I know there are a lot of buzzy celebrity memoirs coming out right now, but people should not be sleeping on this one! "Being Henry" by Henry Winkler is a warm hug of a memoir, introducing you properly to the man behind the characters. Winkler is a figure that many people think they know and understand, but this is a memoir with a lot of depth. It is a true retrospective on fame and the struggles of being an actor after landing the big role.
The writing itself was the most familiar part of the reading experience for me. I hope Winkler narrated the audiobook himself, because hearing his distinctive voice in my head as I read this greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the experience.
A lot of people will assume that Winkler's life was smooth sailing, but they will discover a number of challenges that he had to overcome from a young age and into adulthood, even past his time as the Fonz. His descriptions of how hard he worked on developing his craft and how willing he was to change to get work and grow as an actor will surprise some.
Without spoiling too much, I will also say that this is not a vanilla accounting of his life. Some light drug use is mentioned, as well as descriptions of his various romantic relationships over the years. The story of meeting his wife was a personal favorite of this reader.
In summary, he is not a perfect man, but this memoir isn't going to change the mind of anyone who already finds him charming. It will be a great nostalgia read for those who watched him growing up and an interesting introduction for those who are only getting to know his body of work now.
The writing itself was the most familiar part of the reading experience for me. I hope Winkler narrated the audiobook himself, because hearing his distinctive voice in my head as I read this greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the experience.
A lot of people will assume that Winkler's life was smooth sailing, but they will discover a number of challenges that he had to overcome from a young age and into adulthood, even past his time as the Fonz. His descriptions of how hard he worked on developing his craft and how willing he was to change to get work and grow as an actor will surprise some.
Without spoiling too much, I will also say that this is not a vanilla accounting of his life. Some light drug use is mentioned, as well as descriptions of his various romantic relationships over the years. The story of meeting his wife was a personal favorite of this reader.
In summary, he is not a perfect man, but this memoir isn't going to change the mind of anyone who already finds him charming. It will be a great nostalgia read for those who watched him growing up and an interesting introduction for those who are only getting to know his body of work now.