megaburrito's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
It was a well written book, but it just didn’t interest me. I was hoping for more movie commentary than behind the scenes. I think if I was more interested in the three main films talked about, I would have found it more compelling.
nataliem22's review against another edition
5.0
If you love Nora Ephron's films as much as I do, then this book is a must-read. With an incredibly well-researched approach, Erin Carlson brings to light what it was like to be among Nora Ephron's brilliance, from drafting to filming, on the sets of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. Not only does Carlson focus on Ephron, but also the people she was surrounded by, from recurring crew members to the stars she worked with. I learned so much about the process of getting a film made, and what different people along the way think about when putting together a production—and Carlson never once lost me in lingo, or got too technical.
Another huge draw to the book is the array of behind the scenes knowledge Carlson seems to have unearthed about the films and Ephron's life. Like, did you know that Joe Fox from You've Got Mail is named after the real-life Joe Fox, an editor at Random House who passed away in 1995—and who was one of Nora Fox's exes?! The book it littered with tidbits like these, that make the movies that much richer and that illuminate Ephron's life.
My only regret is reading this book when none of the movies are available on a streaming service that I own—I have such a desire to binge all three in order now!
Another huge draw to the book is the array of behind the scenes knowledge Carlson seems to have unearthed about the films and Ephron's life. Like, did you know that Joe Fox from You've Got Mail is named after the real-life Joe Fox, an editor at Random House who passed away in 1995—and who was one of Nora Fox's exes?! The book it littered with tidbits like these, that make the movies that much richer and that illuminate Ephron's life.
My only regret is reading this book when none of the movies are available on a streaming service that I own—I have such a desire to binge all three in order now!
lookakat's review
4.0
It took a little bit of time for me to get used to the writing style, but afterwards I found it very interesting.
kerryanndunn's review
5.0
“I was just thrilled that she liked me,” Parker says. “I remember running into her in London in my 20s and she said—and I was young enough not to be intimidated by her—‘You’ll continue getting older, but you’ll always feel the same.’ That’s so true! And I think about that a lot.” - Parker Posey talking about Nora Ephron
My husband and I talk about this phenomena all the time. Wait. We are parents??? But we are just kids in our twenties! We don’t feel responsible enough to be parents. Nora Ephron was so wise. I miss her.
If you miss Nora too and have, like me, watched When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail each at least two dozen times (maybe even more) then you should read this fabulous book.
I ate up every pre-production struggle, every behind-the scenes tidbit, every casting decision, every set design snafu, every glimpse into the personal lives of Nora and her casts and crews behind these iconic films.
What Erin Carlson culled about these films from hundreds of personal interviews, magazine articles, books, video footage, and more is nothing short of remarkable. How she then organized a wealth of information into this compelling, juicy, informative, fun, nostalgic, timeline of events around the making of these movies is admirable and compulsively readable.
I kept texting my bestie things I would learn about the movie we have watched together countless times: You’ve Got Mail. In the end, I just bought her the book and sent it to her in the mail. Because as a fan, I know she’ll adore this book as much as I did.
Thank you, Erin. Thank you, Nora.
My husband and I talk about this phenomena all the time. Wait. We are parents??? But we are just kids in our twenties! We don’t feel responsible enough to be parents. Nora Ephron was so wise. I miss her.
If you miss Nora too and have, like me, watched When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail each at least two dozen times (maybe even more) then you should read this fabulous book.
I ate up every pre-production struggle, every behind-the scenes tidbit, every casting decision, every set design snafu, every glimpse into the personal lives of Nora and her casts and crews behind these iconic films.
What Erin Carlson culled about these films from hundreds of personal interviews, magazine articles, books, video footage, and more is nothing short of remarkable. How she then organized a wealth of information into this compelling, juicy, informative, fun, nostalgic, timeline of events around the making of these movies is admirable and compulsively readable.
I kept texting my bestie things I would learn about the movie we have watched together countless times: You’ve Got Mail. In the end, I just bought her the book and sent it to her in the mail. Because as a fan, I know she’ll adore this book as much as I did.
Thank you, Erin. Thank you, Nora.
marissadodgen's review
3.0
An interesting look at the behind the scene decisions that went into When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless In Seattle, & You've Got Mail, in addition to some other Nora Ephron films. There are a lot of details about how movies in general that come to together, from casting decisions to lighting. There are a lot of bunny trials in this book, that seemingly come out of nowhere, but over all an interesting book.
pagesofpins's review
2.0
Well researched, but the writing was sloppy and overly detailed, like a gossipy celebrity magazine gone off the rails.
justgrace's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
All in all a solid read. I really enjoyed learning more about Nora Ephron and her legacy. Learning more about Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks was the cherry on top. If I'm going to pick at anything, once in a while the writing felt a little forced to me or a sentence didn't quite hit the intended note, but I really enjoyed the way the writer organized the information and created a through line of Nora's life, and by association, the lives of others as well as getting into what makes Nora's work so special.
My fav passage comes from a Diane Dreyer quote about You've Got Mail (she was a script supervisor for You've Got Mail):
"One of the things Nora's trying to say in the movie is that there are lots of ways to fall in love, and when you fall in love with someone, you want to fall in love with them truly. Because she loved words so much, she made it very clear that you could actually fall in love, even online to some extent, through revealing who you are by what you say and how you say it and your bravery in saying, and saying it to that other person... Write the letter. If it tells you anything, it says: 'Write the letter. Use your voice.'"
"One of the things Nora's trying to say in the movie is that there are lots of ways to fall in love, and when you fall in love with someone, you want to fall in love with them truly. Because she loved words so much, she made it very clear that you could actually fall in love, even online to some extent, through revealing who you are by what you say and how you say it and your bravery in saying, and saying it to that other person... Write the letter. If it tells you anything, it says: 'Write the letter. Use your voice.'"