Post Grad Book #4

I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron
Finished: December 25, 2010
Page Count: 135
Why I read it:
I heard Nora had a new book out and I LOVE her movies ("When Harry Met Sally", "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" most notably) so I figured her book must be good.  I was right.

Publisher's Weekly review:
Reading these succinct, razor-sharp essays by veteran humorist (I Feel Bad About My Neck), novelist, and screenwriter-director Ephron is to be reminded that she cut her teeth as a New York Post writer in the 1960s, as she recounts in the most substantial selection here, "Journalism: A Love Story." Forthright, frequently wickedly backhanded, these essays cover the gamut of later-life observations (she is 69), from the dourly hilarious title essay about losing her memory, which asserts that her ubiquitous senior moment has now become the requisite Google moment, to several flimsy lists, such as "Twenty-five Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again," e.g., "Movies have no political effect whatsoever." Shorts such as the several "I Just Want to Say" pieces feature Ephron's trademark prickly contrariness and are stylistically digestible for the tabloids. Other essays delve into memories of fascinating people she knew, such as the Lillian Hellman of Pentimento, whom she adored until the older woman's egomania rubbed her the wrong way. Most winning, however, are her priceless reflections on her early life, such as growing up in Beverly Hills with her movie-people parents, and how being divorced shaped the bulk of her life, in "The D Word." There's an elegiac quality to many of these pieces, handled with wit and tenderness. 

What I thought:
I really enjoyed this book- a series of short stories and thoughts.  The first story was called "I Remember Nothing" and was the epitome of my mother, who also remembers nothing.  The stories ranged from a meat loaf being named after her at a friend's restaurant, her love of Teflon pans, a few recipes thrown in, memories of famous people, and my favorite- "Journalism: A Love Story" which really made me happy after 2 years in the Mass Comm program.  I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday to purchase her first book, "I Feel Bad About My Neck" which happened to be on the "Buy 2 get 1 free" table so look forward to 3 new book reviews in the near future (4, actually, since I bought Meghan McCain's book when I bought this one).  I love reading and what better time to do it than when it's so snowy outside?