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The Man Who Saw a Ghost: The Life and Work of Henry Fonda
The first major biography of the iconic actor Henry Fonda, a story of stardom, manhood, and the American character.
Henry Fonda's performances--in The Grapes of Wrath , Young Mr. Lincoln , The Lady Eve, 1 2 Angry Men , On Golden Pond-- helped define "American" in the twentieth century. He worked with movie masters from Ford and Sturges to Hitchcock and Leone. He was a Broadway legend. He fought in World War II and was loved the world over.
Yet much of his life was rage and struggle. Why did Fonda marry five times--tempestuously to actress Margaret Sullavan, tragically to heiress Frances Brokaw, mother of Jane and Peter? Was he a man of integrity, worthy of the heroes he played, or the harsh father his children describe, the iceman who went onstage hours after his wife killed herself? Why did suicide shadow his life and art? What memories troubled him so?
McKinney's Fonda is dark, complex, fascinating, and a product of glamour and acclaim, early losses and Midwestern demons--a man haunted by what he'd seen, and by who he was.
Henry Fonda's performances--in The Grapes of Wrath , Young Mr. Lincoln , The Lady Eve, 1 2 Angry Men , On Golden Pond-- helped define "American" in the twentieth century. He worked with movie masters from Ford and Sturges to Hitchcock and Leone. He was a Broadway legend. He fought in World War II and was loved the world over.
Yet much of his life was rage and struggle. Why did Fonda marry five times--tempestuously to actress Margaret Sullavan, tragically to heiress Frances Brokaw, mother of Jane and Peter? Was he a man of integrity, worthy of the heroes he played, or the harsh father his children describe, the iceman who went onstage hours after his wife killed herself? Why did suicide shadow his life and art? What memories troubled him so?
McKinney's Fonda is dark, complex, fascinating, and a product of glamour and acclaim, early losses and Midwestern demons--a man haunted by what he'd seen, and by who he was.
428 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
9 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 26, 2013
Pretentious in the extreme...some interesting information about a fascinating subject buried so deep in blowhard rhetoric spewed by an obnoxious author it's almost not worth retrieving. I almost put this one down after the first chapter but stuck it out to the end. Still trying to decide if I made the right decision.
June 3, 2015
Added 4/25/15. Audio version, unabridged.
Narrator: Joe Barrett
It's pretty depressing. So is the narrator's delivery! I intend to read the GR reviews soon to see if any of them agree with my take.
PS-I still don't know what ghost he saw. LOL
PPS-I found the following comment in a GR review:
===========================
"Pretentious in the extreme...some interesting information about a fascinating subject buried so deep in blowhard rhetoric spewed by an obnoxious author it's almost not worth retrieving."
FROM: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
===========================
Well, that certainly validates my opinion! "blowhard rhetoric" LOL
Although I didn't enjoy the narrator, I must say that the audio kept my interest and gave many details about Fonda's life. It seemed to me that the author tried to analyze Henry Fonda's character too much. I wonder what Henry Fonda would have thought about the author's analysis.
PS-I read Fonda: My Life and enjoyed it much more than this book.
Narrator: Joe Barrett
It's pretty depressing. So is the narrator's delivery! I intend to read the GR reviews soon to see if any of them agree with my take.
PS-I still don't know what ghost he saw. LOL
PPS-I found the following comment in a GR review:
===========================
"Pretentious in the extreme...some interesting information about a fascinating subject buried so deep in blowhard rhetoric spewed by an obnoxious author it's almost not worth retrieving."
FROM: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
===========================
Well, that certainly validates my opinion! "blowhard rhetoric" LOL
Although I didn't enjoy the narrator, I must say that the audio kept my interest and gave many details about Fonda's life. It seemed to me that the author tried to analyze Henry Fonda's character too much. I wonder what Henry Fonda would have thought about the author's analysis.
PS-I read Fonda: My Life and enjoyed it much more than this book.
August 5, 2016
Not only a fine biography of Henry Fonda and his two famous offspring, Jane and Peter, Devin McKinney has also extended his grasp to make this a history of America (including its race relations), and the icongraphy of American cinema. Fonda is such a towering figure in America's mythology of itself that the subjects are convincingly encapsulated in the story and explored, along with the idea of cinema and acting's relationship with ghosts of the dead and the suicides which seemed to figure in abundance in the subject's life. One of the most ambitious biographies I've read but one which manages to pull off its conceits through force of language and ideas. A remarkable achievement. - BH.
December 21, 2015
Well-written, if at times the prose is a tad rococo, and nicely paced. Though I disagree with some of his contentions, that 'Young Mr. Lincoln' is a better film than 'Twelve Angry Men,' for instance, I found his assessments of Fonda as man and actor compelling reading.
