In Sister Mother Husband Dog, Delia Ephron brings her trademark wit and effervescent prose to a series of autobiographical essays about life, love, sisterhood, movies, and family. In “Losing Nora,” she deftly captures the rivalry, mutual respect, and intimacy that made up her relationship with her older sister and frequent writing companion. Other essays run the gamut from a humorous piece about love and the movies—how one romantic comedy completely destroyed her twenties—to the joy of girl friends and best friendship, the magical madness and miracle of dogs, keen-eyed observations about urban survival, and a serious and affecting memoir of life with her mother and growing up the child of alcoholics. Ephron’s eloquent style and voice illuminate every page of this superb and singular work.
My thoughts...for me, this is a mixed review. There were aspects I very much enjoyed. I loved reading what I felt was the real Delia Ephron. The essays where she talked about her sister, her mother and her father. She opened her self up. I've lost both of my parents and could read so clearly how deep her pain with the loss of her sister is. I was hooked. When she talks about her mother you can feel the emotional baggage of that relationship. It actually reminded me very much of my relationship with my dad. He was not an alcoholic, but had a substance abuse issue. Even in the essay she talked about collaborating with her sister, Nora Ephron, the lively relationship between sisters was clearly seen. I wanted to call my own sister and just tell her I love her. I think I will.
Some of the other essays were...meh. I will however say, I'm not much for reading memoirs. I very rarely read them, so take what I say with a grain of salt. A number of the other essays came across a bit snooty. Not nearly as enjoyable nor felt as real--vulnerable. However, they may have made me enjoy the other essays more. Don't most people have different parts of themselves they share or don't share? A very interesting read none the less. If you are a fan of the Ephron sisters or enjoy memoirs I believe you would enjoy it. Recommending.
Follow Delia Ephron
The book builds in gravity and heft to finish gorgeously...“Sister Mother Husband Dog” is a valentine, sometimes frilly but more memorably about love, loss and all that is irreplaceable.
—New York Times Book Review
Gripping and emotionally raw...
—Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Sister Mother Husband Dog is funny, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at once"
—Publisher's Weekly
"Ephron's keen observations about family, friends, work and life’s small indignities and deep sorrows leave readers laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next...
A witty and often profound look at human behavior and all its absurdities, contradictions, obsessions and phobias."
—KIRKUS reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment