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This Will Be Funny Later
A funny, biting, and entertaining memoir of coming of age in the shadow of celebrity and finding your own way in the face of absolute chaos that is both a moving portrait of a complicated family and an exploration of the cost of fame.
Growing up, Jenny Pentland’s life was a literal sitcom. Many of the storylines for her mother’s smash hit series, Roseanne , were drawn from Pentland’s early family life in working-class Denver. But that was only the beginning of the drama. Roseanne Barr’s success as a comedian catapulted the family from the Rockies to star-studded Hollywood—with its toxic culture of money, celebrity, and prying tabloids that was destabilizing for a child in grade school. By adolescence, Jenny struggled with anxiety and eating issues. Her parents and new stepfather, struggling to help, responded by sending Jenny and her siblings on a grand tour of the self-help movement of the ’80s—from fat camps to brat camps, wilderness survival programs to drug rehab clinics (even though Jenny didn’t take drugs). Becoming an adult, all Jenny wanted was to get married and have kids, despite Roseanne’s admonishments not to limit herself to being just a wife and mother. In this scathingly funny and moving memoir, Pentland reveals what it’s like to grow up as the daughter of a television star and how she navigated the turmoil, eventually finding her own path. Now happily married and raising five sons on a farm, Pentland has worked tirelessly to create the stable family she never had, while coming to terms at last with her deep-seated anxiety. This Will Be Funny Later is a darkly funny and frank chronicle of transition, from childhood to adulthood and motherhood—one woman’s journey to define herself and create the life she always wanted.
Growing up, Jenny Pentland’s life was a literal sitcom. Many of the storylines for her mother’s smash hit series, Roseanne , were drawn from Pentland’s early family life in working-class Denver. But that was only the beginning of the drama. Roseanne Barr’s success as a comedian catapulted the family from the Rockies to star-studded Hollywood—with its toxic culture of money, celebrity, and prying tabloids that was destabilizing for a child in grade school. By adolescence, Jenny struggled with anxiety and eating issues. Her parents and new stepfather, struggling to help, responded by sending Jenny and her siblings on a grand tour of the self-help movement of the ’80s—from fat camps to brat camps, wilderness survival programs to drug rehab clinics (even though Jenny didn’t take drugs). Becoming an adult, all Jenny wanted was to get married and have kids, despite Roseanne’s admonishments not to limit herself to being just a wife and mother. In this scathingly funny and moving memoir, Pentland reveals what it’s like to grow up as the daughter of a television star and how she navigated the turmoil, eventually finding her own path. Now happily married and raising five sons on a farm, Pentland has worked tirelessly to create the stable family she never had, while coming to terms at last with her deep-seated anxiety. This Will Be Funny Later is a darkly funny and frank chronicle of transition, from childhood to adulthood and motherhood—one woman’s journey to define herself and create the life she always wanted.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published January 18, 2022
186 people are currently reading
4002 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
March 2, 2023
Are you Becky or Darlene?
The sitcom “Roseanne” is based on Roseanne Barr’s actual family. It was one of my favorite programs in the late 80’s and 90’s, so I was curious to read her daughter’s memoir. This is one of the questions I was hoping Jenny would answer in the book and she actually dedicates an entire chapter to this topic!
I went into this blind, not knowing anything about Jenny Pentland. Roseanne’s second born, she details her experiences with poverty, psychiatric hospitals, obesity, Judaism, her mom’s sudden fame and fortune, and her adult life as a wife and mom of four boys.
I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla, which is read by the author. For a 352 page book, it felt very long and overly detailed. It is a very sad memoir, and I really felt badly for how her family (and Tom Arnold) treated her. She was sent to several psychiatric hospitals, boot camps, and survivalist programs just because she was fat and depressed!
Pentland explains that she wrote the memoir in order to help her heal from the PTSD she suffers as a result of her life experiences. Incredibly, she doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment towards her mother for her questionable parenting choices.
Overall, I am glad to learn a little more about Roseanne’s family, but am disheartened to find out that they are nothing like their television counterparts. Unfortunately, nothing was very funny about Jenny Pentland’s life. I do hope she is able to laugh about it later!
3.5/5 stars rounded down
The sitcom “Roseanne” is based on Roseanne Barr’s actual family. It was one of my favorite programs in the late 80’s and 90’s, so I was curious to read her daughter’s memoir. This is one of the questions I was hoping Jenny would answer in the book and she actually dedicates an entire chapter to this topic!
I went into this blind, not knowing anything about Jenny Pentland. Roseanne’s second born, she details her experiences with poverty, psychiatric hospitals, obesity, Judaism, her mom’s sudden fame and fortune, and her adult life as a wife and mom of four boys.
I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla, which is read by the author. For a 352 page book, it felt very long and overly detailed. It is a very sad memoir, and I really felt badly for how her family (and Tom Arnold) treated her. She was sent to several psychiatric hospitals, boot camps, and survivalist programs just because she was fat and depressed!
Pentland explains that she wrote the memoir in order to help her heal from the PTSD she suffers as a result of her life experiences. Incredibly, she doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment towards her mother for her questionable parenting choices.
Overall, I am glad to learn a little more about Roseanne’s family, but am disheartened to find out that they are nothing like their television counterparts. Unfortunately, nothing was very funny about Jenny Pentland’s life. I do hope she is able to laugh about it later!
3.5/5 stars rounded down
October 20, 2022
This Will Be Funny Later is the memoir of Jenny Pentland, who found herself going from rags to riches after her mother, Roseanne Barr, achieved massive success in the entertainment industry. I really appreciated Pentland's reflections on the effects of the media attention on her family and also her mental health struggles and the "treatments" she was forced to endure. It's a compelling book for memoir readers who enjoy some '80s and '90s nostalgia.
February 22, 2022
After checking this out from the library, I finished this book today and feel a bit conflicted. Frankly, much of the expectations I had for this memoir rode on a NY Times book review and the title of the book...and I guess my general knowledge of Rosanne Barr. I think the book might fall a bit short for me simply because the title was a bit misleading and what were intended to perhaps be funny quips in the book just never did come full circle in a way that felt funny. I think the author wants it to be funny or is saying she might be able to laugh about some of her truly harrowing experiences...but as a reader I just felt continuously empathetic and sad that someone went through some of the things she had to go through. There are some authors that can tell a story that is truly horrific but infuse it with humor but this was not a story that used that skillset and for that reason I would say the title of the book is really problematic.
SO, that aside. I really took to this book and felt compelled to read it beginning to end. There were sections that I found a bit lacking, namely towards the end when one entire chapter was devoted to Twitter posts she thought were worthy of reprinting. It was not my cup of tea or of that much interest to me. Some of what she saw as funny or clever posts fell very flat for me. On the contrary, I just did not care for this and found them and the story of why Twitter was so important to her as a stay at home mom kind of reaching.
I feel like Pentland really tried to strike a balance to create a true account of her upbringing without the feeling of a tell-all or take down book aimed at her parents, most specifically her mother. In fact, much of the time I felt like she held back and was a bit too generous. She clearly has some bitter feelings about Tom Arnold and airs those but oftentimes stops short of calling her mother to the carpet. I am sure that is because she desires to have a relationship with her parents despite the fact that her mother intrudes upon her life quite often due to her celebrity.
Pentland shares that the true purpose of her book is to shine a light on recovery programs aimed at teens and calls into question how many of them are actually effective or even ethically advisable places to send your children. I think she did accomplish that. I think she could have stopped at that but continued on to include a few awkward chapters at the end of the book to bring us up to date and include her mother's Twitter fiasco and how it once again impacted her personal life.
Overall, I found this book interesting but not mind blowing. I found her account of living with a celebrity mother pretty eye opening. It truly sheds light on what we think we see from the outside is often very far from the truth when experienced from the inside. Since Pentland doesn't fully call out her mother, I find it hard to blame her myself...but I certainly don't like what I learned. My biggest takeaway was that her parents were too busy to actually be parents and shipped their kids off to be fixed instead of creating a safe place for quality time and honest conversations about what they were going through. What parent creates zero path for high school graduation or even has a vision for what kind of future they can discuss together and work towards? These parents. These very negligent parents.
SO, that aside. I really took to this book and felt compelled to read it beginning to end. There were sections that I found a bit lacking, namely towards the end when one entire chapter was devoted to Twitter posts she thought were worthy of reprinting. It was not my cup of tea or of that much interest to me. Some of what she saw as funny or clever posts fell very flat for me. On the contrary, I just did not care for this and found them and the story of why Twitter was so important to her as a stay at home mom kind of reaching.
I feel like Pentland really tried to strike a balance to create a true account of her upbringing without the feeling of a tell-all or take down book aimed at her parents, most specifically her mother. In fact, much of the time I felt like she held back and was a bit too generous. She clearly has some bitter feelings about Tom Arnold and airs those but oftentimes stops short of calling her mother to the carpet. I am sure that is because she desires to have a relationship with her parents despite the fact that her mother intrudes upon her life quite often due to her celebrity.
Pentland shares that the true purpose of her book is to shine a light on recovery programs aimed at teens and calls into question how many of them are actually effective or even ethically advisable places to send your children. I think she did accomplish that. I think she could have stopped at that but continued on to include a few awkward chapters at the end of the book to bring us up to date and include her mother's Twitter fiasco and how it once again impacted her personal life.
Overall, I found this book interesting but not mind blowing. I found her account of living with a celebrity mother pretty eye opening. It truly sheds light on what we think we see from the outside is often very far from the truth when experienced from the inside. Since Pentland doesn't fully call out her mother, I find it hard to blame her myself...but I certainly don't like what I learned. My biggest takeaway was that her parents were too busy to actually be parents and shipped their kids off to be fixed instead of creating a safe place for quality time and honest conversations about what they were going through. What parent creates zero path for high school graduation or even has a vision for what kind of future they can discuss together and work towards? These parents. These very negligent parents.
October 13, 2021
Read if you: Want a raw, honest, funny, and moving memoir about coming through a traumatizing childhood/teenhood and finding happiness and fulfillment.
This is not a "Mommie Dearest" sort of memoir--Jenny Pentland is clear about her chaotic and traumatizing "treatment" in wilderness programs, mental institutions, boarding schools, etc, but she is rather reserved when actually writing about her mother, Roseanne Barr (she clearly maintains a relationship with her mother). Rather--this is a powerful memoir about the effects of a traumatized childhood and the struggles to break through to another life. She has a unique, original, and memorable voice, as well as an important story to tell. I look forward to following her writing career.
Librarians/booksellers: Patrons/customers will be interested in the author's family, but Pentland's compelling writing will definitely keep them hooked.
Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a "Mommie Dearest" sort of memoir--Jenny Pentland is clear about her chaotic and traumatizing "treatment" in wilderness programs, mental institutions, boarding schools, etc, but she is rather reserved when actually writing about her mother, Roseanne Barr (she clearly maintains a relationship with her mother). Rather--this is a powerful memoir about the effects of a traumatized childhood and the struggles to break through to another life. She has a unique, original, and memorable voice, as well as an important story to tell. I look forward to following her writing career.
Librarians/booksellers: Patrons/customers will be interested in the author's family, but Pentland's compelling writing will definitely keep them hooked.
Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2022
This one was tough and pulled at my mama heartstrings. I can only hope Roseanne and then husband Tom Arnold had the best of intentions for her children when they were sent to fat camps, psych hospitals, and wilderness "fix your kid" programs. And yet, Pentland's PTSD that resulted clearly shows how well they didn't work.
Reminds me of Paris Hilton's experience and her recently launched Podcast that is attempting to tell the stories of victims.
Reminds me of Paris Hilton's experience and her recently launched Podcast that is attempting to tell the stories of victims.
April 25, 2022
Jenny Pentland was born into an average working class family in the 80's consisting of her mom, dad, and 3 kids (she is the middle child). The family celebrated when the dad got a job at the post office bringing to the family the ability to "buy brand name foods but we couldn't spill them." Jenny is now the mother of 5 sons who along with her husband and kids lives in Hawaii. Sounds like a fairly average story until you learn when Jenny was in elementary school, her mother, Roseanne Pentland, used ambition and comedy to become Roseanne Barr. Her mother's fame, parents' divorce, Roseanne's marriage to Tom Arnold, and a host of attempts by her parents to change everything about Jenny from her weight to her attitude left her with extreme PTSD.
I'm torn on how I feel about this one. I didn't find it funny, and I don't think I'll find it funny later. Yet, it's a fascinating look at a darker side of fame and wealth and the potentially damaging, lasting effects of everything from fad diets to unvetted psychological treatment. It's a fascinating story that I'm very glad I read, but I spent a lot of time trying to read between the lines, or understand unexplained family dynamics, or simply understand how Jenny and her family got from point A to point B. There's a weird disconnect in the narrative that seems to have Jenny assigning blame to the universe for all the things that happened to her (the "Pentland curse," astrology, etc.) instead of real world bad choices (including her own) made by real people. In addition, some big, profound moments get vaguely glossed over and never resolved. As the reader, I needed...something (more details?)...to help better understand all those dynamics. Definitely interesting but flawed memoir.
I'm torn on how I feel about this one. I didn't find it funny, and I don't think I'll find it funny later. Yet, it's a fascinating look at a darker side of fame and wealth and the potentially damaging, lasting effects of everything from fad diets to unvetted psychological treatment. It's a fascinating story that I'm very glad I read, but I spent a lot of time trying to read between the lines, or understand unexplained family dynamics, or simply understand how Jenny and her family got from point A to point B. There's a weird disconnect in the narrative that seems to have Jenny assigning blame to the universe for all the things that happened to her (the "Pentland curse," astrology, etc.) instead of real world bad choices (including her own) made by real people. In addition, some big, profound moments get vaguely glossed over and never resolved. As the reader, I needed...something (more details?)...to help better understand all those dynamics. Definitely interesting but flawed memoir.
December 31, 2021
I was a fan of Jenny Pentland's Twitter feed long before I knew she was Roseanne Barr's daughter. Her tweets were wry, smart, hilarious but also laced with a kind of sweetness. And her stories peeked out now and again, little glimpses of darkness from her past, hinting at a hellish teen and young adulthood as a Hollywood-80s-kid-with-a-tabloid-staple-mom. Holy shit what a book. What a story! Jenny can WRITE, and she has an incredible story to tell. But this isn't a Mommy Dearest screed; she loves her mom, despite what would NOW be considered abuse. Back then sending your kids to "fat camp", or to a half dozen (or more) disciplinary schools felt like the best option for a kid who did not fit into her new Hollywood life and whose family exploded after newfound wealth and fame. She was spiralling out of control, and watching herself doing it. But Jenny's rendering of those harrowing years is riveting and unsparing—the kidnappings, the lockdowns, being abandoned in the wilderness, run ins with other famous people and their own damaged kids—and yet they're also the FUNNIEST chapters. Jenny doesn't even spare herself. Thankfully, she comes to a kind of happy ending, but even then, there's always a missile pointing right at her. If you're a fan of David Sedaris and Carrie Fisher you will LOVE this book. I did.
March 20, 2022
I’ve never watched a full episode of Roseanne in its run years or in re-runs. So I don’t have a frame of reference for the specific experiences. It didn’t affect my satisfaction with the story.
I picked this up for a memoir of growing up in the 70s and 80s. It seems like you got one of two childhoods in those eras. You either got picture perfect parents in the split level home or you got pure chaos with truly screwed up parenting. Although the former, for all I know, was just a great cover for more of the latter.
Jenny’s childhood is the latter. I’m no stranger to that type of chaos so this book presented a trip down memory lane except Jenny had to do all of this with paparazzi documenting it for her.
