Heartburn
Summary:
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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This is a book that I picked up on Amazon First Reads figuring it would be cool to read something else by Nora Ephron. The book had a lot of promise, but in my mind didn’t age well, and I found out retroactively that it was so autobiographical that Ephron’s husband actually threatened to sue her over it. Roxane Gay noted that this is the result of “how much a writer can get away with when they possess a strong voice” and that sums it up nicely.
Rachel is funny and has quirky observations, but made me want to shake her because she would run head first into the same troubles she had before. I didn’t feel like too many of the characters really felt that emotionally invested because while there was a lot of crying happening, very little change. Perhaps this is a naïve perspective (or a current lens on the book), but frankly many of the characters didn’t seem realistic because of the lack of action. I would have enjoyed the book if it was half the length and a standup routine, but as a novel it was just so-so.
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who think the premise sounds funny or are going through their own heartbreak and need a laugh.