I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections

It seems trite, prosaic, beaten to death to use the word ‘delightful’ when referring to a Nora Ephron memoir. Yet how could it be anything but delightful?I Remember Nothing, written in 2010, just two years before Ephron died from leukemia at a young 71 years old. We love her movies and their romantically nice storylines but I relate most to Ephron because she’s not *so* nice. She’s straight-forward and doesn’t allow injustices to slip by without comment. She made her way in a man’s world of journalism when women were never expected to rise beyond limited roles in the newsroom. I love her tenacity.While reviewing her many opportunities and experiences she recalls how little she actually recalls. I have never felt more sure of a concept in my life! “On some level, my life has been wasted on me.” Yes, yes, yes, I wrote in the margins. There are numerous times in my own life when I’ve been given the chance to travel to interesting places and meet interesting people but so often what I remember most is what I was thinking about at the time of the encounter. Did I wear the right shoes? Is it going to be weird if I ask for no onions? I hope I have time to relax back at the hotel this evening. And of course the ever present thought: I wonder when we’ll break for lunch?Perhaps most recognizable are the moments when “no one was moving so in some strange and inexplicable way, I felt responsible”, standing up to go find management. Why am I always hoping to recognize another enneagram 8 female in the heroic women I read about? Perhaps their success somehow validates my bossy tendencies surrounded by ‘tiny control issues’ as Anne Lamott would say. (heehee)Discussing her work-life, female friendships, divorce, aging…this is an unputdownable book. She is engaging and restrained and while her life story is vastly different than my own, her universal life stages are thoroughly relatable.I am glad to put another finished Ephron book in my pile of favorites.Now maybe a little ‘Julie and Julia’ this evening to top off a perfect read.

As I finished reading Melina Bellows USA Today article and Sally Quinn's article for the Washington Post on filmmaker, writer, essayist, mother Nora Ephron, many of her friends have written about how they never knew Nora was suffering from acute myeloid leukemia.Having read her 2010 book "I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections", Nora would write about growing old but how life was changing for her as friends have died, how she was starting to forget things at 69 but most importantly, sharing experiences about her life now and memories of her life. A few of these experiences have made it into her films.Nora Ephron was a woman who was full of life and was interested in learning about other people's lives. For those that knew her, she was more interested in the personal stories of an individual rather than talk about herself. If anyone has watched an interview featuring Nora, you can always see her trying to probe and learn more about the individual, and as they try to deflect their answering about how much they love her work, she would deflect it back to know more about their life.She was a person who embraced life, embraced love despite having had painful relationships and enduring two divorces before marring for the third time. After reading her last book "I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections", written after she learned of her illness, Nora confronts her life of growing older, losing friends but the realization that she had a few good years remaining in her life. While most people who read the book wondered why was there a hint of sadness in this book... I can't help but think that Nora knew that she didn't have many years ahead and wanted to share her life with her readers. It's not so much a book about forgetting but more about a book about remembering memories, enjoying life but also learning from the pain one experiences in life.Nora talks about divorce, about wanting to make changes at a theater chain that she became a board member of, Pentimento, Christmas dinner with friends, e-mail and more. This was not meant to be anything like her 2006 book and if you read the plethora of reviews of people writing this book is not as good as that book, its understandable.But now since her death, many are coming to realize that "I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections" was a book about a woman who has learned of her illness, knowing that she probably doesn't have many years to live and wanting to share her memories about life, what she will remember about life and also the joys and pain of life in this one book. A book that was probably written as a way for family, friends and all of us to remember her as she looks back at her life, her accomplishments and wondering if she had only a short time to live, how would she live that life.Ephron ends the book with what she won't miss and what she will miss in life. Her kids, her husband Nick, spring, fall, waffles, bacon, a walk in the park, dinner with friends, to name a few. When Nora wrote about how she would like to live her last day, she said her perfect day would be to eat a frozen custard at Shake Shack, a walk in the park, followed by a Lactaid. Her perfect night is a good play and a dinner at Orso (although no garlic, or else she wouldn't be able to sleep). Life is indeed uncertain but I really enjoyed how she handled life, whether or not she succeed or failed, she did it, she experienced it and would try to use those experiences to help others.Is it is a short book? Yes. It's a book that one will go through quickly in a few hours but I was entertained by it. I was grateful to Nora Ephron for writing this book and like her films, essays and novels before this, I was entertained by it. But also inspired by it as well.Living life, learning new things...May it be writing a play, writing a book, making plum pudding that no one would eat on Christmas Day (but her) or playing multiple games of "Blitz Scrabble" or was it "Scrabble Blitz", Nora was a woman that lived life the best way she can and touched the hearts of many people through her films, her screenplay, essays and novels. And if I ever make my way to the Monkey Bar, I will surely request Nora's meatloaf or someday try cherries form Wisconsin or peppermint pie. And maybe even play a game of "Scrabble Blitz" or was it "Blitz Scrabble"?Thank you Nora!

Who is like Nora Ephron? The answer is - no one. That's why these collections of her writing are so precious, funny and above all, true. She is as fierce with her honesty and self revelation, as an executioner is passive about his work. Slice, chop, done. And that's just about her cooking!Read this book, you will not be sorry.

Exactly as i write above, Repetitive pointless utter waste of time.This type of “so called “humour” apparently appeals to Americans, certainly as funny as a dead cat hanging from a tree ,Avoid and return as a waste of time. Reviews galore elevating this drivel to something amazing , clearly not for some folk.

I love the way she writes. Her honesty and humor, often tinged with sorrow, and beautiful prose are captivating.Even though she is now gone were must still treasure these glorious books she left with us.

I have always enjoyed her films, her books are just as delightful to read, It is almost as though you are there with her when you read her stories. She has ( I feel ) a most unique way of writing.

For anyone one of a certain age, like me, the sections of this book about failing memory make one chuckle with recognition over the social embarrassments when you know the face but not the name and the tricks employed to retrieve the buried memory: usually too late to be of use!The author is very frank about her feelings and hurts within her family and friends, but told with guileless good humour that warms one to her as a person. She's certainly had an eventful and interesting life that makes for an entertaining read.I really enjoyed the book.