She had to do all this while being obese. The 70s and 80s were not kind to the un-Barbie.
The 2nd half of the book was the better half to me even so as she talks about escaping to Hawaii to raise her 5 sons and to deal with her childhood PTSD.
Although Roseanne is prominently featured in the book she certainly and by far does not make up the bulk of the book.
Although I am now quite curious about Roseanne too and what kind of Granny she makes.
March 13, 2022
I was about to give this 4 stars but please explain how Rosanne, the author’s mother,had her tubes tied after having Jake and years later go through fertility treatments and have Buck? Houston we need a fact checker! Also this was a horrific childhood filled with child kidnappings, cruel boarding schools, humiliating fat camps and survival wilderness camps, it was stomach churning what rich people do to their kids. And when Jenny turns 18, it’s all good with her crazy mom. I listened to the audio version and hadn’t realized she was Rosanne’s daughter. Thank god she didn’t inherit the nails on blackboard vouice of her mother. It’s shocking how the author doesn’t connect her life long anxiety attacks and PTSD to her crappy childhood and disengaged parents. This was an interesting story, but don’t expect any laughs.
January 30, 2022
This book was very much a surprise, I went in with low expectations, figured it would be a dnf. Surprisingly funny, really loved how she humanized her mother, she was remarkable in making us just see her as a mom, nothing more. I admire anyone who will lay their lives out on paper for others to see, very brave. She is a bright, talented, funny woman with a very full plate, wish her nothing but success and happiness.
March 7, 2022
I am not sure how this got on my list now, maybe a New York Times blurb, but when I realized that she was a daughter of Roseanne, THE Roseanne, whose sitcom was a constant fixture of television viewing in our house for the nine seasons in which it aired . . .I was intrigued by what the Pentland house was like.
The Pentlands (Barr was Roseanne's maiden name) were a working class family in Colorado when Roseanne, trying to find something to do outside her wife and mom role, started doing stand-up comedy and working her way through various clubs. TV execs eventually caught wind of her and thought a sitcom would be a good vehicle, with episodes based on their life - which, as Jenny points out and will be apparent later, very sanitized for primetime. This involved packing the kids and house up and moving everyone out to California, which is culture shock on its own, but then add a parent who has now become a celebrity to all the regular angst that comes with being a pre-teen and you've got some trouble there, pardner.
My future husband, after we hear about children and adults that get sucked into substance abuse and all sorts of chaos when their star ascends, also wants to know why they don't have a coach to prepare them for this kind of thing. And, from this book, I would argue the family, as well, especially if they're not versed in Hollywood Life, as the Pentlands sure weren't. Jenny getting hassled by fellow students and even teachers asking inappropriate questions, trying to avoid paparazzi hiding in the bushes at school, and then her parents are getting divorced because her mom has been screwing Tom Arnold and wants him instead.
Jenny, through her teen years, gets sent to Weight Watchers fat camps, mental health facilities, and even some wilderness experience camps that are basically tied to cults. These all fall into the Help for Troubled Teens genre, and most of this seems to be Arnold's doing, although it's not like her mom did much to stop it, so . . . Despite Jenny not directly calling her mom out, she doesn't really come off so great here, either. Jenny's experience with these camps seems to be similar to many other kids who went there - most of them were sent because they'd done a few drugs, or were having sex, or just mouthing off as teenagers do - and instead of parents actually trying to parent, they got swayed by brochures and had their kids kidnapped in the middle of the night and sometimes taken in handcuffs to the middle of nowhere, to trek around the wilderness with a carrot and potato for sustenance and not allowed to speak to anyone.
There's a lot more to the story, but, even during the darker moments, I enjoyed her telling of events. I have seen some reviews claim the title is misleading, as the book wasn't "laugh out loud funny." I did laugh a few times pretty hard, but I think these reviews are taking the title a bit too literally. This phrase is a coping mechanism, much like Jenny figures out later in life what she has been doing, or not doing in some cases, to cope. It doesn't necessarily mean that it WILL be funny, but an attempt, perhaps, to manifest that hope.
