", are probably familiar to Ephron fans. As far as I can tell, there's no new material here, just a wide variety of her work curated to give a representative sampling.
As Ephron grew older, she turned her wit upon the indignities and sadnesses that come with age. It's very bittersweet, like much of her writing, and utterly relateable, like much of her writing.
In short, if you're an Ephron fan, it's likely that you've read some, if not all, of this before. It's a great introduction for new readers.
There's a lot of different material in this volume. Journalistic writing, her novel Heartburn in its entirety, the script for "When Harry met Sally", various and sundry essays.
Some if it wasn't so much for me. Many of the journal articles were written in the 70's about famous folks who aren't so famous anymore.
I've read Heartburn before and enjoyed reading it again. When Harry met Sally is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it was interesting seeing the script, which isn't exactly like the movie. We also get Ephron's ruminations on what it was like to produce the script. The latter part of the book was more interesting to me. The essays, like "I Feel Bad About my Neck", are probably familiar to Ephron fans. As far as I can tell, there's no new material here, just a wide variety of her work curated to give a representative sampling.
As Ephron grew older, she turned her wit upon the indignities and sadnesses that come with age. It's very bittersweet, like much of her writing, and utterly relateable, like much of her writing.
In short, if you're an Ephron fan, it's likely that you've read some, if not all, of this before. It's a great introduction for new readers.
February 19, 2023
Yes. When Nora Ephron was on she was ON.
March 15, 2023
Wonderful. Hilarious. Wise.
July 10, 2018
I have to admit a few things before I give my opinion of this book. First of all, I never really knew anything about Nora Ephron, including the fact that I never saw her movie or read her book. Also, I received this book free by winning a First Reads contest. Now that it is all out in the open, I absolutely loved everything about this book. This was one incredible woman.It is almost as if everything that she touched in her career turned to gold. Of course, you can't say the same about her private life, but still, this lady was truly hard to not like. Her screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally" and her book "Heartburn" were so easy to become entralled in. I couldn't put this book down, and it still took quite a while to read, because it is a huge book. If you can read this book through without laughing out loud a few times and comparing something in Nora's life to your own, you're just not normal.
December 17, 2013
This is a book you can pick up and skip around in and come back to for more. A compilation of all the best of Nora Ephron it is either a treat for her fans (I am a huge fan of hers) or the perfect introduction to anyone who may have missed out on her writing.
Reading lines from When Harry Met Sally made me want to rent the movie again right away and it was interesting to read from Lucky Guy, the play that was produced after she died. (I did not get to see it. Tom Hanks was the star.) The essays range from poignant to sassy and hilarious and are also an overview of what women go through as they age. The most touching ones are the ones she wrote after she (we now know) was already sick with her cancer. The world lost a great writer.
Reading lines from When Harry Met Sally made me want to rent the movie again right away and it was interesting to read from Lucky Guy, the play that was produced after she died. (I did not get to see it. Tom Hanks was the star.) The essays range from poignant to sassy and hilarious and are also an overview of what women go through as they age. The most touching ones are the ones she wrote after she (we now know) was already sick with her cancer. The world lost a great writer.
January 23, 2015
Let's be real: I was in this for the essays she wrote later in life, and they were the part I enjoyed the most. However! Heartburn--her novel, a BARELY-fictionalized version of her divorce from Carl Bernstein--was also excellent, and now I intend to hunt down the Meryl Streep/Jack Nicholson movie. And Lucky Guy, her play about an ambitious New York journalist, was pretty good, too. And her 1970s essays on feminism were fascinating in a time-capsule kind of way. All this to say: I could probably have cobbled some good Nora reading together from an assortment of her books of essays, but I'm glad I branched out and read more widely in her body of work. One warning: the New York-1960s journalism essays are maybe only interesting if you were a journalist in the 1960s in New York. Ah, well.
March 18, 2014
Reading a book that results in laughing out loud is a rare event for me. Ephron has the chops to have me do just that. Highlights of this compilation include the screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally" and various writings from her early days in the 1970s including an ode to journalism that we scribes can relate to and an hilarious parody of the Palm Beach Social Pictorial. A more recent piece from The New Yorker, "Lisbeth Salander: The Girl who Fixed the Umlaut," is a fine example of pithy and humourous writing. "Heartburn," which I had never read, stands the test of time. As with all anthologies, not all the pieces hit the mark, but many more do than don't.
January 23, 2016
It took me over 18 months to finish this book as it has more than 500 pages. It is so well laid out that you can read for awhile and then take a break before returning. I returned to reading it these last two weeks and could barely put it down. I just finished it on this snowy morning and cried when I read those last pages. What an experience it would have been to have met her. Actually I want to go to attend one of her Christmas dinners. I'm happy to lend this book out if interested. And thanks to Erin who bought it for me.
August 16, 2016
The worst has happened- I have run out of writing from Nora Ephron. This collection has been my cure-all for the last three years. Whenever I needed a good talking to, or just wanted to be told "it's all going to be just fine" this is where I went. Who else will be able to quiet my restless soul? Don't say Mindy Kaling or I will lose it.
June 21, 2024
Probably enjoyed 60% of what was in here (I really loved I Remember Nothing and there were good bits from that scattered in here but like did I need to read it twice?) Also I think I talked about this in my review for that book but sometimes Nora’s sooooo bang on and other times she triggers me deeply (almond mommy Karen attitudes and behaviours) - ALSO I heard in a podcast yesterday that a lot of Nora’s most famous one liners from both her books and screenplays are actually her sister Delia’s that she never got credit for😭 If that’s true (Delia was the one who said it) that is icky as fork unfortunately!
January 13, 2021
I like u Nora
January 21, 2023
ok here’s the thing. i’ve seen when harry met sally. i KNOW how funny nora ephron was. i was expecting this to make me laugh out loud (not in the lol sense, in the actual physical snorting to myself while reading sense). what i was not expecting? to fall in love with her writing SO MUCH. to feel like i knew her as a friend. and then to reach the last two sections—“what i won’t miss” and “what i will miss”—and to have actual tears rolling down my face. what a life lived. what a special collection celebrating the little things in life. good food and good friends and good clothes and good memories. wow. instant 5 stars. i finished not 2 minutes ago & i miss her already <3
February 17, 2016
I almost bought this for a friend’s birthday present - and I’m glad I didn’t. Not because the writing isn’t funny, intelligent and interesting (it is) but because this isn’t the best way to enjoy it. I’ve previously ready Heartburn, a small extract of which is included in this edition, and I’m glad this isn’t my first introduction to Ephron’s writing, because otherwise it may have been my last.
The edition feels lazy. Having not grown up in the ‘70s, nor in America, I felt lost during much of the early parts of the book - who were these people? What were these events? Ephron, obviously, was writing in context, but 40 or so years on, a continent away, that context isn’t necessarily there, and I found myself constantly googling to find out a bit about what it was I was reading, which interrupted the flow of my reading, and decreased my enjoyment. This could all have been fixed by footnotes. Brief, explanatory footnotes. Placed at the bottom of the page, so that those who wanted to just read Ephron’s work could do so uninterrupted, and those, like me, who felt like they were flailing and lost, could orientate themselves.
It is great to see the variety of Ephron’s career. She’s best known as a screenwriter, but that’s far from all she did. Editor Robert Gottlieb states that the point of the book is to show the richness of her writing and the amazing variety of her career, which it does, but in the end I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
For anyone who does want to read Ephron’s work - and why wouldn’t you? - I’d recommend starting elsewhere.
The edition feels lazy. Having not grown up in the ‘70s, nor in America, I felt lost during much of the early parts of the book - who were these people? What were these events? Ephron, obviously, was writing in context, but 40 or so years on, a continent away, that context isn’t necessarily there, and I found myself constantly googling to find out a bit about what it was I was reading, which interrupted the flow of my reading, and decreased my enjoyment. This could all have been fixed by footnotes. Brief, explanatory footnotes. Placed at the bottom of the page, so that those who wanted to just read Ephron’s work could do so uninterrupted, and those, like me, who felt like they were flailing and lost, could orientate themselves.
It is great to see the variety of Ephron’s career. She’s best known as a screenwriter, but that’s far from all she did. Editor Robert Gottlieb states that the point of the book is to show the richness of her writing and the amazing variety of her career, which it does, but in the end I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
For anyone who does want to read Ephron’s work - and why wouldn’t you? - I’d recommend starting elsewhere.
September 20, 2020
I had just finished reading Heartburn, which I loved and wanted more of Ephron's writing. This is exactly that. It's a behemoth with a huge selection of her journalism, her scripts, her blog posts and some of her essays and bits of her books. In hindsight I should have bought another slim volume before launching into this. The largest section of the book deals with her political journalism, which I am sure if you are American or interested in American politics would be absolutely on the nose, but for me it was largely a chore to get through. I know some of the people she talks about and what was going on at the time at the broadest level, but so much was lost on me. Her food writing absolutely shines and I really enjoyed the section where she talks about script writing using When Harry Met Sally as an example. There are nuggets of joy here, but the whole thing was rather indigestible.
April 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book...even if it took me 417 days to read it, LOL. I started out enjoying it, and then I got bored with it at some point and put it down. For a year. But I'm so glad I picked it up again! Great collection of stories that are all over the board. Also contains her novel Heartburn, which I'd already read, and the screenplay to When Harry Met Sally, which was a joy to read.
My advice is that if you do read it and there are parts you don't like, just skip over them, because there are so many funny and insightful tidbits in this book.
My advice is that if you do read it and there are parts you don't like, just skip over them, because there are so many funny and insightful tidbits in this book.
August 17, 2014
I have now been reading Nora Ephron for 30 years and if it weren't for her unfortunate passing a couple of years ago I'd be thrilled to read her for another 30 years. Journalist, essayist, novelist, screenwriter, playwright....all represented here in abundance. Smart and funny, decidedly a feminist back when it was a big deal to admit it, she never shied away from the truth of the issue even if it poked fun at her most of all. My only disappointment is that I wish it was twice the length of its 557 pages.
August 9, 2018
Nora Ephron’s essay on working in the Kennedy White House is hilarious.
Roll your head back and laugh hilarious.
Her account of the one time JFK spoke to her (she couldn’t hear because of the helicopter he was about to get on) and her response to him (‘what?’) is so funny, I cannot stop giggling.
Almost 600 pages of book is rough, but this bit is really funny. A gem.
Ok, so this took about a year to read. A more concise version with more select pieces would have made this a better book.
Roll your head back and laugh hilarious.
Her account of the one time JFK spoke to her (she couldn’t hear because of the helicopter he was about to get on) and her response to him (‘what?’) is so funny, I cannot stop giggling.
Almost 600 pages of book is rough, but this bit is really funny. A gem.
Ok, so this took about a year to read. A more concise version with more select pieces would have made this a better book.
August 18, 2023
Found this a tough read! Clearly a great writer and very well regarded but did not find her writing funny. Skimmed through quite a lot - did enjoy her Wellesley College commencement speech though. Maybe I’ll try watch When Harry met Sally off the back of it.
July 25, 2015
memorable essays and stories, a book that is enjoyable to pick up and browse through time and again.
September 13, 2022
My Oma gave me this book. Her best friend (since they were in high school in the 1940s) saw it and remembered that I had always wanted to be a writer in my youth. So she bought it for me. Is that going to color how I feel about this book? Absolutely.
---------------------------------------------------
With about 80 pages left, and all of it in the "Personal" section of the book, I gotta start talking about this anthology of Nora Ephron.
First of all: I wish the person who put this collection together had inserted themselves a few times. I think broader context for some of the more dated and outdated entries would have been helpful. But alas, he stayed silent. So here are my thoughts:
Section 1: The Journalist
Very interesting - because Ephron was a journalist in the 70s dealing with sexism and the social upheaval of the time, this section provided really great and unapologetic context for that world.
Section 2: The Advocate
I cried. It was great. Also, I didn't know that Betty Freidan became such a fractious and narrow-minded figure in her later years.
PS. The person who put this collection together put a piece on Ephron's 10th college reunion (1972) right next to her address to the Wellesley Class of 1996. Brilliant and hilarious choice.
Section 3: The Profiler
This was rough to read at times. Look, I get that writing unkindly about women was a "thing" for a while, but it's just cringey to read now, especially from someone who, in the previous section, was such a staunch feminist. She writes well here, but I was sort of gobsmacked that she took so many cheap shots at women: how they looked, how their personal lives shaped up. Oh, and her piece on Jan Morris was flat out offensive. This is where I really wish the person who compiled this collection had stepped in. And this is one of the primary reasons I gave this collection 3 stars.
The "profile" on Lisbeth Salander, however, was hilarious. A good bit of satire.
Section 4: The Novelist
I'd never read Heartburn before and I really loved it. It's nothing groundbreaking, just a lightly fictionalized retelling of Ephron's own divorce, but the way she wrote it was just so vivid. It underscores how talented of a writer Ephron was.
Section 5: The Playwright
I'd never even heard of the play Lucky Guy but it was a well-written piece about the importance of journalism... and also the egos that exist within that field.
Section 6: The Screenwriter
When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies, so obviously reading the screenplay was a delight. After the screenplay concludes we get a brief reflective from Ephron, penned in 1990. She breaks down the politics of writing a movie (how many edits you go through, how much the characters of your voices change), and also lifts the curtain a bit on the goings ons with When Harry Met Sally. I did not know that it was Meg Ryan's idea to fake an orgasm in Katz's ; nor did I realize Billy Crystal came up with the famous "I'll have what she's having line." Good on Ephron for being honest that these bits don't belong to her.
Section 7: The Foodie
A lot of dated feelings about food. It was interesting, but definitely weaker than all that preceded it.
Section 8: The Blogger
Meh. Most of this was written around 2005 - 2007, and it's mostly just rantings about Bush and Watergate. My least favorite section by far; I skimmed it because of that, and also because it was repetitive. Another cornerstone for the 3-star rating.
Section 9: Personal
I've still got most of this section left, but I don't think it's going to change my feelings on this collection. These last 80 pages appear to be reflections, almost all of them written towards the end of her life. They're a summation of sorts, of where's she's been and how she defines herself. I pulled a page out of Harry's book, and read the last 2 pages first. They're a list of what she won't miss when she's gone, and what she will. I cried then, too.
So, it was good, but there were some problematic things in it that deserved addressing, yet no one did, and that really brought the whole thing down in my opinion.
Oh, I almost forgot. At one point she said that men are inherently more funny than women. Interesting how she blasted Friedan for losing touch later in life AND YET, DEAR READER. AND. YET.
---------------------------------------------------
With about 80 pages left, and all of it in the "Personal" section of the book, I gotta start talking about this anthology of Nora Ephron.
First of all: I wish the person who put this collection together had inserted themselves a few times. I think broader context for some of the more dated and outdated entries would have been helpful. But alas, he stayed silent. So here are my thoughts:
Section 1: The Journalist
Very interesting - because Ephron was a journalist in the 70s dealing with sexism and the social upheaval of the time, this section provided really great and unapologetic context for that world.
Section 2: The Advocate
I cried. It was great. Also, I didn't know that Betty Freidan became such a fractious and narrow-minded figure in her later years.
PS. The person who put this collection together put a piece on Ephron's 10th college reunion (1972) right next to her address to the Wellesley Class of 1996. Brilliant and hilarious choice.
Section 3: The Profiler
This was rough to read at times. Look, I get that writing unkindly about women was a "thing" for a while, but it's just cringey to read now, especially from someone who, in the previous section, was such a staunch feminist. She writes well here, but I was sort of gobsmacked that she took so many cheap shots at women: how they looked, how their personal lives shaped up. Oh, and her piece on Jan Morris was flat out offensive. This is where I really wish the person who compiled this collection had stepped in. And this is one of the primary reasons I gave this collection 3 stars.
The "profile" on Lisbeth Salander, however, was hilarious. A good bit of satire.
Section 4: The Novelist
I'd never read Heartburn before and I really loved it. It's nothing groundbreaking, just a lightly fictionalized retelling of Ephron's own divorce, but the way she wrote it was just so vivid. It underscores how talented of a writer Ephron was.
Section 5: The Playwright
I'd never even heard of the play Lucky Guy but it was a well-written piece about the importance of journalism... and also the egos that exist within that field.
Section 6: The Screenwriter
When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies, so obviously reading the screenplay was a delight. After the screenplay concludes we get a brief reflective from Ephron, penned in 1990. She breaks down the politics of writing a movie (how many edits you go through, how much the characters of your voices change), and also lifts the curtain a bit on the goings ons with When Harry Met Sally. I did not know that it was Meg Ryan's idea to fake an orgasm in Katz's ; nor did I realize Billy Crystal came up with the famous "I'll have what she's having line." Good on Ephron for being honest that these bits don't belong to her.
Section 7: The Foodie
A lot of dated feelings about food. It was interesting, but definitely weaker than all that preceded it.
Section 8: The Blogger
Meh. Most of this was written around 2005 - 2007, and it's mostly just rantings about Bush and Watergate. My least favorite section by far; I skimmed it because of that, and also because it was repetitive. Another cornerstone for the 3-star rating.
Section 9: Personal
I've still got most of this section left, but I don't think it's going to change my feelings on this collection. These last 80 pages appear to be reflections, almost all of them written towards the end of her life. They're a summation of sorts, of where's she's been and how she defines herself. I pulled a page out of Harry's book, and read the last 2 pages first. They're a list of what she won't miss when she's gone, and what she will. I cried then, too.
So, it was good, but there were some problematic things in it that deserved addressing, yet no one did, and that really brought the whole thing down in my opinion.
Oh, I almost forgot. At one point she said that men are inherently more funny than women. Interesting how she blasted Friedan for losing touch later in life AND YET, DEAR READER. AND. YET.
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