Heartburn
1983 • 179 pages
Ratings31
Average rating3.4
15
Ratings31
Average rating3.4
Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. For in this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of *Sleepless in Seattle* reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.
Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. *Heartburn* is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.
Reviews with the most likes.
not really my style of book, gossipy and bitchy, which can be enjoyable depending on the tone.
However, the author has a view on feminism/related topics that i don't agree with, plus she liberally uses the word dy*e throughout and says many shitty things about lesbians. it was two stars until that. not even Meryl Streep can save that.
what a shame.
If you're interested in this book, get the audio version, because Meryl Streep reads it and she's amazing and so funny - her delivery of some lines had me laughing out loud in my car. The story/structure of the book is kind of a mess, with a lot of digressions and flashbacks (which may have been easier to follow in written form, but I don't know). What Ephron really excels at is creating a strong voice for her main character, who essentially narrates the whole thing in one long stream of consciousness. I probably wouldn't have read this if not for the BookRiot challenge, but I definitely enjoyed it.
(Bookriot Read Harder 2016 Challenge: #8 Read a book originally published in the decade you were born)
I think liked this book more because Meryl Streep narrated it. so my suggestion would be listen to Audio book if given a chance.
Her weirdly absurd humour is so up my alley.
Also, I thoroughly enjoyed her syntax. But I might have a thing for long sentences. And paragraphs that never end. And sentences that start in “and”.