The Pentlands (Barr was Roseanne's maiden name) were a working class family in Colorado when Roseanne, trying to find something to do outside her wife and mom role, started doing stand-up comedy and working her way through various clubs. TV execs eventually caught wind of her and thought a sitcom would be a good vehicle, with episodes based on their life - which, as Jenny points out and will be apparent later, very sanitized for primetime. This involved packing the kids and house up and moving everyone out to California, which is culture shock on its own, but then add a parent who has now become a celebrity to all the regular angst that comes with being a pre-teen and you've got some trouble there, pardner.
My future husband, after we hear about children and adults that get sucked into substance abuse and all sorts of chaos when their star ascends, also wants to know why they don't have a coach to prepare them for this kind of thing. And, from this book, I would argue the family, as well, especially if they're not versed in Hollywood Life, as the Pentlands sure weren't. Jenny getting hassled by fellow students and even teachers asking inappropriate questions, trying to avoid paparazzi hiding in the bushes at school, and then her parents are getting divorced because her mom has been screwing Tom Arnold and wants him instead.
Jenny, through her teen years, gets sent to Weight Watchers fat camps, mental health facilities, and even some wilderness experience camps that are basically tied to cults. These all fall into the Help for Troubled Teens genre, and most of this seems to be Arnold's doing, although it's not like her mom did much to stop it, so . . . Despite Jenny not directly calling her mom out, she doesn't really come off so great here, either. Jenny's experience with these camps seems to be similar to many other kids who went there - most of them were sent because they'd done a few drugs, or were having sex, or just mouthing off as teenagers do - and instead of parents actually trying to parent, they got swayed by brochures and had their kids kidnapped in the middle of the night and sometimes taken in handcuffs to the middle of nowhere, to trek around the wilderness with a carrot and potato for sustenance and not allowed to speak to anyone.
There's a lot more to the story, but, even during the darker moments, I enjoyed her telling of events. I have seen some reviews claim the title is misleading, as the book wasn't "laugh out loud funny." I did laugh a few times pretty hard, but I think these reviews are taking the title a bit too literally. This phrase is a coping mechanism, much like Jenny figures out later in life what she has been doing, or not doing in some cases, to cope. It doesn't necessarily mean that it WILL be funny, but an attempt, perhaps, to manifest that hope.
January 29, 2022
This is a memoir of Rosanne Barr's daughter and how she grew up in a sitcom family, literally. Many of the storylines for her mother’s smash hit series, Roseanne, were drawn from their family life in Denver. The author talks about what it’s like to grow up as the daughter of a television star. She reveals how her parents dealt with her anxiety by sending her to fat camps and wilderness camps. This story gives us insight into how she moved through being an adolescent who struggled with her weight to finding love and becoming a parent.
This book had funny chapter headings. I have such an appreciation for interesting structures and titles for books that make them stand out. Even though a lot of the content was emotional, the author wrote about it was with a sense of humor and a tongue-in-cheek tone.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jen...
This book had funny chapter headings. I have such an appreciation for interesting structures and titles for books that make them stand out. Even though a lot of the content was emotional, the author wrote about it was with a sense of humor and a tongue-in-cheek tone.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jen...
April 5, 2022
Nothing funny about this depressing, deadly book that proves what a horrible person Roseanne Barr was--not only on set but even more as a parent.
Her daughter Jenny reveals inside details about the family and what happened when they suddenly became successful, and none of it is positive or humorous. Most disconcerting is that Pentland spends most of the book defending her mother and spinning falsehoods to try to correct the public image of Roseanne. The author is simply delusional about some aspects of her mother and after all of her teen years in terrible mind-altering rehab nothing she writes should be trusted.
The first part of the book is dull as she recaps the early years, with weird references to witchcraft and her mom's Jewish background (her dad was raised Christian).
