TLC Book Tours Book Review: I'll Have What She's Having

About I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Hachette Books (August 29, 2017)

A backstage look at the making of Nora Ephron’s revered trilogy–When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle–which brought romantic comedies back to the fore, and an intimate portrait of the beloved writer/director who inspired a generation of Hollywood women, from Mindy Kaling to Lena Dunham.

In I’ll Have What She’s Having entertainment journalist Erin Carlson tells the story of the real Nora Ephron and how she reinvented the romcom through her trio of instant classics. With a cast of famous faces including Reiner, Hanks, Ryan, and Crystal, Carlson takes readers on a rollicking, revelatory trip to Ephron’s New York City, where reality took a backseat to romance and Ephron–who always knew what she wanted and how she wanted it–ruled the set with an attention to detail that made her actors feel safe but sometimes exasperated crew members.

Along the way, Carlson examines how Ephron explored in the cinema answers to the questions that plagued her own romantic life and how she regained faith in love after one broken engagement and two failed marriages. Carlson also explores countless other questions Ephron’s fans have wondered about: What sparked Reiner to snap out of his bachelor blues during the making of When Harry Met Sally? Why was Ryan, a gifted comedian trapped in the body of a fairytale princess, not the first choice for the role? After she and Hanks each separately balked at playing Mail’s Kathleen Kelly and Sleepless‘ Sam Baldwin, what changed their minds? And perhaps most importantly: What was Dave Chappelle doing … in a turtleneck? An intimate portrait of a one of America’s most iconic filmmakers and a look behind the scenes of her crowning achievements, I’ll Have What She’s Having is a vivid account of the days and nights when Ephron, along with assorted cynical collaborators, learned to show her heart on the screen.

“[Erin Carlson] offers a breezy, detailed rehearsal of three successful romantic comedies from the 1980s and ’90s…. A large bag of buttery popcorn that goes down oh so pleasantly.”—Kirkus Reviews

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Review:  If you are a fan of Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally, you'll want to read this book.

I don't usually venture much out of fiction, unless its something special about someone I truly love, but Nora Ephron is such a well known name that I had to give this a go and I'm glad I did.

It isn't a tell all type biography, but a light easy to read book that sometimes felt like you were reading a novel. At times it doesn't even feel like a bio of Nora's but more like a bio of her movies, because you get little bits and pieces of the actors and actresses in her films as well, particularly Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

The book revolves around the making of Ephron's three iconic romcoms. I have to admit, I've never seen any of them in their entirety, but I've seen parts of each. The only film of Ephron's that I did see was her last, Julie/Julia, which was fabulous.

This book gives you a little insight into film making and some of the dramas that happen in the process.

If, like me, you haven't watched these films, by the end of the book you'll want to, along with some of the films that inspired them and Ephron.

Rating: 4 flowers

About Erin Carlson

Erin Carlson has covered the entertainment industry for The Hollywood Reporter and AP. Her work has appeared in Glamour, Fortune, and the LA Times. She compiled and wrote an oral history of You’ve Got Mail for Vanity Fair. She holds a masters in magazine journalism from Northwestern, and has been profiled in the New York Times.

Follow Erin on Twitter.