Heartburn

Heartburn
by Nora Ephron
Random House Audio, 2013. Fiction

I don't normally go for chick lit, but I was enticed by this title when I saw that it is read by Meryl Streep and I always go for Meryl Streep. Heartburn is the first novel (originally published in 1986) by the recently deceased queen of rom-com Nora Ephron, and is largely said to be the mostly autobiographical account of her own divorce from Carl Bernstein. It is a sharp, shrewd, witty take on the disillusionment of what seemed to be the perfect marriage and Streep's performance is the perfect blend of pathos and wry humor.

It is a quick listen, and I imagine a quick read, but I am not sure I would have sped through it, or even have been compelled to finish it if it were not for Streep's reading. Listening to her read it made it feel like a long rambling lunch with a girlfriend spilling her guts, crying on your shoulder and making you laugh all at once. A bonus, which would be better appreciated in physical book form, are the delicious recipes scattered throughout the text (since the protagonist is a professional food writer and builds her narrative around her favorite recipes which she shares freely). According to one review I read these were all real recipes from Ephron's personal arsenal. This would be a great listen for a beach vacation, or while doing some mindless task.

ZB