Then the book kicks in once Roseanne's sitcom becomes a hit. Pentland tries to convince us (multiple times) that Roseanne "created" the sitcom and got no respect year after year due to her being a powerful female. The truth is Barr did not "create" the sitcom, she only created the stand-up character, and virtually every producer or writer that worked with her on the show came away thinking Roseanne was either crazy or a control freak. The wonderful Matt Williams is the one who created the show (and receives on-screen credit for it) so it's upsetting to see Pentland try to push propaganda in the name of feminism.
By age 13 Pentland is sent to rehab for being an overweight rebel and follows in her older sister's footsteps going through almost 8 torturous years away from home, including the terrible desert camp experiences. This is all told in so much detail that the book is almost a guide in how to lie, cheat, and steal your way out of a rehab facility. The oddest part is that she is never anywhere that has a television, so she doesn't know what's going on in Roseanne's TV world. The actress simply abandons her children to focus on her career.
While interesting, Pentland's complaining and blame-shifting gets old really fast. She is certainly mistreated and misdiagnosed, but Jenny doesn't help herself by continually rebelling and talking nasty to every adult she encounters. You think Roseanne is bad? Her kids are much worse.
Once she is "graduated" just before the final season of Roseanne she gets a job on the show, gets married, has kids, and summarizes the dull last 15 years in a few dozen pages. It's unclear if the author has learned any lessons, beyond the fact that she raised an oldest child who turns out to be another rebel. But, oddly, she's almost proud of him. She may think this will all be funny later but at this point it's all just very sad.
Her daughter Jenny reveals inside details about the family and what happened when they suddenly became successful, and none of it is positive or humorous. Most disconcerting is that Pentland spends most of the book defending her mother and spinning falsehoods to try to correct the public image of Roseanne. The author is simply delusional about some aspects of her mother and after all of her teen years in terrible mind-altering rehab nothing she writes should be trusted.
The first part of the book is dull as she recaps the early years, with weird references to witchcraft and her mom's Jewish background (her dad was raised Christian).
Then the book kicks in once Roseanne's sitcom becomes a hit. Pentland tries to convince us (multiple times) that Roseanne "created" the sitcom and got no respect year after year due to her being a powerful female. The truth is Barr did not "create" the sitcom, she only created the stand-up character, and virtually every producer or writer that worked with her on the show came away thinking Roseanne was either crazy or a control freak. The wonderful Matt Williams is the one who created the show (and receives on-screen credit for it) so it's upsetting to see Pentland try to push propaganda in the name of feminism.
By age 13 Pentland is sent to rehab for being an overweight rebel and follows in her older sister's footsteps going through almost 8 torturous years away from home, including the terrible desert camp experiences. This is all told in so much detail that the book is almost a guide in how to lie, cheat, and steal your way out of a rehab facility. The oddest part is that she is never anywhere that has a television, so she doesn't know what's going on in Roseanne's TV world. The actress simply abandons her children to focus on her career.
While interesting, Pentland's complaining and blame-shifting gets old really fast. She is certainly mistreated and misdiagnosed, but Jenny doesn't help herself by continually rebelling and talking nasty to every adult she encounters. You think Roseanne is bad? Her kids are much worse.
Once she is "graduated" just before the final season of Roseanne she gets a job on the show, gets married, has kids, and summarizes the dull last 15 years in a few dozen pages. It's unclear if the author has learned any lessons, beyond the fact that she raised an oldest child who turns out to be another rebel. But, oddly, she's almost proud of him. She may think this will all be funny later but at this point it's all just very sad.
February 17, 2022
3.75 rounded up
The memoir you never knew you needed is here! A memoir by Roseanne Barr’s daughter.
Jenny Pentland’s childhood often mirrored that of her mom’s #1 hit TV show. In fact many of the characters were based on her family members and the set of the show copied her childhood home. We hear about Jenny’s life pre mom-fame and the wild ride during, Barr’s ascent and often Jenny’s decline. She is put in fat camps, wilderness programs and boarding schools based on perceived behavioral issues. Her mom divorces her dad, marries a raging drug addict (Tom Arnold) and divorces and remarries again all while her children fall into different spirals.
