Heartburn cover art

Heartburn

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Heartburn

By: Nora Ephron
Narrated by: Meryl Streep
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About this listen

Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Female, 2014

Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. For in this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.

©2011 Nora Ephron (P)2012 Random House Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Funny Witty Heartfelt Feel-Good

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Critic reviews

"Great fun. . . . Though Heartburn bristles ferociously with wit, it's not lacking in soul." ( The New York Times Book Review)
"Nora Ephron's first novel is warm, witty and wise." ( Harper's Bazaar)
All stars
Most relevant
Oh dear. This did not work.
Good narration lets the story be the star, not the narrator. Meryl Streep's narration was so mannered and so actorly. Deeply irritating and it got in the way of Nora Ephron's fine writing and sharp observations.

Did not enjoy the narration

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Nora Ephron is astute, self deprecating, hilarious, wry, touching and honest all in equal measure. This is the apparently fictional tale of the collapse of a marriage following the husband’s infidelity, but is effectively the account of Ephron’s own marriage to Carl Bernstein. I hadn’t realised that Merck Streep played the protagonist, Rachel, in the film of this book. Suffice to say Streep is a genius and this reading is as brilliant as everything else she does. I laughed and cried along with this audio book, it kept me enthralled through many long hours on the motorway, and I heartily recommend it to anyone - (except for people currently having an affair - those involved in infidelity do not come out of this book well!)

Wonderful, wry, honest and amusing

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I knew going in that this book was quite short. I enjoyed the story and found myself gasping at some of the things that happened, however when the book finished I did feel a little disappointed and found myself asking is that it?

Short and sweet. Well written but I just feel that it could have been so much more.

Special note to Meryl Streep - fantastic narrator and you can actually picture her, she brings the character to life so well.

Meryl Streep brings this book to life

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Liked the recipes weaved in with the story - funny, sad and touching - listened while doing the housework and really enjoyed the story, narration excellent!

Meryl Streep is FAB!

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Wonderful story; Meryl Streep's funny and expressive narration more than does it justice. Really enjoyed it!

Brilliant

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A great audiobook but you have to like Meryl Streep. I really enjoyed this as I thought she was also great in the film, turns out she has also a great voice for audio books. the story is brilliant of course, I enjoyed this audio version even more than I did reading the book.

Very funny and sad

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This came up in ‘recommendations’ somewhere so, in my never-ending quest to find a good book without having to rely on tried & tested favourites, I gave it a go. Unfortunately, and despite Meryl Streep’s best efforts (which gave it an extra star!), I found it incredibly boring after the first couple of chapters. So a generous 3***
Will now listen to a podcast or two just to cleanse my palate…

Extra star for Meryl Streep!

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As much fun as a divorce story can get. Loved it! Nora Ephron is epic.

Great fun & read amazingly by Meryl Streep

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meryl streep is very good as the narrator and the story is very very funny

funn

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The story was funny and kept me interested. I did run out of steam a bit by the end but overall it was entertaining.

Great narrator

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