Scan barcode
A review by carojust
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I’ll start by saying I’m a huge Nora Ephron fan. “You’ve Got Mail” is embedded in my soul — the witty dialogue, the New York romanticism, the literary ASMR-ness of her writing and take on relationships.
I found this in “Heartburn” — the same sense of humor and lighthearted narration of the discovery of an affair while pregnant. It felt real, and I had to confirm it was inspired by what really happened in her second marriage.
For me, it’s all a little too goofy, maybe because it’s a book of its time, with dated observations and 1980s references that I can’t fault it for. However, this comes with racism, homophobia and sexism, and has the tone of the White privileged bobo class that was aspirational then, but hard to read today. If I could get past that, it’d be a fun read, and a cathartic reflection on infidelity and finding the strength to start over again.
I found this in “Heartburn” — the same sense of humor and lighthearted narration of the discovery of an affair while pregnant. It felt real, and I had to confirm it was inspired by what really happened in her second marriage.
For me, it’s all a little too goofy, maybe because it’s a book of its time, with dated observations and 1980s references that I can’t fault it for. However, this comes with racism, homophobia and sexism, and has the tone of the White privileged bobo class that was aspirational then, but hard to read today. If I could get past that, it’d be a fun read, and a cathartic reflection on infidelity and finding the strength to start over again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia