What do you think?
Rate this book
Sister Mother Husband Dog: Etc.
Hollywood screenwriter and bestselling author Delia Ephron returns with a memorable collection of personal and poignant stories and essays, anchored by a remembrance of losing her older sister, Nora Ephron.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
125 people are currently reading
3051 people want to read
About the author
Delia Ephron
25 books592 followersBestselling author and screenwriter Delia Ephron's most recent novel is Siracusa. Her other novels include The Lion Is In and Hanging Up. She has written humor books for all ages, including How to Eat Like a Child and Do I Have to Say Hello?; and nonfiction, most recently Sister Mother Husband Dog (etc.). Her films include You’ve Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Hanging Up (based on her novel), and Michael. Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. Her hit play Love, Loss, and What I Wore (co-written with Nora Ephron) ran for more than two years off-Broadway and has been performed all over the world. She lives in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
September 7, 2016
I'm so glad this book found me. This is a touching collection of essays from Delia Ephron, younger sister to the famous Nora Ephron.
As you may remember, Nora Ephron died from cancer in 2012. In the first essay, called "Losing Nora," Delia writes movingly about her relationship with her sister, and that difficult period of caregiving, followed by grief. Other essays are about Delia's screenwriting experiences, her unhappy first marriage, how she became a writer, her collaborations with her sister, and her challenging relationship with her mother.
Most of the pieces appear to have been published previously in magazines or newspapers, so this collection pulls together some disparate works. A few essays were tonally off with the rest of the book (I skimmed "Hair Report," and her piece about banks fell flat), but overall, this was a thoughtful and enjoyable read, and the good pieces were so good that I forgave the shorter, weaker ones. I highly recommend this book for Ephron fans.
Favorite Quotes
"When parents die, the dream dies, too — the dream that they will see you for who you really are (and, I suppose, the dream that they will ever be the parents you wish for). With sisters is it similar? Did I want Nora to acknowledge, to realize that I was as tough as she was by trying to match her, to function on all cylinders and be absolutely present during this terrifying time?"
"Our job as writers, as we begin that journey, is to figure out what we can do. Only do what you can do. It's a rule I live by. Among other things, it means I can have novels heavier with dialogue than description. But more important, if you only do what you can do, you never have to worry that someone else is doing it. It keeps you from competing. It keeps you looking inside for what's true rather than outside for what's popular. Ideally. Your writing is your fingerprint. It's our job in life to come to some understanding of our own identity, and being a writer makes that easier. What do I think? What do I love? What do I see? What are my stories? come up over and over again and/or reveal themselves, sometimes unintentionally, over and over again."
"No one can become anything without discipline, that's the truth. [My shrink] said, and I pass this on to any aspiring writers, that I had to sit down at my desk every day from ten to twelve. I didn't have to write, but I couldn't get up, feed my plants, make tea, phone a friend. I had to keep my butt in the seat. Then I had to do the same thing from two to four. It works. You write. And it takes the question 'Will I write?' out of your day. It turns writing into habit."
"Nothing is more seductive than screenwriting. It is playful. Not easy, but so much fun it has the illusion of easy ... Every time you write a screenplay, you are seduced. You fall in love. You think you are safe. They will make this for sure."
"Loving a movie is not about logic. If a movie 'gets' me, I forgive it anything. If it doesn't, I sit there cold, critical, poking holes."
"Partly you can fake being someone you're not for only so long, although it's easier if you don't know who you are to begin with. Partly thirty coming at me made this impossible to ignore: I had one life and I was fucking it up."
[on family dinners at the Ephron house]
"Every time I said something funny, my dad shouted, 'That's a great line, write it down.'"
"All siblings have different parents. We are all born at different times in our parents' marriage. Parents do not treat their children identically, much as they might imagine they do or strive to, and children bond or not and relate differently to each parent."
"My mother was an alcoholic before anyone knew much about the disease. Before half the world was sober and the other half related to someone who is or should be. Before AA appeared to have more members than the Democratic Party."
"The day version of [mom] was a great gift — a sense of destiny, identity, structure, discipline, drive. As a woman she was far ahead of the curve. To the night version of her I owe free-floating anxiety. I am no longer a child in an unsafe home, but anxiety became habit. My brain is conditioned. I worry. I recheck everything obsessively. Is the seat belt fastened, are the reservations correct, is my passport in my purse? Have I done something wrong? Have I said something wrong? I'm sorry — whatever happened must be my fault."
[her mother's favorite sayings]
"Don't worship celebrities, they're no better than you are."
"Just because you're related to someone is no reason to like them."
"Never buy on sale."
"Pick one hairdo and stick to it."
As you may remember, Nora Ephron died from cancer in 2012. In the first essay, called "Losing Nora," Delia writes movingly about her relationship with her sister, and that difficult period of caregiving, followed by grief. Other essays are about Delia's screenwriting experiences, her unhappy first marriage, how she became a writer, her collaborations with her sister, and her challenging relationship with her mother.
Most of the pieces appear to have been published previously in magazines or newspapers, so this collection pulls together some disparate works. A few essays were tonally off with the rest of the book (I skimmed "Hair Report," and her piece about banks fell flat), but overall, this was a thoughtful and enjoyable read, and the good pieces were so good that I forgave the shorter, weaker ones. I highly recommend this book for Ephron fans.
Favorite Quotes
"When parents die, the dream dies, too — the dream that they will see you for who you really are (and, I suppose, the dream that they will ever be the parents you wish for). With sisters is it similar? Did I want Nora to acknowledge, to realize that I was as tough as she was by trying to match her, to function on all cylinders and be absolutely present during this terrifying time?"
"Our job as writers, as we begin that journey, is to figure out what we can do. Only do what you can do. It's a rule I live by. Among other things, it means I can have novels heavier with dialogue than description. But more important, if you only do what you can do, you never have to worry that someone else is doing it. It keeps you from competing. It keeps you looking inside for what's true rather than outside for what's popular. Ideally. Your writing is your fingerprint. It's our job in life to come to some understanding of our own identity, and being a writer makes that easier. What do I think? What do I love? What do I see? What are my stories? come up over and over again and/or reveal themselves, sometimes unintentionally, over and over again."
"No one can become anything without discipline, that's the truth. [My shrink] said, and I pass this on to any aspiring writers, that I had to sit down at my desk every day from ten to twelve. I didn't have to write, but I couldn't get up, feed my plants, make tea, phone a friend. I had to keep my butt in the seat. Then I had to do the same thing from two to four. It works. You write. And it takes the question 'Will I write?' out of your day. It turns writing into habit."
"Nothing is more seductive than screenwriting. It is playful. Not easy, but so much fun it has the illusion of easy ... Every time you write a screenplay, you are seduced. You fall in love. You think you are safe. They will make this for sure."
"Loving a movie is not about logic. If a movie 'gets' me, I forgive it anything. If it doesn't, I sit there cold, critical, poking holes."
"Partly you can fake being someone you're not for only so long, although it's easier if you don't know who you are to begin with. Partly thirty coming at me made this impossible to ignore: I had one life and I was fucking it up."
[on family dinners at the Ephron house]
"Every time I said something funny, my dad shouted, 'That's a great line, write it down.'"
"All siblings have different parents. We are all born at different times in our parents' marriage. Parents do not treat their children identically, much as they might imagine they do or strive to, and children bond or not and relate differently to each parent."
"My mother was an alcoholic before anyone knew much about the disease. Before half the world was sober and the other half related to someone who is or should be. Before AA appeared to have more members than the Democratic Party."
"The day version of [mom] was a great gift — a sense of destiny, identity, structure, discipline, drive. As a woman she was far ahead of the curve. To the night version of her I owe free-floating anxiety. I am no longer a child in an unsafe home, but anxiety became habit. My brain is conditioned. I worry. I recheck everything obsessively. Is the seat belt fastened, are the reservations correct, is my passport in my purse? Have I done something wrong? Have I said something wrong? I'm sorry — whatever happened must be my fault."
[her mother's favorite sayings]
"Don't worship celebrities, they're no better than you are."
"Just because you're related to someone is no reason to like them."
"Never buy on sale."
"Pick one hairdo and stick to it."
July 20, 2016
I listened to the audio of Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron. I listened to it on the heals of reading Siracusa. Siracusa was clever and entertaining. Ephron's collection of personal essays was also clever and entertaining -- but also often very moving. Ephron writes about serious topics -- her grief over her sister Nora's death and her mother's alcoholism -- and seemingly more trivial topics -- her love of bakeries and love for her dog. But each essay is both light and serious at the same time -- for example, her essay about bakeries is a brilliant indictment of the concept of "having it all" and her essay about Nora's death is full of funny anecdotes and and self-deprecating humour. I really appreciated her sensibility -- smart, emotionally honest, funny and real. If you choose to read or listen to these essays, be forewarned that Ephron is not a linear thinker. Digression is very much her style. I loved the layer upon layer of digression in each of the essays -- how ultimately she brings us back to the point -- but not before she mentions her dog Honey one more time -- or how Nora would have dealt with the situation differently -- but ultimately we get to the point -- or maybe the journey was the point. As I say I loved it. But some may find it dizzying.
A note on the audio: Meg Ryan is the reader. Her approach is straightforward and speedy. It worked fine, but was not spectacular.
A note on the audio: Meg Ryan is the reader. Her approach is straightforward and speedy. It worked fine, but was not spectacular.
May 11, 2014
One of the funniest lines in this gem of a book is also one of the author’s favorites. Delia decided to leave a job where she had a bad boss. On her way out the door, she said “I quit.” And he said, “You’re flat-chested.” Need I say more? Well, I will. How funny and bizarre is that? And how endearing can Delia be? Thus begins my love affair with this book.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know much about Delia Ephron. She was the faraway sister of Nora. I read two books of hilarious essays by Nora (“I Feel Bad About My Neck” and “I Remember Nothing”) and loved her long list of classic romantic comedies, including “Sleepless in Seattle” and “When Harry Met Sally.” She is one of my favorite funny writers and I was so sad when she died.
But Delia, is she even a writer? Is she funny? Well, I’m here to tell you, Delia is every bit as funny as Nora; she’s just not quite as prolific. Delia wrote “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and a slew of other movies and books. How did I not know this? I’m thinking that Nora started earlier, she wrote bigger hits and more of them, and she was probably better at self-promotion. And sadly, although the sisters collaborated on so many projects, often Delia didn’t get any credit. It’s amazing how the sisters are both funny—and funny in the same way. If I had their essays side by side, it would be hard to pick out which one belonged to Nora and which one belonged to Delia.
Anyway, what a find! I loved this book! Delia’s first essay is about her love of Nora and their relationship after Nora was diagnosed with leukemia. A heartfelt, wise, and wonderful piece. But I must say one thing—I know Delia didn’t mean to, but she made Nora sound kind of bitchy. I now think of Nora as sort of a control freak. And I learned that Nora detested weakness (including signs of emotion) and had no patience with dummies—traits I’m not crazy about, probably because I know she would think of me as dumb and weak and overly sensitive. I wanted Nora to stay perfect in my mind, and it’s sad that my idol came down an iota of a notch.
About the book title: I wonder why husband is listed third, and is this a pecking order? And if so, is Delia’s husband pissed that he is number 3, only listed in front of the dog? The weird thing is, the husband doesn’t have his own chapter and in fact is mentioned briefly only a few times in the whole book. I kept waiting patiently for an essay about him, but when I got to the cute essay on the dog, I wondered if maybe hubby had slipped to number 4. (In fact, the dog story even came before the mom story, so I was all confused.) I understand that she must want to keep her marriage stuff private, but then why add him to the title? Maybe she just wanted the book title to list everybody important to her, but it didn’t mean her husband would get air time. I don’t know; it still seems strange to me.
As in all collections of essays, I have my favorites. The first chapter (about the loss of Nora) is a knockout, as is her chapter on her mother the alcoholic. I’m also the child of alcoholics and I also had a mom who was cold and mean to me, and I could relate to all of Delia’s experiences. She nailed it—she so well describes the anxiety, the pain, and the psychological terror that drunk parents inflict on their kids, and the permanent scars that remain on their psyches.
On a lighter note, there’s a super funny essay on the baby boomer’s relationship to computer upgrades, remotes, Facebook, and Microsoft Word, with an entertaining detour about “Law & Order,” which she manages somehow to tie into the theme of upgrades. I can so relate. I couldn’t stop laughing. I loved this comment:
“Baby boomers cannot keep learning new things, stuffing new information into their overcrowded brains We’re already passing out from it. We’re being upgraded into obsolescence.”
The last essay, about how she collaborated on screenwriting projects with Nora, contained a lot of details about the movie business and although interesting, it went on too long and was a little too esoteric. More like straight reporting: not enough funny and not enough insights.
The only essay I disliked was the one on New York bakeries. She name-dropped all the cool bakeries, and listed her favorite pastries from each. I’m sure New Yorkers will love this essay, but for me it was super boring. Luckily it was the only essay I could have done without.
This book deserves a 5, absolutely. But be warned, you’ll want to keep your highlighter handy. This book isn’t just touching, lively, and funny, it’s wise.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know much about Delia Ephron. She was the faraway sister of Nora. I read two books of hilarious essays by Nora (“I Feel Bad About My Neck” and “I Remember Nothing”) and loved her long list of classic romantic comedies, including “Sleepless in Seattle” and “When Harry Met Sally.” She is one of my favorite funny writers and I was so sad when she died.
But Delia, is she even a writer? Is she funny? Well, I’m here to tell you, Delia is every bit as funny as Nora; she’s just not quite as prolific. Delia wrote “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and a slew of other movies and books. How did I not know this? I’m thinking that Nora started earlier, she wrote bigger hits and more of them, and she was probably better at self-promotion. And sadly, although the sisters collaborated on so many projects, often Delia didn’t get any credit. It’s amazing how the sisters are both funny—and funny in the same way. If I had their essays side by side, it would be hard to pick out which one belonged to Nora and which one belonged to Delia.
Anyway, what a find! I loved this book! Delia’s first essay is about her love of Nora and their relationship after Nora was diagnosed with leukemia. A heartfelt, wise, and wonderful piece. But I must say one thing—I know Delia didn’t mean to, but she made Nora sound kind of bitchy. I now think of Nora as sort of a control freak. And I learned that Nora detested weakness (including signs of emotion) and had no patience with dummies—traits I’m not crazy about, probably because I know she would think of me as dumb and weak and overly sensitive. I wanted Nora to stay perfect in my mind, and it’s sad that my idol came down an iota of a notch.
About the book title: I wonder why husband is listed third, and is this a pecking order? And if so, is Delia’s husband pissed that he is number 3, only listed in front of the dog? The weird thing is, the husband doesn’t have his own chapter and in fact is mentioned briefly only a few times in the whole book. I kept waiting patiently for an essay about him, but when I got to the cute essay on the dog, I wondered if maybe hubby had slipped to number 4. (In fact, the dog story even came before the mom story, so I was all confused.) I understand that she must want to keep her marriage stuff private, but then why add him to the title? Maybe she just wanted the book title to list everybody important to her, but it didn’t mean her husband would get air time. I don’t know; it still seems strange to me.
As in all collections of essays, I have my favorites. The first chapter (about the loss of Nora) is a knockout, as is her chapter on her mother the alcoholic. I’m also the child of alcoholics and I also had a mom who was cold and mean to me, and I could relate to all of Delia’s experiences. She nailed it—she so well describes the anxiety, the pain, and the psychological terror that drunk parents inflict on their kids, and the permanent scars that remain on their psyches.
On a lighter note, there’s a super funny essay on the baby boomer’s relationship to computer upgrades, remotes, Facebook, and Microsoft Word, with an entertaining detour about “Law & Order,” which she manages somehow to tie into the theme of upgrades. I can so relate. I couldn’t stop laughing. I loved this comment:
“Baby boomers cannot keep learning new things, stuffing new information into their overcrowded brains We’re already passing out from it. We’re being upgraded into obsolescence.”
The last essay, about how she collaborated on screenwriting projects with Nora, contained a lot of details about the movie business and although interesting, it went on too long and was a little too esoteric. More like straight reporting: not enough funny and not enough insights.
The only essay I disliked was the one on New York bakeries. She name-dropped all the cool bakeries, and listed her favorite pastries from each. I’m sure New Yorkers will love this essay, but for me it was super boring. Luckily it was the only essay I could have done without.
This book deserves a 5, absolutely. But be warned, you’ll want to keep your highlighter handy. This book isn’t just touching, lively, and funny, it’s wise.
July 26, 2013
The name Ephron conjures up a pioneering woman, a journalist, a writer, a director.
In "Sister Mother Husband Dog" by Delia Ephron we get to see Nora Ephron as a little more than that – a sibling, a creator. But the book is not about Delia's older sister, only parts of it are. The book opens and closes with her relationship and collaboration with Nora, the best parts of the book.
Nora Ephron died in June of 2012, and Delia’s pain is still raw and real. For anyone that has lost someone close, Delia’s feelings resonate. Anger. Denial. Sadness.
Losing someone is hard. And like many writers, Delia put it down in words.
However, not all of the essays are as impactful.
Some of the essays are quick hits such as the section “The Banks Taketh.” The essay involves a poor customer service experience at a bank and then a (silly) plan to make more money.
Sometimes, we’re better off not knowing all of the thoughts in your head.
One of the more interesting essays is “Am I Jewish Enough?” This is a meatier section that touches on the topic of religion and Delia’s faith. I enjoyed it because it not only touches on a topic that many people struggle with, but I felt like it was the first time I got to think of Delia as herself and not Nora’s sister.
Unfortunately, I got the feeling Delia was often just a rich, spoiled kid from Beverly Hills. At times, not relatable.
After 178 pages, we finally get to see a vulnerable side to Delia, which is what you want to get out of a memoir. Telling us about bakeries and customer service problems doesn’t really get into who a person really is. But the depth and confusion involving her relationship with her mother brings her to a more human level. Still, it appears she has not come to terms with those issues.
This isn’t the girl who grew up in Beverly Hills anymore – she could have grown up anywhere dealing with an alcoholic parent.
Not all the essays were worth the time to read. The deeper – and sometimes darker – ones, however, were interesting. But overall, I didn’t enjoy it and struggled to get through the middle sections.
(Note: I got a chance to read the book early through Penguin's First to Read site)
In "Sister Mother Husband Dog" by Delia Ephron we get to see Nora Ephron as a little more than that – a sibling, a creator. But the book is not about Delia's older sister, only parts of it are. The book opens and closes with her relationship and collaboration with Nora, the best parts of the book.
Nora Ephron died in June of 2012, and Delia’s pain is still raw and real. For anyone that has lost someone close, Delia’s feelings resonate. Anger. Denial. Sadness.
Losing someone is hard. And like many writers, Delia put it down in words.
However, not all of the essays are as impactful.
Some of the essays are quick hits such as the section “The Banks Taketh.” The essay involves a poor customer service experience at a bank and then a (silly) plan to make more money.
Sometimes, we’re better off not knowing all of the thoughts in your head.
One of the more interesting essays is “Am I Jewish Enough?” This is a meatier section that touches on the topic of religion and Delia’s faith. I enjoyed it because it not only touches on a topic that many people struggle with, but I felt like it was the first time I got to think of Delia as herself and not Nora’s sister.
Unfortunately, I got the feeling Delia was often just a rich, spoiled kid from Beverly Hills. At times, not relatable.
After 178 pages, we finally get to see a vulnerable side to Delia, which is what you want to get out of a memoir. Telling us about bakeries and customer service problems doesn’t really get into who a person really is. But the depth and confusion involving her relationship with her mother brings her to a more human level. Still, it appears she has not come to terms with those issues.
This isn’t the girl who grew up in Beverly Hills anymore – she could have grown up anywhere dealing with an alcoholic parent.
Not all the essays were worth the time to read. The deeper – and sometimes darker – ones, however, were interesting. But overall, I didn’t enjoy it and struggled to get through the middle sections.
(Note: I got a chance to read the book early through Penguin's First to Read site)
September 27, 2020
Oh I LOVED this collection of essays so much. I wish this was 10x as long. I could listen to Delia talk into the next lifetime.
Beautiful reflections on her beloved, passed sister, her complicated relationship with her alcoholic parents, and her journey in writing. I have never wished for a sister — once as a child, my slightly older cousin stayed with us for a summer and I remember feeling like she wanted to conquer and direct my every move. I recall running out of a backyard drawing session, crying because she wouldn’t let me color what I had wanted to.
Alas, I would have loved to have a sister like Delia. Wise, thoughtful, observant, witty, funny, playful, sensible. Not afraid to wander and discuss trivial matters and memories that actually make us feel more connected and intimate with the writer.
For now, I will read and watch the stories she recommended. Movies: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Radio Days, An Unmarried Women, This Is My Life, The Shop Around The Corner. Books: Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Flipped, This Is Your Life.
Beautiful reflections on her beloved, passed sister, her complicated relationship with her alcoholic parents, and her journey in writing. I have never wished for a sister — once as a child, my slightly older cousin stayed with us for a summer and I remember feeling like she wanted to conquer and direct my every move. I recall running out of a backyard drawing session, crying because she wouldn’t let me color what I had wanted to.
Alas, I would have loved to have a sister like Delia. Wise, thoughtful, observant, witty, funny, playful, sensible. Not afraid to wander and discuss trivial matters and memories that actually make us feel more connected and intimate with the writer.
For now, I will read and watch the stories she recommended. Movies: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Radio Days, An Unmarried Women, This Is My Life, The Shop Around The Corner. Books: Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Flipped, This Is Your Life.
February 27, 2015
Delia is not as funny as Norah, but she knows that and compensates in other ways. Her first essay about the death of Norah and how much she misses her is really wonderful, and a later one about her alcoholic mother is almost painful to read. In between there's a very funny piece about the horror of computer and phone upgrades. The others are just okay.
January 13, 2014
Delia opens the book with the death of her sister but unlike other memoirs of loss, she reports on the loss but you don't feel it. This whole book is a collection of essays that go down like confections - light, tasty, enjoyable in the moment and ulimately, not filling but well-written for what they are. There is some reporting of what it was like to grow up in such a dysfuctional family but she doesn't take us under the surface but that is her style and she doesn't veer from it. Weird that a book that covers alcoholic mothers, philandering fathers, husbands with cancer and the death of one's sister can feel like reading a magazine. 2 stars for depth, more stars for just the pleasure of sitting in the movies eating popcorn.
May 13, 2015
I closed my review of I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman with the following, which seems a good opener for this review:
P.S.
I do not recommend following I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman with this book. Delia starts out with the Nora's end days. I've been crying in the car for two drives, now. It's been hard to go from Nora talking about death, losing her BFF and wondering who was next - and now I know she knew she was sick when she wrote that - to Delia talking about how her sister's death impacted her, both during and after and even still, I am sure. OMG, it just hurts. And it's scary. I have a sister. We don't collaborate on books, we're not famous, but I can't lose her and this part of the book is terrifying to me because I don't want to think about the surviving sister syndrome. And it's sad. So I don't recommend it as a chaser.
Despite that, I am thankful that my brain works the way it does and made me listen to the two, one after another. They're wonderful bookends for each other.
I find I like the Ephrons, at least these particular two. My family was so different yet so similar. We're not Jewish...hell, we're not even religious!...and we're not in the entertainment industry and we don't all have the same career and we don't have money. But I understand the dynamics of a dysfunctional family - we didn't deal with alcohol so much as cocaine and abuse and who knows what else and we only had one parent down, not both - of having resentment toward our mother, of having to love and battle with three other siblings. While the Ephrons were not like my family, there was still so much I understood.
I really enjoyed listening to this and I think I'm going to buy these two books for my sister and make her read them in the same order I did.
I hope she also cries.
P.S.
I do not recommend following I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman with this book. Delia starts out with the Nora's end days. I've been crying in the car for two drives, now. It's been hard to go from Nora talking about death, losing her BFF and wondering who was next - and now I know she knew she was sick when she wrote that - to Delia talking about how her sister's death impacted her, both during and after and even still, I am sure. OMG, it just hurts. And it's scary. I have a sister. We don't collaborate on books, we're not famous, but I can't lose her and this part of the book is terrifying to me because I don't want to think about the surviving sister syndrome. And it's sad. So I don't recommend it as a chaser.
Despite that, I am thankful that my brain works the way it does and made me listen to the two, one after another. They're wonderful bookends for each other.
I find I like the Ephrons, at least these particular two. My family was so different yet so similar. We're not Jewish...hell, we're not even religious!...and we're not in the entertainment industry and we don't all have the same career and we don't have money. But I understand the dynamics of a dysfunctional family - we didn't deal with alcohol so much as cocaine and abuse and who knows what else and we only had one parent down, not both - of having resentment toward our mother, of having to love and battle with three other siblings. While the Ephrons were not like my family, there was still so much I understood.
I really enjoyed listening to this and I think I'm going to buy these two books for my sister and make her read them in the same order I did.
I hope she also cries.
July 8, 2019
As with many essay collections, some of those in Sister Mother Husband Dog: (Etc.) spoke to me more than others. My favorites were "Losing Nora" and "Bakeries."
It was painful to read about their mother's alcoholism.
Delia's writing style isn't quite stream-of-consciousness, but it was a bit meandering for my taste. I do like her voice enough to be curious about her fiction writing.
It was painful to read about their mother's alcoholism.
Delia's writing style isn't quite stream-of-consciousness, but it was a bit meandering for my taste. I do like her voice enough to be curious about her fiction writing.
December 18, 2023
Nice book of essays - wasn’t life changing but nice read
May 10, 2019
Delia Ephrom ruminates about the death of her sister, her dog's infirmaties, screenwriting, and her family. She's at her best when talking about her sister, Nora, and dealing with the loss of her death. When she inserts a humorous essay, it seems like she's trying too hard. She is never going to be Nora Ephron.
February 14, 2014
collection of essays by screenwriter/novelist/playwright whose famous sister, and sometime collaborator, Nora died a year or so ago. Extremely uneven. Long piece about growing up with an alcohol dependent mother was heartbreaking, whereas the stuff about things you've ordered online being sent to the wrong address, unreasonable bank fees, effects of bad weather on her hair, or software upgrades that add complexity without corresponding benefit could have been cut.
I was not surprised to read that she really loved Seinfeld. There's a lot of that observational humor that Seinfeld unleashed on the culture. In the right hands (incl. Seinfeld's IMO) this stuff is hilarious, but otherwise it can be awfully boring. Get a load of how fat I would be if I ate everything that smells so terrific in the bakery......men don't get how important shoes are, amirite? My dog is just the greatest; it's as if she's thinking.........[zzzzzzzzzz]
"I'm planning to give up worrying. I want to, but I'm worried I won't be able to" Come on, Delia, you're better than that. It's not that she needs a profound subject like her ambivalence and resentment toward her mother -- the piece about how screenwriters are treated in moviemaking was informative and vivid; the one about having her website name-jacked by a company and having to sue to get it back was pretty funny, etc. But on balance too much weak stuff in this collection.
I was not surprised to read that she really loved Seinfeld. There's a lot of that observational humor that Seinfeld unleashed on the culture. In the right hands (incl. Seinfeld's IMO) this stuff is hilarious, but otherwise it can be awfully boring. Get a load of how fat I would be if I ate everything that smells so terrific in the bakery......men don't get how important shoes are, amirite? My dog is just the greatest; it's as if she's thinking.........[zzzzzzzzzz]
"I'm planning to give up worrying. I want to, but I'm worried I won't be able to" Come on, Delia, you're better than that. It's not that she needs a profound subject like her ambivalence and resentment toward her mother -- the piece about how screenwriters are treated in moviemaking was informative and vivid; the one about having her website name-jacked by a company and having to sue to get it back was pretty funny, etc. But on balance too much weak stuff in this collection.
April 11, 2017
I love Delia Ephron. I wish I could meet her and talk with her, drinking tea, and have her be my best friend. We are so similar. I love the fact that she loves dogs - crazy about them. I cried at her loss of losing her sister. A moving, funny memoir and I recommend for anybody who has a sister. On audiobook this was tops with Meg Ryan (who else but?) narrating.
August 15, 2023
the personification of how it feels to be the middle child.
"Losing Nora" and "Why I Can't Write About My Mother" - 6 out of 5 star writing. so insanely good, it made me want to live inside delia ephron's pen strokes.
"Losing Nora" and "Why I Can't Write About My Mother" - 6 out of 5 star writing. so insanely good, it made me want to live inside delia ephron's pen strokes.
June 24, 2019
I read “Siracusa” a few years back and have been meaning to read more of Ephron’s work since then and then I stumbled upon this collection. Having recently read a collection of essays by an elderly American woman gushing over her cat’s behaviour, I have to confess I grew a little wary when Ephron starts to go on about how much she loves her dog (in the author photo she is posing with her dog) and then when she mentioned the pros of pet psychics, I thought I was in the wrong movie, but thankfully she manages to steer into plenty of other worthwhile subjects.
The first and largest essay is taken up by her older sister Nora, as she describes some of the elements and her feelings about her death from cancer. The stories of her alcoholic mother and cheating, alcoholic father are really sad and illustrates all too well that money will not buy everything. She also opens up about some of her experiences with working in Hollywood and the BS that goes along with that.
Elsewhere it is good to see so called educated Americans doing their bit to uphold that negative stereotype of Americans abroad. Apparently Ephron (and whoever edited this book) seems to think that the places Wales and England are interchangeable?...This was an enjoyable enough read and I certainly learned a thing or two.
November 22, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded up. Such a likable voice. She mentions her age once, 66, but her voice easily sounds like someone in her mid thirties to 40s, and I warmed up to that, as a Tita. It's like stopping for a quick chat with a friend but look at the time it's been a couple of hours and you hadn't realized. I'm not a dog person but I read the whole piece on Honey in its entirety. The one about her mother danced around the topic, weaving in and out the center, and in the end, the little bits added up and you formed the picture in your head, and still felt it in your gut. The one about her sister had me thinking about my own tumultuous relationship with mine.
I did skim through the ones on the bakeries and collaboration, because they were beyond my schema.
Possibly what I didn't like was all the referencing of plays and movies and books I hadn't read or seen. It felt just a little bit name-dropping-y, although I know that was not the intention, just my fault for being so terribly out of the loop.
I did skim through the ones on the bakeries and collaboration, because they were beyond my schema.
Possibly what I didn't like was all the referencing of plays and movies and books I hadn't read or seen. It felt just a little bit name-dropping-y, although I know that was not the intention, just my fault for being so terribly out of the loop.
May 27, 2018
I think this is a lovely collection of personal essays. Delia’s writing is a mix of warmth and humor and insight. There are some essays that are more introspective and meandering (in an intentional way, such as in “Why I Can’t Write About My Mother”), dealing with ideas of identity and the child/parent relationship. And there are others that are funny and simple. I like Delia’s style—she does a good job of clarifying her thoughts while maintaining a connection to the reader.
And she is obsessed with her dog and devotes an entire essay to Honey, so yeah, of course I loved that.
And she is obsessed with her dog and devotes an entire essay to Honey, so yeah, of course I loved that.
Read
July 3, 2022I absolutely loved this. My mom mailed me a copy and I ended up listening to it on audio, narrated by Meg Ryan and ugh. Immerse me in the Ephronverse forever atm good lord does it do my poor stupid body good. Now excuse me while I get back to the work of horrorweeping over the world again in between dunkings into beauty like this book. Thank you mom💪📚
May 11, 2022
loved 'losing nora,' 'am i jewish enough?' and 'bakeries'
August 29, 2023
Highly recommend the audiobook as Meg Ryan narrates.
July 22, 2024
Laughed out loud at many sections. Many essays were random/unnecessary though for a book. I prefer Nora Ephron's essays but this was still a fun read.
November 23, 2024
this inspired me to do some nonfiction writing. i like how casual and personal delia’s voice felt. i wish she had more recognition like her sister!!
October 18, 2022
I am a bit ambivalent about writings by the Ephron sisters in general; maybe if I read their essays pre-pandemic I would feel differently. This is an essay collection that is fairly descriptive in the title - stories about Delia Ephron’s relationships with her sister Nora, her challenging (understatement) mother, husband (the least memorable), dog, and others. While there is humor and warmth there is also this underlying pretentious New York-ness that seems far removed from most people (at least those I know) and not relatable…hence my aforementioned ambivalence.
March 7, 2024
Love the Ephron sisters
October 19, 2013
An enjoyable, thought-provoking and nakedly honest collection of essay's by Delia Ephron, novelist (HANGING UP, THE LION IS IN), screenwriter (SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, YOU'VE GOT MAIL, MICHAEL, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE), humorist (HOW TO EAT LIKE A CHILD), daughetr of screenwriters Henry & Pheobe Ephron (DESK SET, CAROUSEL, THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS) and younger sister of Nora Ephron.
The book is bookened with two essays about her sister Nora. "Losing Nora" begins the book--not only examining and reliving her years-long battle with cancer but also their relationships as sisters.
"Calling chemotherapy chemo is like calling napalm nappy," she writes. "Until the effects of Noa's chemotherapy kicked in, volunteers (sweet teeanger girls who used to be called candy stripers) would show up every day, and, in a sort of inept Mitt Romney-ish way, start a conversation by guessing at our relationship. Are you sisters? Are you twins? Twelve or so days into chemotherapy, a volunteer waled into the room, looked at Nora and then at me, and said, "Is she your mother?" Twelve days on chemotherapy and my sister ofetn mistaken for my twin is mistaken for my mother. That's chemotherapy."
The book ends with another essay about Nora, called "The Collaboration," which is about working with her sister as co-screenwriters on such films as SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, MICHAEL, YOU"VE GOT MAIL, HANGING UP, THIS IS MY LIFE and MIXED NUTS) and their Broadway play, LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE.
There's also a heart-wrending and laser-sharp essay about her alcoholic mother called "Why I Can't Write About My Mother."
"My mother was an alcoholic before anyone knew much about the disease, Before half of everyone is sober and the other half related to someone who is or should be. Before AA appeared to have more members than the Democratic Party. Before AA was a place to network."
Before you fear that SISTER, MOTHER, HUSBAND, DOG is all about death and disease, know that most of the essays are bright, funny and filled with lines you want to read aloud to friends. There are essays on her adorable dog, her fear of having her picture taken, problems with mail orders, trying to master modern technology, a bakery tour of Manhattan and more.
The book is bookened with two essays about her sister Nora. "Losing Nora" begins the book--not only examining and reliving her years-long battle with cancer but also their relationships as sisters.
"Calling chemotherapy chemo is like calling napalm nappy," she writes. "Until the effects of Noa's chemotherapy kicked in, volunteers (sweet teeanger girls who used to be called candy stripers) would show up every day, and, in a sort of inept Mitt Romney-ish way, start a conversation by guessing at our relationship. Are you sisters? Are you twins? Twelve or so days into chemotherapy, a volunteer waled into the room, looked at Nora and then at me, and said, "Is she your mother?" Twelve days on chemotherapy and my sister ofetn mistaken for my twin is mistaken for my mother. That's chemotherapy."
The book ends with another essay about Nora, called "The Collaboration," which is about working with her sister as co-screenwriters on such films as SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, MICHAEL, YOU"VE GOT MAIL, HANGING UP, THIS IS MY LIFE and MIXED NUTS) and their Broadway play, LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE.
There's also a heart-wrending and laser-sharp essay about her alcoholic mother called "Why I Can't Write About My Mother."
"My mother was an alcoholic before anyone knew much about the disease, Before half of everyone is sober and the other half related to someone who is or should be. Before AA appeared to have more members than the Democratic Party. Before AA was a place to network."
Before you fear that SISTER, MOTHER, HUSBAND, DOG is all about death and disease, know that most of the essays are bright, funny and filled with lines you want to read aloud to friends. There are essays on her adorable dog, her fear of having her picture taken, problems with mail orders, trying to master modern technology, a bakery tour of Manhattan and more.
March 2, 2016
Delia Ephron's book of essays were, as all good memoirs should be, an intimate conversation with the reader...what's really going on under the facade of the mundane. As a Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail fanatic (all time favorite comfort movies), I was delighted to receive this book as a First Reads giveaway and get to know the Ephron sisters, Delia and Nora, as more than writer and director. The loss of Nora begins and ends the book. It lingers about each chapter. Since ssays are "insights into my soul," as Kathleen Kelly said so well, how could it be any other way? Yet the sorrow is tempered by humor and remembrances of growing up with alcoholic parents, writing together in their kitchens, and sharing so many thoughts that one could hardly know who said what. As with any memoir, we are always delighted to see ourselves in the pages. Delia gives her dogs many names, she sees the downside of the ease of shopping on-line, she loves bakeries, she grew up with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, she carries with her the words of her mother, she struggles to understand her faith, she crochets. She's found her way through destructive environments, disappointments, pain, and loss. Delia says she has chosen to continue writing books, rather than screen scripts, to be able to "hear her own voice." I'm thankful.
December 20, 2013
Emma Komlos-Hrobsky (Assistant Editor, Tin House Magazine): Sister Mother Husband Dog, Etc., Delia Ephron. One of my favorite books as a kid was Do I Have to Say Hello?, a super-sarcastic manners guide that spoke to my black little elementary school heart. This fall I was trying to track down a copy for my nieces. Imagine my surprise to discover it was written by Delia Ephron, a name lost on 7-year-old me (oh, provincial youth!). It felt serendipitous, then, when I spotted Ephron’s essay collection Sister Mother Husband Dog on my next trip to the bookstore. The wide margins and slight page count of Sister Husband Mother Dog give the impression that Ephron’s publisher was looking for a way to get the collection’s (wonderful) lead essay on Nora Ephron’s death out into the world in a book. But no matter. All of Sister Mother Husband Dog has made me happy in a way no other book has this year; it was the nicest possible treat to find that quippy, perceptive and self-deprecaticing, most-loved voice of my childhood waiting here for me as a still-ill-mannered adult.
February 14, 2014
I would recommend this enjoyable collection of stories to anyone looking for a sort of palate cleanser between heavier reads. Delia Ephron has a great voice – honest, friendly, and thoughtful so that the experience of reading was like listening to a spunky girlfriend of mine dish about this or that. A few stories should have been cut out of the collection altogether (the internet site one and the one about bad hair come to mind), and I agree that the rest of the stories would have benefited with a little more editing. That said, sometimes it’s refreshing to read something clearly straight from the heart and not self-consciously scrubbed and polished. “You Can Have it All...” was my favorite.
November 8, 2014
This was a satisfying little collection of essays to carry around in my Nook for waiting rooms and train rides -- one of those books that's always interesting, has multiple stopping points, and doesn't mind if you ignore it for periods, or play through with other books. I gave it only four stars because I won't be rushing to my friends to say, "You must read this book!" But I did really like it.
The one essay that I will likely go back to and talk to my friends about (in fact already have) is a little gem by the title "Bakeries," which purports to be about her delight in visiting certain New York bakeries, but which also unpacks the question, "Is it possible for a woman to have it all?" . . . and if so, how do you define "all," and where does satisfaction in life really come from?
The one essay that I will likely go back to and talk to my friends about (in fact already have) is a little gem by the title "Bakeries," which purports to be about her delight in visiting certain New York bakeries, but which also unpacks the question, "Is it possible for a woman to have it all?" . . . and if so, how do you define "all," and where does satisfaction in life really come from?
February 4, 2014
Love the Ephron sisters and was so sad when Nora died. Writing these essays had to be very cathartic for Delia as you could feel the raw grief in the essays about Nora. Her admiration and deep love for Nora rang through, although I can't say I appreciated her need to claim "her lines." Why does it matter, especially now? Most of the essays dragged a bit for me, so I would not recommend this book. Although, I am now motivated to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews