Reviews
"This hugely entertaining collection includes classics like Ephron's novel Heartburn and her screenplay for When Harry Met Sally . . ., as well as columns, blog posts, and her final play, Lucky Guy . . . Many people already know how Ephron felt about her neck (bad) and what she'd miss when she died (bacon). But while these gems are included here, they're offset by the ruthless young Ephron, who skewered journalistic ethics at The New York Times and made Gloria Steinem and Helen Gurley Brown cry during interviews. Tracing her evolution from these hard-nosed early pieces to the later, vulnerable essays on aging makes this book even more moving . . . What made Ephron great was that she took the very things seriously that others dismissed as frivolous, Cosmopolitan , Teflon, breast size, and, most of all, herself." -Entertainment Weekly "Reading nearly 600 pages of Ephron in one volume is a joy, not only due to the range of her interests, her capacious mind, her mixture of humor and satire and self-deprecation, but also her skill as a stylist. Few writers of Ephron's range and output have written so few clunky sentences or so many memorable ones. Included is perhaps her most famous essay . . . which expounded on the flatness of her chest; her neck became as famous as her chest but not until 2003. Ephron might be best remembered, however, for her searing insights into the craft of journalism and the complications of feminism. A delightful collection from a unique, significant American writer." -Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Celebrates Ephron's talent for turning her experiences into material . . . The book's most delicious offering is Ephron's magazine journalism from the 1970s, with razor sharp profiles . . . and keenly intelligent reportage . . . The book documents the changing culture of the New York media world. 'Everything is copy,' Ephron's mother always said. This collection fulfills that motto with aplomb, and will likely serve as a perfect holiday gift for Ephron fans." - Publishers Weekly (boxed), "Reading nearly 600 pages of Ephron in one volume is a joy, not only due to the range of her interests, her capacious mind, her mixture of humor and satire and self-deprecation, but also her skill as a stylist. Few writers of Ephron's range and output have written so few clunky sentences or so many memorable ones. Included is perhaps her most famous essay . . . which expounded on the flatness of her chest; her neck became as famous as her chest but not until 2003. Ephron might be best remembered, however, for her searing insights into the craft of journalism and the complications of feminism. A delightful collection from a unique, significant American writer." -Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Celebrates Ephron's talent for turning her experiences into material . . . The book's most delicious offering is Ephron's magazine journalism from the 1970s, with razor sharp profiles . . . and keenly intelligent reportage . . . The book documents the changing culture of the New York media world. 'Everything is copy,' Ephron's mother always said. This collection fulfills that motto with aplomb, and will likely serve as a perfect holiday gift for Ephron fans." - Publishers Weekly (boxed), "Representing 40-plus years of work, this volume illustrates not only Ephron's dynamic writing career as a journalist-turned-novelist-turned-filmmaker but also her incredible wit. Whether Ephron is writing about politics or purses, sexism or soufflé, her appeal is her intelligent, incisive sense of humor. This is also part of what makes her such an icon . . . for America. Women may idolize her--she is the major inspiration for funny girl Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO hit Girls-- but through her writing and films, she has changed the actual timbre of American humor . . . Gottlieb manages to pack this almost 600-page anthology with Ephron's most timeless pieces. Since we will never have enough of Nora Ephron, the most will have to do." -Library Journal (starred) "This hugely entertaining collection includes classics like Ephron's novel Heartburn and her screenplay for When Harry Met Sally . . ., as well as columns, blog posts, and her final play, Lucky Guy . . . Many people already know how Ephron felt about her neck (bad) and what she'd miss when she died (bacon). But while these gems are included here, they're offset by the ruthless young Ephron, who skewered journalistic ethics at The New York Times and made Gloria Steinem and Helen Gurley Brown cry during interviews. Tracing her evolution from these hard-nosed early pieces to the later, vulnerable essays on aging makes this book even more moving . . . What made Ephron great was that she took the very things seriously that others dismissed as frivolous, Cosmopolitan , Teflon, breast size, and, most of all, herself." -Entertainment Weekly "Reading nearly 600 pages of Ephron in one volume is a joy, not only due to the range of her interests, her capacious mind, her mixture of humor and satire and self-deprecation, but also her skill as a stylist. Few writers of Ephron's range and output have written so few clunky sentences or so many memorable ones. Included is perhaps her most famous essay . . . which expounded on the flatness of her chest; her neck became as famous as her chest but not until 2003. Ephron might be best remembered, however, for her searing insights into the craft of journalism and the complications of feminism. A delightful collection from a unique, significant American writer." -Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Celebrates Ephron's talent for turning her experiences into material . . . The book's most delicious offering is Ephron's magazine journalism from the 1970s, with razor sharp profiles . . . and keenly intelligent reportage . . . The book documents the changing culture of the New York media world. 'Everything is copy,' Ephron's mother always said. This collection fulfills that motto with aplomb, and will likely serve as a perfect holiday gift for Ephron fans." - Publishers Weekly (boxed)
