I Remember Nothing

Publisher's Summary

Nora Ephron returns with her first book since the astounding success of I Feel Bad About My Neck, taking a cold, hard, hilarious look at the past, the present, and the future, bemoaning the vicissitudes of modern life, and recalling with her signature clarity and wisdom everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten.

Even as she’s listing “What I Won’t Miss” and “What I Will Miss” - making the final tally - Ephron reaches back to recount falling hard for a way of life (“Journalism: A Love Story”) and breaking up even harder with the men in her life (“The D Word”), a long-anticipated inheritance with entirely unanticipated results (“My Life as an Heiress”), and the evolution, a decade after she wrote and directed You’ve Got Mail, of her relationship with her in-box (“The Six Stages of E- mail”). All the while, she gives candid, charming voice to everything women who have reached a certain age have been thinking... but have rarely acknowledged.

Filled with insights and observations that instantly ring true - and could have come only from Nora Ephron - I Remember Nothing is a pure delight.

©2010 Nora Ephron (P)2010 Random House Audio

Ha ha

I am so tired of publishers claiming that a book is hilarious. This one is not hilarious, but is much more. Whenever I am exposed to Nora Ephron, I am entertained by the way her mind works and the way she can express life’s nuances – sometimes saying just what I would have said if I were brilliant. I enjoy her juxtapositions: opinionated self-doubt, funny terror. I always gain a couple of insights into myself and the way people work. I really enjoyed this read. And, like I Hate My Neck, it seeds in just enough reality to make one’s heart stop.

23 of 25 people found this review helpful

A find line

I highly recommend this audiobook. One of my favorite movies is the 1990 comedy, ???My Blue Heaven,??? screenplay by Nora Ephron, directed by Herbert Ross, and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack. The title of this inspired movie was taken from the old Fats Domino song by the same name. You probably heard that Ephron died of leukemia on June 26. Her death at seventy-one surprised even her friends.
When a celebrity dies, friends, family, or acquaintances appear, saying obligatory positive things about the deceased. Who pays attention to obligatory utterances? It???s the body of work left behind that matters. Besides my favorite movie, Ephron wrote: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You???ve Got Mail, Julie and Julia, other movies, books, and even a play, which she considered her best writing. Still, a television interview of a friend and several columns by journalists who mentioned knowing her intrigued me, and created the impression that Ephron didn???t prepare people for her death. One columnist, who never writes a sentimental word, as far as I can tell, wrote about riding in a cab in Texas, the day after Ephron died. The cab driver swerved to avoid an accident, throwing the columnist into the back of the front seat, and she burst into tears, scaring the bejeebers out of the cab driver. The physical jolt released a flood of grief. What kind of woman is known for being a great friend adored by many, including hard-nosed journalists, but allots no time for saying good-bye? I was skeptical, and wanted to know more. Did I say I???m a psychologist?
Unfamiliar with Ephron???s essays and books, I decided to search for something to read, but picked an audio version of I Remember Nothing. Great decision on my part because Ephron reads it. The material is funny and the delivery is perfect. She discusses aging, family relationships, friendships, divorce, work, lists of things she liked and didn???t like, people (neither Tom Friedman nor Larry King come out ahead), successes and failures, food, and more.
Nora Ephron loved being a journalist and this book is a credit to the field. She mastered the art of including facts about flawed people, aren???t we all, that humanized them without ridicule. Her mother became an alcoholic when Ephron was fifteen. It???s so easy to trash a parent, and so not the thing to do. She tiptoed along a very fine line and captured the best and worst of her mother, with a detachment that allows the listener to hear without cringing. This book is devoid of bitterness and filled with insight. Her philosophy was ???get over it.??? Maybe this audio book was her way of saying good-bye.

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

bullseye

I enjoyed every moment, and, because I also remember nothing, have had the pleasure of enjoying in over and over like it was the first time. Funny, self-deprecating, and full of sharply drawn remembrances of her remarkable career, as well as the back stories that make it seem like you've just had the most delightful chat with an old friend.

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

Lovely

Any additional comments?

I really like Nora Ephron and was genuinely upset when she passed away.
Her writing style is so sharp and clever, but also poignant with a hint of sadness.

I listened to this as an Audible.com audio book narrated by the author which I really enjoyed. I think wherever possible the author should narrate, especially in cases of essays and memoirs, it just makes the experience more genuine and touching.

This was particularly touching as she discussed aging, disease, divorce and death and shared her thoughts on how they impacted her life and her self image. She still managed to make it fun though, which is something I love Nora for.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Like Reminiscing with an Old Friend

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Always and absolutely, for all the reasons listed below.

What did you like best about this story?

This was my third time listening to this audiobook (which I believe was the last work written and recorded by this beloved author of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally), and I enjoyed it even more this time through. What a fun ride!! The chapters are short, punchy, interesting and hilarious. My husband and I especially had fun re-listening to Ms. Ephron's reminiscences of her early days as a fact-check girl (hardly any cuts above being a hat-check girl, in terms of respect) and journalist, her chapters on Lillian Ross and Lillian Hellman, and her wickedly funny "My Life as a Meatloaf" and "My Life as an Heiress."

Lots of laugh out loud moments to be had in this short book, but also some very moving seriousness in its final chapters, especially at the very end of the book (most likely written at a time the author knew that she would likely not live to see many more changes of seasons in her beloved New York City) as she reads her lists of "Things I Won't Miss" and "Things I Will Miss." These will have you mentally composing your own lists, I promise you.

People who will greatly enjoy this book include: Anyone who is already a fan of the works of Nora Ephron; anyone who has already listened to Meryl Streep read Ephron's sparklingly witty memoir Heartburn (about the end of her marriage to Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein); anyone old enough to remember or know about the Kennedy White House or HUAC or Watergate; anyone well-read and well-cultured; anyone interested in reflections on aging; readers of The New Yorker; anyone with a fondness for good food, good movies, good books, wry Jewish humor, and/or Manhattan. People who should think twice before buying the book or spending a credit on it are: Political conservatives; very young people who have never heard of Nora Ephron and who never saw Meryl Streep's portrayal (with Jack Nicholson) in the movie Heartburn; people who complain about "whiny New York humor," and people uninterested in the lives of women of arts and letters.

Have you listened to any of Nora Ephron’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love this book, but did not enjoy listening to Ephron's previous book, I Feel Bad About My Neck, nearly as much. That book was read by the author at a maddeningly slow pace, while this one was read at what almost certainly was the author's normal conversational rate of speech. As a result, the listening experience of this book is akin to spending an evening or two in the company of a witty, articulate and well-read old friend. I'm sure this will not be my last time listening!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but also wanted to spread out the listening experience so I could go back to it any time I needed a pick-me-up.

Any additional comments?

I give this book my highest rating; it deserves ten stars. Bravo, Nora--you will be missed by many!!

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Wonderful read

I love Nora Ephron. Particularly her musings on daily life. She makes me laugh and she makes me sad in a 'this is life' sort of way. Highly recommend.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

she actually remembers everything.

I love Nora Ephron! she writes the things we all are thinking about with graciousness
and humor.

Meh.<br />

Kind of whiny & boring. Just tedious to get through it. Couldn't finish entirely, yawn.

she is so fun

loved it . great style reminiscent of her journalism days...wry observations on life. wish I had her style

Must read

Fact of life put in simple and funny words.
Touched on every stage of life
Exceeded expectation
I enjoyed listening to Nora's voice . Clear and never boring. I have favorite chapters .

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

A memoir from a great cultural figure

Where does I Remember Nothing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best memoirs I've listened to.

What about Nora Ephron’s performance did you like?

It's so nice to hear this spoken by Norah Ephron herself. I wish there were more.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Wit and punky advice from Nora

Would you consider the audio edition of I Remember Nothing to be better than the print version?

Because this is spoken by Nora herself you really feel engulfed in her very funny company. I couldnt imagine reading this book now. I felt bereft when it ended and I found out she had passed away so this book is a one off.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

While I walk my dog!

I took charge of my friend's dog while she (friend) went winter sporting, and consequently had dog-walking duties in the snow frosted park. While I loved watching her bounding and singularly failing to retrieve any of the sticks I pathetically lobbed for her, I found myself getting bored. Enter Nora Ephron's 'I Remember Nothing'. Problem solved. This is such a dry, funny treat for all of us that are entering the days of the silver surfers. I recognised, and shared, so many of her irritations and musings.It was a complete joy from start to finish. I couldn't even begin to list my favourite bits. I am now about to order her other writings from Amazon - a pity there aren't more on Audible to speed my walk round Greenwich Park! Recommended!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Brilliant Stuff!

i devoured this one in a sitting. Really very funny, wise and original. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a light bite sized listen!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fun

This is a fun book to listen to, I was glad I bought it. I want to read or hear her other books.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amusing read

Some very funny and interesting stories but even though it was the author reading her own work it didn't particularly flow well. Would have been better off reading it myself.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hiarious. Hilarious. Hilarious.

From start to finish Nora's words and her dry wit were spectacular! I hope I'm half as humourous and inciteful when I find my existential crisis in ageing!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enhanced by Nora's voice

What made the experience of listening to I Remember Nothing the most enjoyable?

I found this incredibly moving, written as it was just before Nora died. Her gravelly, ageing voice is full of wisdom and humour, and completely made this book for me. The topics range from forgetfulness to musings on how her life might have turned out differently. I found myself in tears at the end of one story about how she came to write When Harry Met Sally by failing to inherit a fortune. Nora may not have got he tidy sum, but we're all the richer for it. A must for anyone who loves memoir or the work of this great American writer.

What was one of the most memorable moments of I Remember Nothing?

The funny and wonderful story, My Life as an Heiress

What does Nora Ephron bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Picking up on the cadences of the sentences, as spoken by the author.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It put a lump in my throat the whole way through. But in a joyous way.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

An absolute delight...

I devoured this in one sitting, this was an absolute pleasure to listen to. More please Nora!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved it, wish there was more

Wish there was more!

Why must I put 16 words in before you will submit my review? I loved it!

2 of 3 people found this review helpful