Super Short Summary

In the fifteen essays collected in I Feel Bad About My Neck, American author and filmmaker Nora Ephron explores various themes through the lens of a woman aging in twenty-first-century America. With wit and candor, she examines topics ranging from beauty maintenance and biological changes to evolving relationships and the nature of life and death. In the title essay, Ephron focuses on aging necks, discussing the inevitability of physical aging and society's beauty standards. In "I Hate My Purse," she humorously addresses the frustrations of managing a purse, while "On Maintenance" details the extensive beauty rituals older women often undertake. Essays like "The Lost Strudel or Le Strudel Perdu" delve into personal quests and nostalgia, while "Consider the Alternative" tackles the subject of mortality and self-acceptance. Ephron's reflections, including her accomplishments and memories, ultimately celebrate the complexities and experiences of growing older, offering a tribute to her unique voice and legacy.