Crazy Salad and Scribble, Scribble

Some Things About Women and Notes on Media

By: Nora Ephron

Narrated by: Kathe Mazur

Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Two classic collections of Nora Ephron’s uproarious essays - tackling everything from feminism to the media, from politics to beauty products, with her inimitable charm and distinctive wit - now available in one audiobook for the first time.

This edition brings together some of Ephron’s most famous writing on a generation of women (and men) who helped shape the way we live now, and on events ranging from the Watergate scandal to the Pillsbury Bake-Off. In these sharp, hilariously entertaining, and vividly observed pieces, Ephron illuminates an era with wicked honesty and insight. From the famous "A Few Words About Breasts" to important pieces on her time working for the New York Post and Gourmet Magazine, these essays show Ephron at her very best.

©1975 Nora Ephron (P)2012 Random House Audio

It’s In The Title, Folks!

First off, my review is less about Nora’s biting collection (and truly fascinating snapshot of American pop culture in the 1970s) and more about how “boring” and “dull” the rest of you people found it — especially the one excitedly announcing relief over exchanging it for store credit — which is this: OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS!

My God. Read the title! PAY ATTENTION! What in the actual noon-day sunshine f&*k did you people expect?!

I swear, it’s like a ham-fisted buffoon buys a box full of LIVE SNAKES and then gets all pissed off (and totally sanctimonious!) when the box arrives, they open it up, the snakes attack, and then literally wastes their dying, final breaths screaming about a refund, shrieking in horror, “Hey! Ow! I didn’t order this! Oww! My face! My neck—ow! What the fff—AAAAGHH!” as the starving serpents bite and strike and squeeze the life from out of this very disappointed customer.

Now, with this hypothetical buffoon’s violent end aside, I’ll concede this is certainly not the most accessible of Nora’s work, however, her striking observations about people and the human condition (not unlike those snakes!) are a prescient, hilarious warning about the place we find ourselves — particularly about gender, politics, and the media; in fact, the chapter “Bob Haldeman & CBS” details the exact moment modern American TV news organizations began paying people to lie on television (or at least the first time they got caught) for something called “Soft News,”which draws a pretty direct, chilling line to the current 24-hour news cycle we’ve grown used to (and, dare I say, “bored” with!) where pundits and politicians alike barking on top of each other, spewing objectively false garbage from opposite sides is the norm — and when you consider all of that? Maybe these vividly honest insights might be of more interest to show us all where we’ve been, and more to the point, where we are going.

Two halves do not equal a whole

The first part of the book was compelling and insightful; however, the second was rambling and dull.

A great story to tell

Actually, Nora Ephron has lots of stories. I liked the fist part, Crazy Salad, a lot more then the second one. But it simply because I don’t know much about American journalism. However, the first part was very relatable. Even despite the fact that it was written half a century ago. Some things never change, I guess.

Intelligent writing

I first read these books in 1972-1976 when women were just beginning to have a voice. Read these well written essays as an entry to the past as Nora Ephron, a very respected journalist, essayist, and author has had access to individuals who were also voices of the times. No, not laugh out loud funny but not meant to be. They are thoughtful essays written at a time in recent history where change happened quickly, and not to the liking of everyone, based on other reviews of these essays! The reader captures Nora Ephron's cadence, which added greatly to the pleasure of listening.

who is this woman ugh horrible

What disappointed you about Crazy Salad and Scribble, Scribble?

poorly written no story to much woman's lib and it isn't a comedy

What was most disappointing about Nora Ephron’s story?

horrible horrible
the only reason she got a job as a writer is because of the woman's movement
cry long and hard enough they must have to give her a job
and this is not a comedy

Would you be willing to try another one of Kathe Mazur’s performances?

only if having my appendix taken out without anesthesia in a Iranian desert hospital was my only other choice

What character would you cut from Crazy Salad and Scribble, Scribble?

all of them slowly and painfully along with anyone who said Hey lets publish this horrible book and see how many people will buy it
we can call it a comedy

Any additional comments?

Horrible Painful and Just plain wrong
If you want to know what went wrong with this country then ask someone about this book
if you want to torture someone then suggest they read it

too bad

Sadly, this book bored me stiff--as outdated gossips usually do.
(I recommend buying Ephron's other books/audiobooks)--Reader does a good job of imitating Ephron's voice, tone and style, but I am not sure that was necessary at all.

Be prepared to hear all about feminism

Would you try another book from Nora Ephron and/or Kathe Mazur?

Not sure

What could Nora Ephron have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

not write it

Did Kathe Mazur do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

no

Any additional comments?

this book is about the feminist movement and men hating...
Ughhhhh, I wasted my money

Boring essays interspersed with interesting bits

At the beginning, I thought this would be interesting, because I was a child during the era the essays concern. While there have been good sections, for the most part, the essays bore me. I'm giving up.

Don't waste your credit

I LOVE Nora Ephron but if you're expecting to hear one of her quirky stories to entertain you and make you laugh then you'll need to look elsewhere. This was terribly boring. Sorry!

Wanted to love this...but...

If you are of the same generation as Nora, you will relate to the stories better than I. I wanted to love this book. I was hoping for some wisdom on aging in that Nora Ephron wit of her screen plays. The stories are like a comentary on the events of the times in which she was living through, many read out like a diary entry. The narnators voice is a good fit for the author, so it is like you are hearing the author read her stories. This book is long if you don't or can't relate to the stories. For example the storie about returning to Wellesley... was a bit of a 'you had to be there'. Unfortunately I could not finish this book as I lost interest.