I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
Nonfiction - Essays
2006
Finished on December 1, 2024
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
The woman who brought us When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Bewitched, and the author of best sellers Heartburn, Scribble Scribble, and Crazy Salad, discusses everything--from how much she hates her purse to how much time she spends attempting to stop the clock: the hair dye, the treadmill, the lotions and creams that promise to slow the aging process but never do. Oh, and she can't stand the way her neck looks. But her dermatologist tells her there's no quick fix for that.
Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. She recounts her anything-but-glamorous days as a White House intern during the JFK years ("I am probably the only young woman who ever worked in the Kennedy White House that the President did not make a pass at") and shares how she fell in and out of love with Bill Clinton - from a distance, of course. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age.
Utterly courageous, wickedly funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a book of wisdom, advice, and laugh-out-loud moments, a scrumptious, irresistible treat.
It's been almost 18 years since I read Ephron's collection of humorous essays, but as soon as I finished listening to her sister's memoir (Left on Tenth), I decided to give this book a second reading. It was enjoyable, but maybe not quite as much as the first time around. I marked the same passages as noted in my original review, so click here to read that one.
I enjoyed this one so much when I first read it that I recommended it to my book club. Happily, they loved it, too.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I'll bet that was a fun book club discussion!
DeleteI read this one, it was great. You can usually count on a good read withg Ephron.
ReplyDeleteTina, both Delia and Nora are/were entertaining. Now I'm in the mood to watch some of their movies!
DeleteI think I need to read this book. I recently completely messed up my leg, sciatica while sleeping. Impossible? Not for me! Aging is so grand.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Ti. This past year, I feel like I'm getting more and more aches and pains for no apparent reason!
DeleteI went back and looked, knowing I had read this one, and it was in June of 2008. I remember thinking it was quite clever and funny. I should probably do a reread. Yes, those aches and pains - ha! Aging is not for 'sissies'! LOL
ReplyDeleteKay, you might enjoy a reread after all these years. I think it was a little more relatable this time around. ;)
DeleteI listened to this ages ago and loved it! Might be a good one to revisit in 2025.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, it was a quick reread and I found myself nodding my head in agreement, probably more now than the first time I read it!
DeleteI've heard good things about this one and added her sister's memoir to my TBR list on your recommendation.
ReplyDeleteHelen, this book is a winner, but I loved Delia's memoir (Left on Tenth) a bit more.
DeleteI listened to her book I Remember Nothing. Nora makes me laugh ... and I think it's terrible she's no longer with us. I think I would enjoy each of her books.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I haven't read I Remember Nothing but if it made you laugh, I need to get it (probably on audio).
DeleteOoops. I forgot that I did read I Remember Nothing. How ironic!
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