Heartburn

Nora Ephron is such a good authorI read all she has written

This book came highly recommended as one of the best examples of comic writing. Since reading this book, I learned that the author was a minor celebrity in American culture and penned the book that “When Harry met Sally” was based on - for anyone born this century, this was a successful rom-com in the early 1990s. Despite the recommendation and the author’s accolades, I have to admit that I did not like the book one bit. I found it incredibly tedious and had to force myself to finish it. If you are a middle-aged Jewish-American woman who lives in the 1970s, you might find the book hilariously honest. For me, as a not-yet-middle-aged modern man, it seemed horribly outdated and was not funny at all. There were occasional observations that were mildly amusing. For instance, the description of her first husband who was so neurotic that he folded hospital corners in the newspaper padding for his hamster cage tickled me. But the sheer tedium of having to read through this lady’s marital concerns and preoccupations with cooking and psychotherapy outweighed these fleeting moments. Altogether, I think this book should be condemned to the dustbin of history.

I bought copies of this for friends and for myself. I loved the humour - especially about painful and emotional events - and 'heard' some of my Jewish friends uttering many of the lines. Loved it.

The recipes that punctuate the story are fascinatingly dated - there's just so much butter!! - but this is an incredible read by Meryl Streep not just in getting the confessional Jewish nuance right, but doing some effortlessly fabulous character voices too. As for the book, anyone heading out of a relationship will love this disguised memoir - just be patient with some of the 1980s sexual labelling....!

The writing is just wonderful. It is sad, funny and perfectly timed. I loved the film but this has all of the nuances and it brings the story to life. Meryl Streep reading it is a joy!!

Loved this story, made me laugh out loud, also some poignant moments. Her voyage of self awareness is a wonderful bitter sweet journey. Will happily re-read this.

Ms Streep brings this funny 'memoir' totally to life. A great book, a great performance, and a brilliant combination of both. We'll worth getting.