August 20, 2020
Do you want to know what it's like to read a 400 page book about a person without gaining any real insight into the person, but have a greater knowledge of politics of the Kennedy administration?
Do you love authors who are so enamored with their own writing that they there unable to get basic facts correct about the person they are writing about?
Have I got a book for you!
Do you love authors who are so enamored with their own writing that they there unable to get basic facts correct about the person they are writing about?
Have I got a book for you!
March 4, 2013
Devin McKinney’s The Man Who Saw a Ghost: The Life and Work of Henry Fonda is neither a straight-up biography of the actor nor a critical examination of his body of work. Yet in some ways it is both. Readers seeking to find meaning will do best to keep the title in mind at all times.
Fonda had many ghosts to deal with throughout his life, one of which - an event he witnessed as a youth in Nebraska - haunted and quite possibly shaped the man he would become. Others ghosts emerged as he grew older. McKinney masterfully weaves this theme of haunting throughout the actor’s life and career. Understand that I’m not speaking here of actual ghosts or hauntings or anything having to do with what we would normally understand as the supernatural. But the effect on Fonda - which is not fully realized by the reader until the stunningly potent epilogue of the book - is all-pervasive.
All of Fonda’s major (and much of his minor) work - stage, screen, TV, ads, etc. - is touched on here, as well as much of the work of his children Jane and Peter. Does McKinney spend too much time on Jane and Peter? I don’t think so. It’s clear that they belong to a different generation, but much of that may be due to the fact that the ghosts in their own lives are steering them towards (or possibly away from?) different directions from those of their father.
We may think we know Fonda from his roles in films like The Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Ox-Bow Incident, My Darling Clementine, 12 Angry Men and many others, and maybe we do. But regardless of what you think you know about Fonda from watching his performances in these films, reading McKinney’s book will give you a greater understanding, if not a greater appreciation, of the man.
The Man Who Saw a Ghost is marred only by McKinney’s often too-opinionated look at the works and many of the other players involved. This is unfortunate and not easily overlooked, but the benefits of the book taken as a whole far outweigh this problem. McKinney’s book is a must-read for fans of film, film history and American cinema.
Fonda had many ghosts to deal with throughout his life, one of which - an event he witnessed as a youth in Nebraska - haunted and quite possibly shaped the man he would become. Others ghosts emerged as he grew older. McKinney masterfully weaves this theme of haunting throughout the actor’s life and career. Understand that I’m not speaking here of actual ghosts or hauntings or anything having to do with what we would normally understand as the supernatural. But the effect on Fonda - which is not fully realized by the reader until the stunningly potent epilogue of the book - is all-pervasive.
All of Fonda’s major (and much of his minor) work - stage, screen, TV, ads, etc. - is touched on here, as well as much of the work of his children Jane and Peter. Does McKinney spend too much time on Jane and Peter? I don’t think so. It’s clear that they belong to a different generation, but much of that may be due to the fact that the ghosts in their own lives are steering them towards (or possibly away from?) different directions from those of their father.
We may think we know Fonda from his roles in films like The Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Ox-Bow Incident, My Darling Clementine, 12 Angry Men and many others, and maybe we do. But regardless of what you think you know about Fonda from watching his performances in these films, reading McKinney’s book will give you a greater understanding, if not a greater appreciation, of the man.
The Man Who Saw a Ghost is marred only by McKinney’s often too-opinionated look at the works and many of the other players involved. This is unfortunate and not easily overlooked, but the benefits of the book taken as a whole far outweigh this problem. McKinney’s book is a must-read for fans of film, film history and American cinema.
November 14, 2012
“The Man Who Saw A Ghost, The Life and Work of Henry Fonda” by Devin McKinney, published by St. Martin’s Press.
Category – Biography
Henry Fonda was on the stage or in the movies for over a fifty year period, and like most actors had his share of hits and misses. Fonda’s life was very complex in not only his work but his dealings with family and the social media.
Most of will remember him for his performances in “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Young Mr. Lincoln”, “12 Angry Men”, and “On Golden Pond”. The rest of Fonda’s work ranged anywhere from horrible to pretty good. Many of his movies, including “Mr. Roberts” found high ratings among movie goers but low ratings by critics.
His life away from the stage and movies follows a pattern seen in most actors. He was married five times and probably only found peace in his last marriage. He was highly criticized for going on stage hours after his wife, Frances Brokaw, took her own life. He has also been criticized for his failings as a father.
The book although considered a biography spends more time on evaluating his performances and trying to form his actions to the roles he played. The book does have a smattering of his personal life but one that will not satisfy those looking for a detailed account of his life.
This will be a must read for the Henry Fonda fan as this is the first major critical biography since his death in 1982.
Category – Biography
Henry Fonda was on the stage or in the movies for over a fifty year period, and like most actors had his share of hits and misses. Fonda’s life was very complex in not only his work but his dealings with family and the social media.
Most of will remember him for his performances in “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Young Mr. Lincoln”, “12 Angry Men”, and “On Golden Pond”. The rest of Fonda’s work ranged anywhere from horrible to pretty good. Many of his movies, including “Mr. Roberts” found high ratings among movie goers but low ratings by critics.
His life away from the stage and movies follows a pattern seen in most actors. He was married five times and probably only found peace in his last marriage. He was highly criticized for going on stage hours after his wife, Frances Brokaw, took her own life. He has also been criticized for his failings as a father.
The book although considered a biography spends more time on evaluating his performances and trying to form his actions to the roles he played. The book does have a smattering of his personal life but one that will not satisfy those looking for a detailed account of his life.
This will be a must read for the Henry Fonda fan as this is the first major critical biography since his death in 1982.
June 9, 2015
I was fully prepared to dislike this book after reading the reviews on Goodreads. I don't care for pretension and overblown rhetoric and, in fact, I was tempted to put the book down after 50 pages, but I'm glad I didn't. Is the rhetoric overblown in places? Certainly. Is the author at times full of himself? Yep. Does he come off as pretentious and condescending? Absolutely - you can certainly see it in the author's face on the inside jacket. Having said all that, this was one of the most interesting and thoughtful biographies I've read in years. McKinney gives equal weight and a fine balance to the narrative of Henry Fonda's life and a thought provoking analysis of what made the man tick, and therefore what made him such a fine actor, albeit a tortured and torturous man. Are some of the author's speculations wrong? Probably, but no one can truly know another human being, and most of us don't even have a good grasp on ourselves much of the time. A biography that sticks to chronology and established facts reveals little. The author goes out on a limb with this work and delivers an eminently readable and engrossing book. I came away feeling that I know know Henry Fonda about as well as anyone who never met the man.
March 5, 2020
I found this book very disappointing. I looked forward to reading about Henry Fonda, the man. Instead, I sifted through page after page of analysis. The author spent most of his time analyzing the movies Fonda made, detailing the characters he played (we all know he was at his professional best when he played Abe Lincoln and Tom Joad), and carefully telling us what the lines he spoke, along with the gestures he made, really meant. It was all very tiresome when what I really wanted to know was how he grew up and what made him tick. Fonda was a complex man who certainly had his faults, but he was also a Hollywood icon who was truly a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine Hollywood without him. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. There was more to Henry Fonda than the parts he played, but that personal touch was missing here. Let me go find a movie channel that is showing 'Mr. Roberts' or 'The Grapes of Wrath' or 'On Golden Pond'. Maybe it will help me forget that I still don't know any more about Henry Fonda the man than I did before I read this book.
February 6, 2016
This is a speculative, highly psychological biography of Henry Fonda, Hollywood legend and father to Jane and Peter (and grandfather to Bridget). Outwardly the representative of traditional American values and famous for portraying men of intregity (Twelve Angry Men, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Grapes of Wrath), Fonda was, in his private life, cold, narcissistic, and withdrawn. His failure to be receptive to the emotional needs of his wives and children led to mental illness, tragedy and breakdowns.
Author McKinney chips away at the solid, impenetrable Fonda persona and finds hidden secrets and a preoccupation with guilt, death and suicide that haunts him to the end of his life. While the author sometimes gets carried away in connecting Fonda's screen roles with his off-screen anguish, his surprising and unusual insights into a man few people knew makes compelling reading.
Author McKinney chips away at the solid, impenetrable Fonda persona and finds hidden secrets and a preoccupation with guilt, death and suicide that haunts him to the end of his life. While the author sometimes gets carried away in connecting Fonda's screen roles with his off-screen anguish, his surprising and unusual insights into a man few people knew makes compelling reading.
November 17, 2012
The first half of this book did a good job of explaining Henry Fonda's choices in work and how his personal experience effected his work. The author gives a clear picture of a loner who never seems to be able to connect with other people either the ones he works with or more importantly his family. The story gave me a new understanding of Jane and Peter and the world they grew up in.
The story also explains Henry's devotion to justice and his love on country. I learned of his service in the Navy during World War II.
The second half of the book was a disappointment. It became more of a list and criticism of his work and that of Jane and Peter. It lacked the depth of the first half of the book.
The story also explains Henry's devotion to justice and his love on country. I learned of his service in the Navy during World War II.
The second half of the book was a disappointment. It became more of a list and criticism of his work and that of Jane and Peter. It lacked the depth of the first half of the book.
January 20, 2015
"The Man Who Saw a Ghost" is a very insightful look at the life of Henry Fonda.
At first, I was annoyed by the author's use of the characters that Fonda played to analyze Fonda's character. However, as I got deeper into the book I realized that his technique worked. I particularly like his analysis of Fonda's roles in "Young Mr. Lincoln," "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Once Upon a Time in the West."
I also thought the author did a superb job in examining Fonda's life and eloquently point outing out how Fonda made mistakes and misread the things that happened to him. I could see in my own life how I had made similar mistakes, The book goes beyond just a bio of Henry Fonda.
The author incisively shows us how life works for us all.
At first, I was annoyed by the author's use of the characters that Fonda played to analyze Fonda's character. However, as I got deeper into the book I realized that his technique worked. I particularly like his analysis of Fonda's roles in "Young Mr. Lincoln," "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Once Upon a Time in the West."
I also thought the author did a superb job in examining Fonda's life and eloquently point outing out how Fonda made mistakes and misread the things that happened to him. I could see in my own life how I had made similar mistakes, The book goes beyond just a bio of Henry Fonda.
The author incisively shows us how life works for us all.
November 20, 2017
Henry Fonda was an icon of the screen and stage, who also led a very interesting life away from his work. Thus, his life provides the raw material for what could have been a very interesting biography. Unfortunately, this is not that book. The author's voice is intrusive and sometimes cloying, and the author seems intent throughout the book to pound square pegs into round holes. After reading the book, I did not think I knew anything more about what made Fonda tick than I knew to start with. On the whole, this book definitely is a disappointment.
November 18, 2015
Pretentious is a word that has been tossed around by a lot of reviewers and it's true. The author is also full of himself at times and his criticism of some of Fonda's films are off base, yet he also captures the man, a complicated man to to be sure, and delivers a fascinating look at the life and times of one of America's finest actors.
May 17, 2013
A mediocre biography of an iconic actor. Nothing new was revealed in this book. Henry Fonda was a talented actor but a tortured man. He married 5 times and was emotionally distant from his famous children.
May 10, 2015
I like the angle Devin McKinney viewed Henry Fonda's life. It is the way I look at people. Seeing current events in their life and how their past affected their decision. It always makes people more human and the story more personal to me.
February 27, 2013
Interesting and creative take on a surprisingly complex and skilled actor. The sections on Peter and Jane Fonda were less compelling. I did lose track of how many ex-wives Henry had.
October 11, 2013
So disappointed.
March 12, 2022
As Devin McKinny's title suggests, this book is about a haunted individual. Yes, Henry Fonda was a successful actor spanning several decades. His many varied roles, his service (Navy intelligence) in World War II, his celebrity offspring, are woven into American culture.
He defined an American life.
McKinny, in his chosen role as biographer, digs deep into Henry Fonda's life, work and psyche. Fonda's personality is fleshed out. There is reaction to heartbreak, love is gained and lost. There is pain. For all his stardom, there is ranting rage.
After this book, I viewed the film he stars in, "On Golden Pond." I see Henry Fonda is actually Norman Thayer.
He defined an American life.
McKinny, in his chosen role as biographer, digs deep into Henry Fonda's life, work and psyche. Fonda's personality is fleshed out. There is reaction to heartbreak, love is gained and lost. There is pain. For all his stardom, there is ranting rage.
After this book, I viewed the film he stars in, "On Golden Pond." I see Henry Fonda is actually Norman Thayer.
March 9, 2023
Well written and very well researched. This book is an example of good writing, especially for a biography of a person with lots of movie and t.v. credits. The author blends the titles and plots with anecdotes about the subject in each time period. These time periods coincide with particular historical events and it all works.
McKinney revealed the good and the not-so-good about Fonda and his lack of understanding and compassion in both marriage and parenting. This is the mark of a skilled biographer.
It is always a plus, too, when the author does not resort to quoting a lot of his subject's bad language and immoral exploits.
McKinney revealed the good and the not-so-good about Fonda and his lack of understanding and compassion in both marriage and parenting. This is the mark of a skilled biographer.
It is always a plus, too, when the author does not resort to quoting a lot of his subject's bad language and immoral exploits.
November 27, 2022
I have been a Henry Fonda fan for many decades. Not the least of my reasons is the fact that "Mister Roberts" was written by Joshua Logan and Thomas Heggen my father's first cousin. Grapes of Wrath, 12 Angry Men, On Golden Pond, Young Mr. Lincoln stand out. There were far more stinkers in his movie career than great films, but Henry Fonda always seemed genuine in his roles. The book had too much information about Peter and Jane and a narrator who fancied himself a great impersonator. The biography was simply OK for me. Kristi & Abby Tabby
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews