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My Life So Far
She is one of the most recognizable women of our time. America knows Jane Fonda as an actress and an activist, a feminist and a wife, a workout guru and a role model. Now, in this extraordinary memoir, Fonda reveals that she is so much more. From her youth among Hollywood’s elite and her early film career to the challenges and triumphs of her life today, Jane Fonda reveals intimate details and universal truths that she hopes “can provide a lens through which others can see their lives and how they can live them a little differently.”
Fonda divides her “life so far” into three “acts,” writing about her childhood, first films, and marriage to Roger Vadim in Act One. At once a picture emerges: a child born to the acting legend Henry Fonda and the glamorous society princess Frances Seymour. But these early years are also marked by profound sadness: her mother’s mental illness and suicide when Jane is twelve years old, her father’s emotional distance, and her personal struggle to find her way in the world as a young woman.
By her second act, Fonda lays the foundation for her activism, even as her career takes flight. She highlights her struggle to live consciously and authentically while remaining in the public eye as she recounts her marriages to Tom Hayden and Ted Turner, and examines her controversial and defining involvement with the Vietnam War. As her film career grows, Fonda learns to incorporate her roles into a larger vision of what matters most in her life–and in the process she wins two Academy Awards, for Klute and for Coming Home.
In Fonda’s third act, she is prepared to do the work of a lifetime–to begin living consciously in a way that might inspire others who can learn from her experiences. Surprising, candid, and wonderfully written, Jane Fonda’s My Life So Far is filled with universal insights into the personal struggles of women living full and engaged lives.
Fonda divides her “life so far” into three “acts,” writing about her childhood, first films, and marriage to Roger Vadim in Act One. At once a picture emerges: a child born to the acting legend Henry Fonda and the glamorous society princess Frances Seymour. But these early years are also marked by profound sadness: her mother’s mental illness and suicide when Jane is twelve years old, her father’s emotional distance, and her personal struggle to find her way in the world as a young woman.
By her second act, Fonda lays the foundation for her activism, even as her career takes flight. She highlights her struggle to live consciously and authentically while remaining in the public eye as she recounts her marriages to Tom Hayden and Ted Turner, and examines her controversial and defining involvement with the Vietnam War. As her film career grows, Fonda learns to incorporate her roles into a larger vision of what matters most in her life–and in the process she wins two Academy Awards, for Klute and for Coming Home.
In Fonda’s third act, she is prepared to do the work of a lifetime–to begin living consciously in a way that might inspire others who can learn from her experiences. Surprising, candid, and wonderfully written, Jane Fonda’s My Life So Far is filled with universal insights into the personal struggles of women living full and engaged lives.
624 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
699 people are currently reading
7767 people want to read
About the author
Jane Fonda
86 books298 followersJane Fonda is a two-time Academy Award-winning actress (Best Actress in 1971 for Klute and in 1978 for Coming Home), author, activist, and fitness guru. Her career has spanned over 50 years, accumulating a body of film work that includes over 45 films and crucial work on behalf of political causes such as women’s rights, Native Americans, and the environment. She is a seven-time Golden Globe® winner, Honorary Palme d’Or honoree, 2014 AFI Life Achievement Award winner, and the 2019 recipient of the Stanley Kubrick Excellence in Film Award as part of BAFTA’s Britannia Awards. Fonda is currently in production for the seventh and final season of Grace & Frankie, which will be Netflix’s longest running original series. It is for her work on the series that she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2017. She was last seen on the big screen in Paramount’s comedy, Book Club in which she starred alongside Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Candice Bergen. Fonda also premiered Jane Fonda in Five Acts, a documentary for HBO chronicling her life and activism, at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special in 2019. Jane celebrated her 80th birthday by raising $1 million for each of her nonprofits, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential and The Women’s Media Center. Currently, Jane is leading the charge on Fire Drill Fridays, a national movement to protest government inaction on climate change. Her latest book, “What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair To Action,” details her personal journey with the movement and provides solutions for communities to combat the climate crisis, will be released on September 8 via Penguin Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 661 reviews
August 8, 2013
What I thought about Jane Fonda prior to reading this memoir: "She's been in some movies I've enjoyed. Isn't she married to that CNN guy?" What I think about Jane Fonda after reading this memoir: "OMG, I love Jane Fonda SO MUCH! She's my new imaginary best friend/mentor/godmother."
The hundreds of memoirs I've read over the years have led me to develop certain criteria about what constitutes a great memoir. First, the memoirist must have led an interesting life. Of course, this describes most memoirists. I mean, why would a publisher bother with a memoir of a person who has done nothing interesting? But, as I have so woefully discovered, just because a person has led what appears to be a fascinating life, this in no way guarantees that the memoir they write will be fascinating. (See Grace Coddington's memoir for a perfect example of this). Jane fills this first requirement in spades. Stars in a number of classic movies - check. Famous father - check. Famous husbands - check. Participates in newsworthy events - check.
Secondly, the memoirist must have developed self-awareness and the ability to dissect their past actions and feelings. Oh, it's quite easy to write a "I did this and then I did that and then I did this again" sort of memoir. All you need to do is look at your past calendars. Or just google yourself if you are famous. The point of a memoir is to discover the thoughts and feelings behind the actions. Again, Jane excels at this. I must compliment her therapists. Good job! Jane is able to not only delve deeply into her motivations and beliefs, she is able take those feelings and relate them to certain universal feelings all people have.
Jane also walks the fine line between revealing too much and too little. OK, personally, I rarely find anything to be too revealing, but that's just me. I enjoy gossipy luridness. Jane manages to write about really private events in her life - all those threesomes with Vadim, her affairs, her sexual fears, without getting too personal. She doesn't name the men she has affairs with, but she doesn't need to. Instead she focuses on WHY she had the affairs, what was going on in her heart and mind at the time, what the repercussions were and how she feels about the events now. The name of the guy is irrelevant. Same with the threesomes - when I have read men writing about threesomes - ok, rock stars and actors, but still - when the men write about them, it's almost like you are reading a Penthouse Forum letter. One gets the lurid details but not the emotions behind the actions. And the emotions are the truly interesting bits. OK, great, this groupie gave you a blowjob in a limo. But what about your wife back home? What about the loneliness of being on the road? What about your inability to connect with non-famous people once you become famous? What is the backstory of the blowjob??? That is a far more difficult thing to write than just writing what happened. Jane excels at the backstory. At the deeper meaning.
The parts of the book dealing with her relationship with her dad totally made me cry. I read Henry Fonda's biography several years ago and was sad afterwards. I'd always loved him as an actor and it was depressing to read about what a cold, repressed man he was in real life. It affected how I viewed him in movies. I was curious to find out Jane's take on him. Would she be bitter and angry like Christina Crawford or Gary Crosby? Jane did a marvelous job revealing all the different facets to their father/daughter relationship. She also did a great job relating her specific experience with what many people who have cold, unemotional parents go through. The whole bit about making On Golden Pond - wow. I'm so glad she got to make that movie and come to a certain peace about their relationship. Also, that chapter made me love Katherine Hepburn more than I already did.
I think this memoir is worth reading. You don't have to be a fan. Hell, I think people who hate her for her 1960's activism should read this. Jane does a great job discussing that period. (All those FBI files on her are so interesting!) She writes about universal emotions and feelings and thoughts that anyone who has a modicum of self-awareness would relate to. Two thumbs up. Way up.
The hundreds of memoirs I've read over the years have led me to develop certain criteria about what constitutes a great memoir. First, the memoirist must have led an interesting life. Of course, this describes most memoirists. I mean, why would a publisher bother with a memoir of a person who has done nothing interesting? But, as I have so woefully discovered, just because a person has led what appears to be a fascinating life, this in no way guarantees that the memoir they write will be fascinating. (See Grace Coddington's memoir for a perfect example of this). Jane fills this first requirement in spades. Stars in a number of classic movies - check. Famous father - check. Famous husbands - check. Participates in newsworthy events - check.
Secondly, the memoirist must have developed self-awareness and the ability to dissect their past actions and feelings. Oh, it's quite easy to write a "I did this and then I did that and then I did this again" sort of memoir. All you need to do is look at your past calendars. Or just google yourself if you are famous. The point of a memoir is to discover the thoughts and feelings behind the actions. Again, Jane excels at this. I must compliment her therapists. Good job! Jane is able to not only delve deeply into her motivations and beliefs, she is able take those feelings and relate them to certain universal feelings all people have.
Jane also walks the fine line between revealing too much and too little. OK, personally, I rarely find anything to be too revealing, but that's just me. I enjoy gossipy luridness. Jane manages to write about really private events in her life - all those threesomes with Vadim, her affairs, her sexual fears, without getting too personal. She doesn't name the men she has affairs with, but she doesn't need to. Instead she focuses on WHY she had the affairs, what was going on in her heart and mind at the time, what the repercussions were and how she feels about the events now. The name of the guy is irrelevant. Same with the threesomes - when I have read men writing about threesomes - ok, rock stars and actors, but still - when the men write about them, it's almost like you are reading a Penthouse Forum letter. One gets the lurid details but not the emotions behind the actions. And the emotions are the truly interesting bits. OK, great, this groupie gave you a blowjob in a limo. But what about your wife back home? What about the loneliness of being on the road? What about your inability to connect with non-famous people once you become famous? What is the backstory of the blowjob??? That is a far more difficult thing to write than just writing what happened. Jane excels at the backstory. At the deeper meaning.
The parts of the book dealing with her relationship with her dad totally made me cry. I read Henry Fonda's biography several years ago and was sad afterwards. I'd always loved him as an actor and it was depressing to read about what a cold, repressed man he was in real life. It affected how I viewed him in movies. I was curious to find out Jane's take on him. Would she be bitter and angry like Christina Crawford or Gary Crosby? Jane did a marvelous job revealing all the different facets to their father/daughter relationship. She also did a great job relating her specific experience with what many people who have cold, unemotional parents go through. The whole bit about making On Golden Pond - wow. I'm so glad she got to make that movie and come to a certain peace about their relationship. Also, that chapter made me love Katherine Hepburn more than I already did.
I think this memoir is worth reading. You don't have to be a fan. Hell, I think people who hate her for her 1960's activism should read this. Jane does a great job discussing that period. (All those FBI files on her are so interesting!) She writes about universal emotions and feelings and thoughts that anyone who has a modicum of self-awareness would relate to. Two thumbs up. Way up.
January 23, 2011
Maybe you didn't have an opinion about Jane Fonda. Many did, and they were often critical: of her anti-war activism, of her Barbarella image, of her choice in marital partners, and the failure of those marriages, of her cosmetic surgery, or of her apparently "cashing in" on the fitness craze (and making us all look bad. Well, put all that "projection" aside, and read her autobiography. In a personal letter to readers on the Amazon site, she says, "I decided to write it because I felt that if I could be brave enough and go deep enough, that my story would be helpful to other people. I wanted to write my life in such a way that in reading about my journey, the reader would continually put the book down and reflect on their own life and relationships. I feel that I have succeeded."
Indeed she has! She was indeed brave, candid, and generous, sharing with readers her own life story, and holding little back. She does not gloss over mistakes she may have made, but explores them in depth, and talks about the learnings. It is a story of personal growth, and indeed depth! It is quite a journey. And if you think there is nothing in the life story of a wealthy Hollywood actress that you can relate to, think again! There is MUCH in her story that we can all relate to. In closing the book, I felt I had lost a friend but, as she had hoped, I gained much to reflect on.
Indeed she has! She was indeed brave, candid, and generous, sharing with readers her own life story, and holding little back. She does not gloss over mistakes she may have made, but explores them in depth, and talks about the learnings. It is a story of personal growth, and indeed depth! It is quite a journey. And if you think there is nothing in the life story of a wealthy Hollywood actress that you can relate to, think again! There is MUCH in her story that we can all relate to. In closing the book, I felt I had lost a friend but, as she had hoped, I gained much to reflect on.
March 2, 2016
Jane Fonda writes about her personal life with such honesty, warmth, and openness that I couldn't give this book less than four stars. On the other hand, whenever she discusses politics, history or even the movie business she's strangely out of touch and preachy at the same time. So I just couldn't give the book five stars, even though I enjoyed almost every page.
There's a contradiction in this book that I've noticed in other memoirs, such as READING MY FATHER by Alexandra Styron. When Jane is writing about Henry Fonda, her father, you notice a strange disconnect. Whenever she writes about Henry Fonda, the man, his coldness, his selfishness, his inability to have any kind of emotional connection with his family, she's incredibly honest, mature, reflective and sympathetic. On the other hand, whenever she writes about Henry Fonda the movie star she's over the top, fawning and worshipful to the point of absurdity. At one point she describes meeting one of Martin Luther King's daughters and telling her, "our fathers were both such important men. They changed the world."
I don't say this to be mean, like ha ha ha, you're so clueless, Jane, but just to show that Jane Fonda has a very skewed view of the world around her. When it comes to her own feelings and her own life every word seems true and every insight seems well earned. But when it comes to anything outside of her own experience, forget it.
The same problem comes up in the romantic chapters. To me Jane Fonda is one of the most beautiful women who ever lived, and it's really sad that she spent so much of her life falling in love with men who not only didn't deserve her . . . they didn't deserve any woman, period. Yet what's weird in her writing is that again, she can be brutally frank about how each of her husbands failed as husbands, and lovers, and yet be totally clueless about her own clueless acceptance of . . . well, just about everything. "Vadim was making important films . . . so it was important for me to take my clothes off and jump right in whenever he brought a prostitute home for sex." "Tom was saving America . . . so of course he had no time for a real job. Or a real marriage. Or for me."
And so on.
And so on.
It would be really funny if Jane Fonda wasn't so sincere. She's like Mary Queen of Scots, always ruling with her heart instead of her head, and being dumped from her throne again and again. But unlike Mary Queen of Scots, Jane Fonda just keeps getting up again, finding some new cause, some new prince, putting everything she has right out there, and then getting knocked down all over again. And the amazing thing is, by the end of the book you can't even laugh at her.
You just love her.
There's a contradiction in this book that I've noticed in other memoirs, such as READING MY FATHER by Alexandra Styron. When Jane is writing about Henry Fonda, her father, you notice a strange disconnect. Whenever she writes about Henry Fonda, the man, his coldness, his selfishness, his inability to have any kind of emotional connection with his family, she's incredibly honest, mature, reflective and sympathetic. On the other hand, whenever she writes about Henry Fonda the movie star she's over the top, fawning and worshipful to the point of absurdity. At one point she describes meeting one of Martin Luther King's daughters and telling her, "our fathers were both such important men. They changed the world."
I don't say this to be mean, like ha ha ha, you're so clueless, Jane, but just to show that Jane Fonda has a very skewed view of the world around her. When it comes to her own feelings and her own life every word seems true and every insight seems well earned. But when it comes to anything outside of her own experience, forget it.
The same problem comes up in the romantic chapters. To me Jane Fonda is one of the most beautiful women who ever lived, and it's really sad that she spent so much of her life falling in love with men who not only didn't deserve her . . . they didn't deserve any woman, period. Yet what's weird in her writing is that again, she can be brutally frank about how each of her husbands failed as husbands, and lovers, and yet be totally clueless about her own clueless acceptance of . . . well, just about everything. "Vadim was making important films . . . so it was important for me to take my clothes off and jump right in whenever he brought a prostitute home for sex." "Tom was saving America . . . so of course he had no time for a real job. Or a real marriage. Or for me."
And so on.
And so on.
It would be really funny if Jane Fonda wasn't so sincere. She's like Mary Queen of Scots, always ruling with her heart instead of her head, and being dumped from her throne again and again. But unlike Mary Queen of Scots, Jane Fonda just keeps getting up again, finding some new cause, some new prince, putting everything she has right out there, and then getting knocked down all over again. And the amazing thing is, by the end of the book you can't even laugh at her.
You just love her.
April 24, 2007
Freakin' Hanoi Jane. Love her or hate her, she's never dull.
A disclaimer of sorts: Jane Fonda was a huge part of my upbringing. Huge. My dad hated her and cursed her name whenever "On Golden Pond" appeared on HBO (which seemed to be all the damn time), and my mother and I did her exercise videos every single day with a frenetic passion that eventually devolved into complete zombified apathy. And then I spent about a year in college watching "Coming Home" over and over again.
So I approached this with a strong sense of awe and a rather misguided idea of what Jane means to us all.
This lady's a hard one to pin down. One minute she's starving herself and allowing Vadim to sleep around. The next she's black powering it through her years with Hayden. Then she's a home video entrepreneur doing high kicks in a black lace leotard. Then she's Jeeping around Ted Turner's ranch. Always changing it up and causing a stir. Like I said, she's never dull.
I liked her, and I liked this book. She's cuckoo, but she's got a good heart, and she knows how crazy she sounds sometimes. That's refreshing.
A disclaimer of sorts: Jane Fonda was a huge part of my upbringing. Huge. My dad hated her and cursed her name whenever "On Golden Pond" appeared on HBO (which seemed to be all the damn time), and my mother and I did her exercise videos every single day with a frenetic passion that eventually devolved into complete zombified apathy. And then I spent about a year in college watching "Coming Home" over and over again.
So I approached this with a strong sense of awe and a rather misguided idea of what Jane means to us all.
This lady's a hard one to pin down. One minute she's starving herself and allowing Vadim to sleep around. The next she's black powering it through her years with Hayden. Then she's a home video entrepreneur doing high kicks in a black lace leotard. Then she's Jeeping around Ted Turner's ranch. Always changing it up and causing a stir. Like I said, she's never dull.
I liked her, and I liked this book. She's cuckoo, but she's got a good heart, and she knows how crazy she sounds sometimes. That's refreshing.
February 20, 2017
I carted this fairly substantial book around for almost two months on buses and trains and people commented on it constantly - apparently everyone has an opinion on Jane Fonda. During that time I watched nineteen of her films and actually bought her workout DVDs from Amazon.
Her autobiography was really genuinely interesting and for the most part the balance of narrative to introspection worked really well. It was well-written, emotional, and reflective - whether she's skinny dipping with Greta Garbo or meeting mountain people in Tennessee with Dolly Parton, there are plenty of fascinating anecdotes to keep you engrossed.
There's a lot more to say about the book but for know just know...
I'll love Jane Fonda till the end of time.
Her autobiography was really genuinely interesting and for the most part the balance of narrative to introspection worked really well. It was well-written, emotional, and reflective - whether she's skinny dipping with Greta Garbo or meeting mountain people in Tennessee with Dolly Parton, there are plenty of fascinating anecdotes to keep you engrossed.
There's a lot more to say about the book but for know just know...
I'll love Jane Fonda till the end of time.
March 10, 2010
Being in the military I had heard a lot of nasty things said about Jane Fonda because of her activity during Vietnam. I thought it was important to hear her side of the story and to understand it you need to know her past so what better way than her autobiography.
I gave her book three stars because I thought the first 3rd was very slow and the book did not pick up until she hit 30. I will not spend much time on whether or not I agree with what she did or all of her opinions but once the book picked up after her teens and twenties I did find the writing enjoyable and found myself looking forward to what she had to say next if only the first part could have been as good.
Some of my opinions about Ms. Fonda did change after reading this there are things she does that I like and there are things she has done I think are wrong but at least I can see why she felt she had to do those things. I would recommend you read this book before you decide what your opinion of this woman is going to be.
I gave her book three stars because I thought the first 3rd was very slow and the book did not pick up until she hit 30. I will not spend much time on whether or not I agree with what she did or all of her opinions but once the book picked up after her teens and twenties I did find the writing enjoyable and found myself looking forward to what she had to say next if only the first part could have been as good.
Some of my opinions about Ms. Fonda did change after reading this there are things she does that I like and there are things she has done I think are wrong but at least I can see why she felt she had to do those things. I would recommend you read this book before you decide what your opinion of this woman is going to be.
September 27, 2020
This book made me feel so many things. I was stunned, impressed by the authenticity and honesty of this book and her ability to talk about her own mistakes with sincerity and without judgment. The way she talks about her husbands without blaming them nor demonizing them. I was sometimes shocked or disgusted, sometimes angry or sad, but above all I felt even more inspired by this strong woman than I was before. This book taught me a lot not only about Jane, her family and the Hollywood of that time but also about some historical events like the Vietnam War. Overall this book made me grow as a person and taught me life lessons that I will carry with me all my life. I will definitely read it again. I read it as an audiobook read by Jane Fonda herself; I am convinced that this is the best way to experience an autobiography: read by its author.
September 1, 2007
I love celebrity autobiographies.. they are an addiction with me. This one was terrific--intense, preachy, smart, fascinating, very Jane Fonda. Great anecdotes but I think this is more than just a bio; its a bit of a self help book.
August 27, 2022
Maybe I’m being biased…but this meant SO MUCH to me. So well-written and truthful it has only made me appreciate Jane more. We’re too lucky
March 10, 2020
Reading for research for a podcast project, and I already admire Jane and think her acting is massively under-rated, but for a autobiography this really is up there. She is frank, disarming and extremely thoughtful about the contradictions in her life, and what is even more fascinating, a slow unravelling of her own persona and where it comes from that made her make good and bad decisions. Her position in the US is somewhat different to her global standing, there are still crowds who consider her a traitor, millions who worked out every day to her. How does the threesome happy (happyish) with of Roger Vadim become the twenty house-proud housewife of Ted Turner. Some things just happen, Jane is slowly working out why.
She does have funny stories though it isn't that kind of autobiography, but where is is fascinating is in the building of a political conscience, her own self assessment of what she is good and bad for, her own assessment of her talent or not. There is a Hollywood fug to it, it was written in the early 00's and the psychological evaluations she makes of herself fit certain analysis trends of the time - but she owns these evaluations - and this is definately a book where you cheer for the protagonist being single at the end. Its also really well written, its digressions make sense when they happen, so whilst it is broadly chronological, it will take time out to dedicate a chapter each to the men in her life (and a very tragic one early on about her mother). There are a few interesting chunks missing (her early twenties elides a whole boyfriend that I am aware of and the book never mention the DA Pennebakker film about her "Jane"). But you more than enough raw detail that you don't notice it - and she is too canny and smart a political operator for that to matter.
She does have funny stories though it isn't that kind of autobiography, but where is is fascinating is in the building of a political conscience, her own self assessment of what she is good and bad for, her own assessment of her talent or not. There is a Hollywood fug to it, it was written in the early 00's and the psychological evaluations she makes of herself fit certain analysis trends of the time - but she owns these evaluations - and this is definately a book where you cheer for the protagonist being single at the end. Its also really well written, its digressions make sense when they happen, so whilst it is broadly chronological, it will take time out to dedicate a chapter each to the men in her life (and a very tragic one early on about her mother). There are a few interesting chunks missing (her early twenties elides a whole boyfriend that I am aware of and the book never mention the DA Pennebakker film about her "Jane"). But you more than enough raw detail that you don't notice it - and she is too canny and smart a political operator for that to matter.
July 31, 2018
Alltså Jane Fonda! Min nya idol 🌟⭐️🌟
July 1, 2012
I have followed Jane Fonda for years. She is a complex and complicated female (that could be redundant) and one who has just fascinated me. There have been bad choices in men, there was such speculation about the horrible relationship with Henry (and much gossiped about especially during the filming ON GOLDEN POND), and then her infamous Hanoi Jane period. Ugh. And still, I read reviews about anything new, her estranged absence from theater and film....but I did know about her education and some of that.
This book is interesting because unlike many or most other celeb bios, she really wrote it. By herself. She is quite literate and she didn't hold anything back. I had no idea or knowledge about her mother's suicide and how it haunted her for years. Jane was so young when it happened and it certainly was the beginning of the chasm in her relationship with her father.
There are loads of pictures...loved that. And the chapter she takes to tell about Ted Turner is maybe the best one! Hilarious and fun.
It seemed that over 600 pages would do me in, but I loved it. And now I'm even more impressed with alll she has accomplished.
This book is interesting because unlike many or most other celeb bios, she really wrote it. By herself. She is quite literate and she didn't hold anything back. I had no idea or knowledge about her mother's suicide and how it haunted her for years. Jane was so young when it happened and it certainly was the beginning of the chasm in her relationship with her father.
There are loads of pictures...loved that. And the chapter she takes to tell about Ted Turner is maybe the best one! Hilarious and fun.
It seemed that over 600 pages would do me in, but I loved it. And now I'm even more impressed with alll she has accomplished.
April 25, 2022
Wow that was a marathon of a memoir. It was loooooong. Too long. I should’ve known that length wasn’t going to work for me in this moment of life, lol, but I plugged away determined and felt like some of the listening was a little bit of a chore.
It’s tough to critique this memoir because her life was full of interesting topics for her to share. Perhaps a better job editing might’ve made this more enjoyable for me. What I wanted to hear was there. Mistakes and triumphs in motherhood, a troubled family, acting, business running, and activist. She spent too much time on her work opposing Vietnam. The marriages and travel experiences while interested were too thorough as well.
I’m not sure what she’s really learned by the end as she ends a third relationship that was difficult to read. “How are you making these mistakes AGAIN!?” She spent very little time talking about her children. It’s clear their relationships weren’t the best but in the end she glosses that over when talking about her grandchildren. I wonder how they felt reading this?
Not one of my favorite memoirs, but still interesting 🤔
It’s tough to critique this memoir because her life was full of interesting topics for her to share. Perhaps a better job editing might’ve made this more enjoyable for me. What I wanted to hear was there. Mistakes and triumphs in motherhood, a troubled family, acting, business running, and activist. She spent too much time on her work opposing Vietnam. The marriages and travel experiences while interested were too thorough as well.
I’m not sure what she’s really learned by the end as she ends a third relationship that was difficult to read. “How are you making these mistakes AGAIN!?” She spent very little time talking about her children. It’s clear their relationships weren’t the best but in the end she glosses that over when talking about her grandchildren. I wonder how they felt reading this?
Not one of my favorite memoirs, but still interesting 🤔
August 30, 2018
Before I even looked at a single page of Jane Fonda’s autobiography, My Life So Far, someone in my family was upset with both me and the fact that I would deign to waste my time reading “that traitor’s book.” I attempted to explain the reasons behind why I thought I should, but was immediately shut down. Despite all the platitudes about reaching across the aisle when it came to other Americans’ political beliefs to find common ground and build the relationship from there, that seemed to only apply to the present landscape when it came to our fair lady Jane. Past storylines were apparently set in stone?
I have never agreed with that sentiment and as I get older, I tend to reflect on public figures with open eyes and mind. That didn’t include excuses for poor behavior or the old chestnut “it was a different time!” as justification to accept egregious social faux pas. But, the more information I had the more I realized that some people had been given unfair treatment. To see historical figures, actors, scientists, writers, etc. as human beings is something to embrace.
Fonda’s book provided more than enough evidence that she is a more complex, empathetic person than what has been presented in the media over the years. (That isn’t because of her exceptional acting skills; out of all the acting members of the Fonda family, she is still the most superior talent because of her vulnerability and consistent ability to fully connect with either the screenplay, director, other actors onscreen or all three at once.) Her childhood was one full of one horrific trauma after the other--with very few people to provide comfort or even basic attention throughout—and difficult lessons learned from two very neglectful marriages and a decades-long eating disorder painted her into a sympathetic figure.
Tellingly, she didn’t shy away from activist-related controversies that caused such vitriol and continue to inspire hatred for her to this very day. During the book she was also pretentious, corny, witty, shocking, humble, inspiring and disappointing. In other words, this was the best kind of autobiography in that it rendered her into something real; remarkable and endearing all at once.
The section on her experience filming with Katherine Hepburn was delightful. That delicious phenomenal woman put poor Jane through the ringer! When Jane discovered the reason why, the tenderness and respect practically permeated from the pages. Two singular film legends known for their independence and hard work coming together as allies. Dammit, the tears…
The only drawback to the book I found, that with the extreme focus on her various romances and marriages, it made reading these sections drag for quite a bit. Yes, it made sense with the structure she outlined for the book in that they were meant to represent the distinct stages of the evolution of her self-worth, only someone’s editor needed to take the red pen out more often. Fonda found value beyond the personas she tried on with each marriage, but it turned into more of a series of journal entries for therapy than interesting content. However, by admitting that she cycled from one persona to the next, depending on what and who the current husband wanted her to be, it made her pretty damn admirable. Long a criticism used to prove she wasn’t a true feminist ally, this simple confession made me raise my fist in the air in response.
In other words, hell yes, Jane. It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for taking the time to chat. I’ll introduce you to my family the next time I see them.
I have never agreed with that sentiment and as I get older, I tend to reflect on public figures with open eyes and mind. That didn’t include excuses for poor behavior or the old chestnut “it was a different time!” as justification to accept egregious social faux pas. But, the more information I had the more I realized that some people had been given unfair treatment. To see historical figures, actors, scientists, writers, etc. as human beings is something to embrace.
Fonda’s book provided more than enough evidence that she is a more complex, empathetic person than what has been presented in the media over the years. (That isn’t because of her exceptional acting skills; out of all the acting members of the Fonda family, she is still the most superior talent because of her vulnerability and consistent ability to fully connect with either the screenplay, director, other actors onscreen or all three at once.) Her childhood was one full of one horrific trauma after the other--with very few people to provide comfort or even basic attention throughout—and difficult lessons learned from two very neglectful marriages and a decades-long eating disorder painted her into a sympathetic figure.
Tellingly, she didn’t shy away from activist-related controversies that caused such vitriol and continue to inspire hatred for her to this very day. During the book she was also pretentious, corny, witty, shocking, humble, inspiring and disappointing. In other words, this was the best kind of autobiography in that it rendered her into something real; remarkable and endearing all at once.
The section on her experience filming with Katherine Hepburn was delightful. That delicious phenomenal woman put poor Jane through the ringer! When Jane discovered the reason why, the tenderness and respect practically permeated from the pages. Two singular film legends known for their independence and hard work coming together as allies. Dammit, the tears…
The only drawback to the book I found, that with the extreme focus on her various romances and marriages, it made reading these sections drag for quite a bit. Yes, it made sense with the structure she outlined for the book in that they were meant to represent the distinct stages of the evolution of her self-worth, only someone’s editor needed to take the red pen out more often. Fonda found value beyond the personas she tried on with each marriage, but it turned into more of a series of journal entries for therapy than interesting content. However, by admitting that she cycled from one persona to the next, depending on what and who the current husband wanted her to be, it made her pretty damn admirable. Long a criticism used to prove she wasn’t a true feminist ally, this simple confession made me raise my fist in the air in response.
In other words, hell yes, Jane. It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for taking the time to chat. I’ll introduce you to my family the next time I see them.
August 12, 2011
I was never particularly fond of Jane Fonda (the book got to me by chance), but I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I read it! lt is not the usual badly written, superficial account of a celebrity's life (although I like these, too ...), but a rather frank autobiography which leaves you with the feeling that it has been written with great care and deep psychological insights. Especially for female readers like me, role-model-wise, it is very interesting and revealing to see that a "perfect" woman like Fonda had, among other things, an estranged father (Henry Fonda), a mother who killed herself and an almost lifelong eating disorder. The last part sounds almost like a self-help book. At times a motivating read.
April 30, 2023
I really liked it!! I grew up with Jane Fonda (at the movies!) She's my mother's age, but my mother was a young mother. My mother insisted that my sisters and I see "Barefoot in the Park" when it was available (the days when you had to wait for it to come to a theater, or it played on TV). She thought it was hysterical and it was, with both Jane and Robert Redford so young and beautiful. I saw "The China Syndrome" and "The Electric Horseman", two of my all favorites. I never saw "On Golden Pond" and I'm wishing I had. I have seen "Monster-in-Law" and "9 to 5" and "Julia" and "Book Club" as well as the latest "Our Souls at Night". I have not seen the latest silly football movie. But I have always liked Jane and I was happy to find out in her book that she was likeable. She was just like us! (we say in wonder). Full of doubts and wanting to do her best and wanting to please, and full of passions and convictions....But she really seemed ordinary. Her childhood was horrific!! The book is long, but I think the audio is abridged, and only 8 discs, so I never felt it dragged, except maybe about all the Vietnam-Hanoi Jane stuff. I was never interested in that, but the book did make clear her position. But what a life, growing up, absent or angry distant parents, moving from coast to coast, then her mother kills herself when Jane is 9, I think, and it's kept from her. Not that she saw her mother all that much, anyway. The best person she had was a step-mother named Susan, who acted like a real mother to this teen girl! And I liked that Jane never forgot that, and tried to be a mother to the various step children she herself inherited.
As to marriages, that Roger Vadim was a piece of work! Man alive, threesomes in their bed, and it was "bourgeois" if she objected? And oh no, nobody would want to be called "bourgeois"!!
It was interesting what she said about the Fitness Revolution----before that, women weren't supposed to sweat or have muscles, so Jane did ballet, the only workout to keep her in shape, while she starved herself. I wish I had lived in those days!! I am a hater of exercise, and I hate sweat!! I want to be plump and soft, no muscles at all.... But anyway, it would be surprising to anyone younger than 40, that before Jane, there were no workouts for women!!
Anyway, I enjoyed hearing it in her voice, and although it's about 15 yrs old now, it's still valid. I would like to hear about the rest of her life! She's still making movies!
As to marriages, that Roger Vadim was a piece of work! Man alive, threesomes in their bed, and it was "bourgeois" if she objected? And oh no, nobody would want to be called "bourgeois"!!
It was interesting what she said about the Fitness Revolution----before that, women weren't supposed to sweat or have muscles, so Jane did ballet, the only workout to keep her in shape, while she starved herself. I wish I had lived in those days!! I am a hater of exercise, and I hate sweat!! I want to be plump and soft, no muscles at all.... But anyway, it would be surprising to anyone younger than 40, that before Jane, there were no workouts for women!!
Anyway, I enjoyed hearing it in her voice, and although it's about 15 yrs old now, it's still valid. I would like to hear about the rest of her life! She's still making movies!
May 28, 2019
I recently heard Jane Fonda on Marc Maron's podcast and thought she was pretty fascinating. She is a Forrest Gump-like figure, a living representation of the changing American zeitgeist throughout the second half of the 20th century. I have always had a soft spot for her because my mom had a bunch of her workout VHS tapes that I used to do in high school and college. They are so much fun and probably the only exercise I have ever really enjoyed, so anyone who dogs her for doing those tapes doesn't know what they're missing!! Anyway, the book starts off slow (as many memoirs do) but picks up once she gets involved in the movie biz and just keeps getting better from there. She has a lot of crazy stories, and she shares very intimate parts of herself with incredible honesty. She often comes off as preachy and fairly out of touch when discussing political issues related to her activism, but no one can claim that she wasn't committed and passionate about fighting injustice, regardless of her place of privilege. Also, the end gets a little Jesus-y but not a huge deal. In general, I am impressed by her bravery and ongoing commitment to self-improvement and self-awareness. Listened to this one on audio, narrated by Ms. Jane herself, which I would recommend.
April 7, 2021
I don't know if I can express the extent to which this book has transformed me. Jane Fonda is such an amazing person and has never been appreciated for her intelligence, her bravery, her beauty, her talent or her empathy and compassion for the earth and all of its inhabitants. The honesty she brings to her story makes it all so relatable and you come away with a feeling of comradery and sisterhood. I love her outlook on life and her journey of self-discovery and analyzing her past to help her heal and become a stronger person equipped with the tools to go forward into the future. Since the writing of this book was years ago, we now know what the fruits of this book brought to us. I love her energy, her bravery, her wisdom, and her leadership on her journey to save this planet.
The book is in an easy to read font. I love that she places the pictures of what she is talking about throughout the book instead of lumped into the center or designated picture pages. I think it's fun that she arranged the book in Acts for different stages of her life. I've always been a big Jane Fonda fan so naturally I love this book. Everyone might not share my opinion and love for this book.
The book is in an easy to read font. I love that she places the pictures of what she is talking about throughout the book instead of lumped into the center or designated picture pages. I think it's fun that she arranged the book in Acts for different stages of her life. I've always been a big Jane Fonda fan so naturally I love this book. Everyone might not share my opinion and love for this book.
November 17, 2012
I don't care whether this is well written or not. I don't care how self- absorbed she is. I love Jane Fonda. I have always loved Jane Fonda. I'm too young to care about what she did in Vietnam and many of us had 'interesting' political convictions when we were young. As soon as I finished this book, I went straight out and bought the DVD of On Golden Pond which I had watched at least three times already and wept over the scene with her and her fictional and real life father, Henry Fonda. I'll never tire of watching such a personal moment which reading the book made so much more poignant.
August 7, 2018
I truly love autobiographies !!!
Jane Fonda is one great lady !
She has had an amazing life :)
Jane Fonda is one great lady !
She has had an amazing life :)
January 8, 2025
Another audiobook, another MUST LISTEN! Jane Fonda is incredible and has lived a thousand lives.
December 28, 2020
Wow. She is a force. The first half is slow. It’s worth plowing through. She’s lived so much life and gave her all to every relationship and cause she believed in, and she’s able to look back in a very honest, self-reflective way that is missing from many memoirs. You can tell she’s done the work in real life. I like that it’s not only about her life but her life to come and how she’s applying the lessons going forward. Much to learn from her and how she views an individual’s ability to change.
April 26, 2020
I do think Jane Fonda is an amazing person. I’m curious to see if she’s written an updated biography. I’d be curious to see how it has changed in tone, if any. She finished this book when only a few years older than I am right now. This book would have been better with even more material removed. A lot of the spiritual New Age vibe annoyed me (I’m sure many will say that proves my need for spirituality). I was fascinated by the chapter “On Golden Pond” which is the only one of her movies that I have seen. Her description of Katherine Hepburn as extremely competitive, combative, and extremely kind is, I suspect, absolutely correct. And there are not many alive now who would be able to have encountered that force of nature contained in one body and write about it. The movie was pretty much sold as a long sought reunion of Henry Fonda with his daughter before he died, which happened about 5 months later. Jane says accepting her father’s Oscar and bringing it to him was the most wonderful day of her life. However, it did not give her the emotional reunion she had hoped for. A talk with her father shortly before he died did bring that closure. What the movie brought her, I think, was acceptance that, as she had to meet and interact with Hepburn on her terms, she had to do much the same with her father. Jane was painfully uncertain of herself, which impacted all three of her marriages. It says a lot for her though, that she exited each one apparently on good terms with the guy, or developed them as time went on. I certainly haven’t done that (with the one, not three) with my ex husband. At the end, she was bubbling with the need to erase and replace the patriarchy (her word) with a newer more egalitarian world. I imagine she must be absolutely horrified by trump. I saw her (and had a photo taken!) last fall and she certainly wants people to vote blue in November. Someone point blank asked which candidate she supported in the primary and she wisely refused to state, making it clear that the goal has to be to defeat trump.
This was published close to 20 years ago, before she discovered the crisis of climate change and became active in that. I would enjoy a much briefer autobiography updating her life since this ended.
Recommended for admirers of Jane Fonda, movie buffs, Katherine Hepburn admirers, women’s rights, or modern American history, especially the painful time in Vietnam, another fascinating part of her book.
This was published close to 20 years ago, before she discovered the crisis of climate change and became active in that. I would enjoy a much briefer autobiography updating her life since this ended.
Recommended for admirers of Jane Fonda, movie buffs, Katherine Hepburn admirers, women’s rights, or modern American history, especially the painful time in Vietnam, another fascinating part of her book.
February 24, 2018
An insightful look back over the three stages of her life, beginning with her childhood, a mother remote by virtue of her depression which led to her suicide when Jane was 10, and a father she adored, but was seldom allowed into his world emotionally. Three marriages, each unique, and providing her with growth and strength as she moved on into the final stage of enriched enlightenment and peace. An amazing woman, who took up causes from the Viet Nam War to environmental to the education of young adolescent girls. While I was a young adult through the 70s and the Viet Nam War, I learned more about that major event from this book.
Also an enjoyable trip through the memory lane of a number of her movies that I enjoyed.
She wove the children of her husbands into the fabric of her family, which says more than anything else could about her humanitarianism. Anyone can love their own children but to love the children of others is a greater challenge. A well written and very worthwhile read.
Also an enjoyable trip through the memory lane of a number of her movies that I enjoyed.
She wove the children of her husbands into the fabric of her family, which says more than anything else could about her humanitarianism. Anyone can love their own children but to love the children of others is a greater challenge. A well written and very worthwhile read.
June 20, 2023
At some point in the pandemic I was in a deep existential depression with the world, and started listening to Jane Fonda narrate this book. I’d go on a walk, listen to a chapter and felt a bit better. Hearing her talk with so much honesty about her fuckups, regrets, feminism, activism, daddy issues, body issues, politics, boyfriends, etc, made her feel like my imaginary mentor and friend. I went on walks with her, she told me oddly relatable and personal stories from her life, and I learnt something about myself. I’m sure part of my adoration of this book (and tbh Jane Fonda the person) has to do with this strange routine I created around it. I’m also sure that now that it’s over, I dread taking a walk without it.
March 29, 2024
I struggled with this one. A lot.
Jane wrote this book to help young women avoid the same mistakes and challenges she did, but making the book so long and dense made it difficult to read.
I think the book could have been half the size and conveyed the same message in a more concise way. It was painful to read in such details the way Jane repeatedly denied her own wants and desires.
I’m glad she has finally healed and is using her wisdom and resources to help others but god damn.
I am sorry Jane Fonda but this book infuriated me.
Jane wrote this book to help young women avoid the same mistakes and challenges she did, but making the book so long and dense made it difficult to read.
I think the book could have been half the size and conveyed the same message in a more concise way. It was painful to read in such details the way Jane repeatedly denied her own wants and desires.
I’m glad she has finally healed and is using her wisdom and resources to help others but god damn.
I am sorry Jane Fonda but this book infuriated me.
November 5, 2025
Jane Fonda, the woman that you are! What a strikingly honest and surprisingly relatable look at womanhood. Reading this book leading up to my 30th bday (or beginning of my second act as Jane would say) was both healing and intentional.
While this book was very dense - Jane has done so much and the book only covers up until 2006 - it was still an exciting read. I would recommend this to all women. I did a combo of reading and listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Jane herself!
While this book was very dense - Jane has done so much and the book only covers up until 2006 - it was still an exciting read. I would recommend this to all women. I did a combo of reading and listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Jane herself!
October 17, 2025
Loved Jane’s stories!! What an incredible woman! A little wordy (maybe didn’t need 250 pages on the Vietnam war), but learned a lot and felt very inspired by her activism. It’s interesting to hear her reflection through each of her marriages (very Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-esque), and how she eventually came back to herself. Really glad I read this!
November 7, 2018
Jane Fonda's autobiography covers her childhood, career, marriage, and activism. It's written well enough and has some interesting things about her life. Personally, I didn't connect with her story, so it wasn't all that compelling to read. I read this book for a reading challenge.
March 19, 2023
I have admired Jane for so long, after my mom she’s the next person I say is my hero. She’s an amazing actress, she’s intelligent, she’s fierce, she’s funny, she’s done more to help people and our planet than just about anyone… this book was open and honest, beautiful and poignant, I laughed and cried with her, I loved it.
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