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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
I adored this. Shockingly modern, terribly insightful, and often very emotional. If you have ever experienced the trauma of childhood and its lingering power in adulthood, please read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny
I didn’t know much about Jane Fonda except my mom worked out to her videos when I was a kid, and I love the movie 9-5. I knew there was some talk of her being a “traitor” in the 70s.
But wow, the way the media can change the actual story and create their own narrative is scary. I had no idea she was an avid activist most of her life—fighting to end Vietnam and a feminist. I didn’t know she was in control of most of the projects she’s worked on, and how many social justice organizations she’s founded or worked for.
On top of this, I felt that her story was full of vulnerability and acceptance of choices she would make differently now, mistakes she made, and how she’s trying to learn from them. Never have I read of a parental relationship so similar to my own with my mother than hers with her dad, Henry Fonda. She talks of forgiveness and what that means, how to get there, and I felt there was so much I could learn from her own story.
Beautiful and enlightening book
But wow, the way the media can change the actual story and create their own narrative is scary. I had no idea she was an avid activist most of her life—fighting to end Vietnam and a feminist. I didn’t know she was in control of most of the projects she’s worked on, and how many social justice organizations she’s founded or worked for.
On top of this, I felt that her story was full of vulnerability and acceptance of choices she would make differently now, mistakes she made, and how she’s trying to learn from them. Never have I read of a parental relationship so similar to my own with my mother than hers with her dad, Henry Fonda. She talks of forgiveness and what that means, how to get there, and I felt there was so much I could learn from her own story.
Beautiful and enlightening book
This memoir is so brilliant. More than memoir it is the examination of one woman’s life through feminism, war, family, fame, & marriage - & how her life fits into a broader cultural context. It could be 5 stars.
To read my full review, click here: https://artinyourworld.com/2020/07/28/my-life-so-far-by-jane-fonda/
The journey of self-discovery is long and never-ending. And as we all rush to uncover more about ourselves and discover more about this world during quarantine, Jane Fonda’s memoir is a reminder of the extent of such a process. It is lifelong.
And it is honest. Being honest and harsh are nearly synonymous within these discoveries. Something Fonda learned and adapted in her journey. My point in this review is to not reveal too many of the intimate details or discoveries she makes, what moments she had and ideas she had to grapple with, while praising how she nearly examined herself into lists of facts and myths.
The journey of self-discovery is long and never-ending. And as we all rush to uncover more about ourselves and discover more about this world during quarantine, Jane Fonda’s memoir is a reminder of the extent of such a process. It is lifelong.
And it is honest. Being honest and harsh are nearly synonymous within these discoveries. Something Fonda learned and adapted in her journey. My point in this review is to not reveal too many of the intimate details or discoveries she makes, what moments she had and ideas she had to grapple with, while praising how she nearly examined herself into lists of facts and myths.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A surprising book. I knew a little bit about Jane Fonda when I started listening to the audiobook so I had a lot to learn. It's always nice to dismantle pre-conceived notions you have of who you think someone is based on the tiny sliver you see of them via media.
The most interesting parts of the book, for me, were when she talked about her activist experiences, particularly when talking to veterans. The Waterbury story was really interesting.
I found that the last 10 minutes of the audiobook, which Fonda read, thank goodness, were really insightful and I wish she had written more. Of course, it may be that at that time in her life, she was starting a new chapter and maybe that will continue in another book!
It's fascinating to me that someone who had such a strong voice in her career, acting roles and activism could shrink so much in her personal life. But I do think that's common so I wasn't surprised per see. I was intrigued and wanted to know more about her life after her relationship with Ted Turner was over. I could have listened to many more chapters on that and on Fonda herself and what she learned. I want to know more about how she found her voice and how she used it.
I'm really glad I read this book. I often wished I had a hard copy so I could underline certain poignant passages, especially toward the end of the book, when Fonda briefly touched upon patriarchy, gender roles and feminism.
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TW: Sexual assault, one brief mention of animal abuse, wartime violence, trauma in childhoods.
The most interesting parts of the book, for me, were when she talked about her activist experiences, particularly when talking to veterans. The Waterbury story was really interesting.
I found that the last 10 minutes of the audiobook, which Fonda read, thank goodness, were really insightful and I wish she had written more. Of course, it may be that at that time in her life, she was starting a new chapter and maybe that will continue in another book!
It's fascinating to me that someone who had such a strong voice in her career, acting roles and activism could shrink so much in her personal life. But I do think that's common so I wasn't surprised per see. I was intrigued and wanted to know more about her life after her relationship with Ted Turner was over. I could have listened to many more chapters on that and on Fonda herself and what she learned. I want to know more about how she found her voice and how she used it.
I'm really glad I read this book. I often wished I had a hard copy so I could underline certain poignant passages, especially toward the end of the book, when Fonda briefly touched upon patriarchy, gender roles and feminism.
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TW: Sexual assault, one brief mention of animal abuse, wartime violence, trauma in childhoods.
Slowly but surely, I have finally finished what feels like the longest memoir ever! I am a big Jane Fonda fan - still hoping that one say she’ll make a book club! This was an enjoyable read, but not flawless. It is over 600 pages, divided into the phases of her life, and yet it was not always chronological which made it a bit confusing at points. I really enjoyed the first half of the memoir, but there seemed to be a shift in the second half. This became most obvious once her partnership with Ted Turner was being discussed, it was just extremely disjointed. A part of this is that it became much more noticeable that she was excessively self-analytical. While I understand that she has come to realize a lot of the reasons behind failed relationships or lack of fulfillment, there are less textbook-like explanations she could have used. It felt like it was directly from a therapists mouth. Furthermore, when she talked about some issues in the latter half she would end up reciting what felt like a UN informational packet to try and bring up certain issues and information. This is also information from around 15 years ago, and at times was noticeably dated. This was often the cause of the disjointedness in the latter half of the work and made for awkward stretches where I wasn’t as invested in the story. Having said that, I still have a lot of respect for Jane Fonda and the crazy life she has led, and the vulnerability that she approached this with was quite shocking. My favorite part was learning about how she became involved in activism, how it drove a lot of substantial choices in her life, and how much was going on outside of the spotlight. Also, her clear passion for films and how she analyzed the different aspects of filmmaking and her experience in the industry. There are still a lot of positives I have taken away from this work and it has now made me want to work my way through all of her films!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced