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Liked It3 of 3 members found this review helpful “I had no pre-existing interest or affinity for Jane Fonda (other than seeing a couple of her movies and owning a few of her workout tapes! - Go for the burn!) when I started this book. In fact, I got it as a gift and I wasn't sure if I would ever read it. I'm very glad I did. |
Didn’t Like It “The only reason I read this book is because I heard that Jane had become a Christian. I wanted to read about the transformation myself. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of one. I got know a very pompous woman who I wouldn't even want to sit next to at a dinner party. Very bizarre at times too....” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This has to be one of the most exhausting books I have ever read. Covering six decades of her life, Jane Fonda has done a tremendous amount of dissection, maybe more than can be adequately covered, making this memoir very personal, maybe too much for some tastes. Strongly feminist in its perspective, her analysis of her life will provoke a lot of different responses from both sexes; at times I feel that she is a little unfair to men. There is much there for discussion.
Sharmila wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Belonging to a dynasty of actors, not only can she talk about that life, she can talk about so many other projects and interests. People, mainly women, will read this book for a diverse range of reasons.
I will talk about one theme: her family life interested me; she speaks of her father, Henry Fonda's emotional withdrawal and how this moulded their father and daughter relationship. She tells the story of when they acted as father and daughter in 'On Golden Pond'. She speaks touchingly about her father; showing compassion and empathy for him. Each stage of their relationship, up to the point of his terminal illness, in which she nurses him, is explained very interestingly.”
“What an amazing book. Whether you like Jane Fonda or not, I think you'll appreciate her candor and honesty when sharing her life. I actually listened to this book on CD with Jane reading her own words. That was amazing in itself because the added inflection and emotion throughout made it seem as if Jane was sharing her life personally with me.
Robert H wrote this review Thursday, November 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I respect Jane for what she wrote in this book. I think she's as honest as a person can be who is trying to truly reflect on what happened in her life, from her perspective. She definitely doesn't shy away from the unpleasant things that happened to her or that she did. You gotta respect that, right?
Jane has studied a lot of psychology and she incorporates that throughout the book. Some might see that as preachy or tiresome, but I thought it was appropriate, given that the premise of the book is about self-discovery and self-awareness.
Give Jane's book a read--or, if you have access to the book on CD--give her a listen. I think you'll be glad you did.”
“Learned a lot about this woman that i never knew before. Very interesting life. She's open to the bone about her life and I don't sense a hint of holding back on being truthful. Some of what she shared I dare say most would not have been so bold as to share. It got a four on my rating because the writing could be a bit hard to follow at times. Very different style. But, if she wrote it herself and not a ghost writer I applaud her efforts and appreciate her style being uniquely hers.”
Theresa Jane S wrote this review Wednesday, November 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Whatever you think of her, you have to admit that she's lead a pretty fascinating life. She is clearly someone who thinks about her life as she is experiencing it - nothing is left unexamined and she is pretty unsparing of herself at times. The "I am in my third act" schtick can get a little wearisome at times and I don't need to keep hearing about her woo-woo, thank you very much. Nevertheless, she still remains one of the most compelling women of our times.”
Cary T wrote this review Sunday, October 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It took me awhile but I really enjoyed. I remember so much of the times she spoke of.”
valryhart wrote this review Monday, July 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The only reason I read this book is because I heard that Jane had become a Christian. I wanted to read about the transformation myself. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of one. I got know a very pompous woman who I wouldn't even want to sit next to at a dinner party. Very bizarre at times too. Did she ever actually accept Christ? Who knows; but it's not up for me to judge. That's between her and God.”
Lauren P wrote this review Saturday, September 6 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A truly great book, both well written and personal.”
Mara Jade wrote this review Thursday, June 19 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is one of the best-ever show biz autobiographies I've ever read. Ms. Fonda has delivered her readers a real treat -- a thorough retelling of her already familiar story with wit, pathos and a real desire to get to the truth and share them with her readers. If life is a journey, she's taken a hell of a trip and it's to her credit that she pushes on and continues to fight the good fight. She doesn't skirt around the controversy or try to shirk away her actions or culpability for any mistakes she made. She confronts it all -- head-on without fear or denial. She's to be commended for her honesty and for her uniquely American life and the truth she's pursued relentlessly all these years. Many people are still mad about Vietnam (and but for her moment in the gun turret, wasn't she right about the whole sad affair?) but those are the same folks who think we're doing right by Iraq right now, so there's no winning that crowd over. They'll simply stay mad forever, even though she's the one who really shows her love for this country by trying to make it better and to hold its leaders accountable to the people who give them their power. She's a remarkable human being and she can be extremely proud of this book. Amazon”
Mizoleila wrote this review Saturday, March 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was a very interesting autobiography of Jane Fonda’s life, written solely by her and I was so impressed with her writing style and how articulate she was. What an interesting life she had, with Henry Fonda as her father and her marriages to Vadim, Hayden and Ted Turner. The reoccurring theme was how strong she was in her radical politics, in her fitness company, in her films, but how weak she was regarding personal relationships. I could relate to how she would transform herself to what her husband wanted. I still don’t know, for the life of me, why she married a man like Ted Turner. He is someone I never had much respect for (other then in a business sense) and my respect for him eroded even further when hearing about how needy and scared he was of being alone (which is why he always had a woman in the wings at the first scent he smelled that his current relationship might fail). Ick. She has come through it all and learned much in her lifetime. She is now strong, helps young woman become strong in who they are and in the things she felt she was lacking as a young woman herself. She started exploring the Christian faith as a means to awaken her spirituality which was always lacking in her life and is ready for Act III of her life. She looks fantastic as she nears age 70. You wouldn’t think she was any older then her 50’s honestly. Though many hate her for her politics, and she admits she was naïve and overzealous during that time years ago, I admire her courage in trying to do something to make a change at that time and for trying to tell the truth about Nixon, for learning from many lessons in her life and for writing such an interesting book. ”
Autumnseer wrote this review Saturday, March 22 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
