A Summer Quartet of Memoirs

Two summers ago, I was on a memoir/autobiography kick.  On a visit to my public library, I came away with 5 memoirs.  Here are the reviews:

Review from Friday Fuhgettaboutit.

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1997
Length:  384 pages
ISBN:  9780553763348
Genre:  Autobiography

Start Date:  Summer 2009
Finished Date:  Summer 2009

Where Found:  Public library
Why Read:  I was on a memoir kick that summer and was interested in reading about the making of Rosemary’s Baby and her tangled relationship with Woody Allen. Her recent work (post-memoir) with UNICEF in Darfur is inspiring and I wanted to see the inspiration that came prior to her advocacy work.

Summary:  A gently but firmly written memoir by actress Mia Farrow about the influence of her famous parents, her marriages to Andre Previn, Frank Sinatra, and Woody Allen, her work on Rosemary’s Baby, 13 movies with Allen, her large adopted family, and the controversy surrounding Allen’s relationship with her adopted daughter.

Review:

Mia Farrow writes as she acts—she is like a willow wisp with a gentle, breezy voice that gives her license to play sweet, unassuming, sometimes shallow characters. I was not sure how I would find this memoir, but it surprised me.

What Falls Away reads naturally, smoothly, like a candid conversation with a new friend, without coming off as showy or whiny. She has fond memories while being unafraid of exploring her darkest moments with just as much candor, demonstrating fascinating hindsight on her childhood as the daughter of director John Farrow and actress Maureen O’Sullivan, experiences filming her most recognized movies, and a trilogy of polar opposite relationships with composer Andre Previn, legendary singer Frank Sinatra, and nebbish actor/director Woody Allen.

I try to measure how much impact a memoir can have for a reader who is not familiar with the author. In other words, is the memoir worth reading if you have no background knowledge of its subject? In this case, I would recommend reading the book even if you are unfamiliar with Mia Farrow; however, the book is likely more relatable to readers who are fans or have some idea of her public image.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommended (especially for fans)

 

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Published:  2005
Length:  624 pages
ISBN:  9780375507106
Genre:  Autobiography

Start Date:  Summer 2009
Finished Date:  Summer 2009

Where Found:  Public library
Why Read:  Though I haven’t been a big follower of her movies, I heard she wrote her memoir with grace & humility, so on a memoir-reading kick, I picked this one up.

Summary:  Actress Jane Fonda’s look back at her childhood in Connecticut, her tumultuous relationship with her father, training at the Actors Studio, “Hanoi Jane” controversy, stellar film career, and advocacy.

Review:

Outspoken politically, socially, and cinematically, Jane Fonda is a figure of strength and feminism in Hollywood, a task that did not begin with her, but was all the better because of her.  She writes thoroughly, steadfastly, without apology, of her life chronologically, beginning with her charmed childhood as the daughter of actor Henry Fonda and tragic socialite Frances Brokaw whose suicide was kept secret from Jane and her brother Peter (also an actor) until it was discovered in a magazine.  An unfortunate struggle with self image fuelled by battles with bulimia and lack of emotional support from her father gave way to acting on stage and soon film.

Nearly every film she made from 1960-1989 is referenced, her most memorable given deserved attention, incuding the comic western Cat Ballou, bizarre Barbarella, noirish mystery Klute, homefront Vietnam War romantic protest Coming Home, brilliant Three Mile Island foreseer The China Syndrome, cutesy working woman comedy 9 to 5, and the Fonda family swan song On Golden Pond.  Enjoyable anecdotes are interwoven with personal journies and grievances, the most controversial being her infamous "Hanoi Jane" photos that led to accusations of unpatriotic treason.

A good autobiography represents the whole picture, warts and all.  Fonda does just that, absent from the sleazy tell-alls and empty-headed moneymakers that seem to crowd the biography shelves of bookstores.  One catch I did notice with My Life So Far is Fonda's unwillingness to take responsibility or blame for incidents in which it would have been simpler and perhaps more conclusive to do so instead of twisting the situation around to place it on others' shoulders.  But no bother--My Life So Far is one of the most insightful, thorough, and strongly written autobiographies I've read.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Recommend




Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

 Published:  1998
Length:  512 pages
ISBN:  9780786884377
Genre:  Autobiography

Start Date: Summer 2009
Finished Date:  Summer 2009

Where Found:  Public library
Why Read:  As a companion to My Life So Far by Jane Fonda; I was on a memoir kick that summer!

Summary:  Actor and countercultural icon Peter Fonda’s startlingly frank memoir about a near fatal childhood accident, an unfulfilled relationship with father Henry Fonda, the making of Easy Rider, and a number of eye-opening, LSD experiences that build awareness of addiction and detrimental effects of drug use.

Review:

Peter Fonda's autobiography is somewhat forgettable and not as well-written as sister Jane’s memoir, nor as plentiful in experiences to share, especially if you compare their careers.  He needed a more diligent editor—too many stories of drug-induced hallucinations and way too many longwinded pages about his boat.  These two subjects represent a large majority of the book.  He makes an underscored mention of Ulee’s Gold and unfortunately the book was published before the underrated brilliance of The Limey.

Rank:  (C)- Just Okay

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Published:  2005
Length:  272 pages
ISBN:  9780312337070
Genre:  Memoir
 
Start Date:  Summer 2009
Finished Date:  Summer 2009
 
Where Found:  Public library
Why Read:  I was mesmerized with Willy Wonka as a child and found Gene Wilder to be a hilarious talent in Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, but also somewhat of a mysterious person.
 
Summary:  A dry-witted, often hilarious, and deeply touching memoir by actor Gene Wilder that accounts for his ability to entertain from the time of his mother’s illness, his early stage work, collaborations with Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, the iconic role of Willy Wonka, and his tender relationship with Gilda Radner.
 
Review:
 
I have never read a memoir as funny, tender, or beautifully written as Gene Wilder’s Kiss Me Like a Stranger.  He writes as mysteriously as he acts with self-depracating humour and a great appreciation for friendships acquired during his 30+ year career.  His beautiful relationship with Gilda Radner is portrayed with humility and humour.  A picture of them together towards the end of her life in the book was the sweetest, most touching display of love I've ever seen.  Simply put, you must read this book, even if you haven't a clue who Gene Wilder is.
 
Rank:  (A+)- Highly recommended for fans & for everyone