Even though the subjects can be tough, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments in the memoir. Pentland certainly can write and she has a great sense of humor. And while she talks about her mom and the sometimes insane decisions she makes she is defensive of the choices she makes. They still very much have a relationship and through the wild rides they remain close. I found the best parts for me were the funny parts. Once we get into the agonizing teen years where Jenny is struggling it started getting a bit much for me. However, it was a slice of a life I’m glad I read about and I always appreciate someone sharing their own descent and how they’ve then picked themselves up for a better life, which Jenny certainly seems to have achieved.
The memoir you never knew you needed is here! A memoir by Roseanne Barr’s daughter.
Jenny Pentland’s childhood often mirrored that of her mom’s #1 hit TV show. In fact many of the characters were based on her family members and the set of the show copied her childhood home. We hear about Jenny’s life pre mom-fame and the wild ride during, Barr’s ascent and often Jenny’s decline. She is put in fat camps, wilderness programs and boarding schools based on perceived behavioral issues. Her mom divorces her dad, marries a raging drug addict (Tom Arnold) and divorces and remarries again all while her children fall into different spirals.
Even though the subjects can be tough, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments in the memoir. Pentland certainly can write and she has a great sense of humor. And while she talks about her mom and the sometimes insane decisions she makes she is defensive of the choices she makes. They still very much have a relationship and through the wild rides they remain close. I found the best parts for me were the funny parts. Once we get into the agonizing teen years where Jenny is struggling it started getting a bit much for me. However, it was a slice of a life I’m glad I read about and I always appreciate someone sharing their own descent and how they’ve then picked themselves up for a better life, which Jenny certainly seems to have achieved.
March 20, 2022
Not the kind of thing I normally read, but I sort of fell into it by accident and then couldn't stop reading. A very interesting history of just what fame can do to a family and the absolutely wild/awful things that money can't protect you from.
December 25, 2021
At times depressing, at times hilarious, I found this memoir about growing up in a famous family very entertaining. Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Although, the giveaway did not mention the book was an advanced reader copy--I usually prefer to wait for the finished book to be published as I miss any intros, maps, graphs, etc. that are often added later. I would recommend clearly stating when a giveaway is for an ARC or galley.
January 25, 2022
Honestly, I read this book to meet my quota of nonfiction books with no real expectations. It caught me off guard by being such an enjoyable read. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are fascinating and it made me look at some events I thought I knew pretty well through a new lens. Well-written and honest. I adore her now.
June 15, 2022
Harrowing at times, crazy at others, this memior from Roseanne Barr's youngest daughter is sad and gross and intriguing. Further exposing the long running wayward celebrity child boarding school/rehab/mental health/fat camp facilities industry and the effects upon her and her family, it's shocking that Pentland doesn't seem to blame her parents.
February 11, 2022
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I don’t care about Roseanne Barr one way or the other. I only watched her show once in a great while growing up. But something drew me to the memoir her daughter just published. And what a story she has to tell.
This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir is a must read, and I’m usually not one for memoirs of the unfamous. But the blurb I read was compelling, so much so that I burned an Audible credit to get the book. I was not disappointed. Pentland has led a very interesting life which she looks back on with humor and horror at the same time.
The stories Roseanne Barr crafted for her television show came straight from her home life, much to Pentland’s chagrin. When her mother moved the family to California from Colorado, she didn’t know what to expect. In a word, it was a s$%t show. Though she never specifically says it, Roseanne and her then husband were not the greatest of parents before they moved, and after their divorce and Roseanne’s marriage to comedian Tom Arnold, it got even worse.
Instead of dealing with her kids and their increasing troubles, Roseanne and Tom routinely shipped them off to fat farms, psych wards, wilderness camps and the like, to have someone else deal with the issues the kids were facing. And the things that happened to Pentland and other kids who faced a similar fate are at times shocking and unbelievable. An overhaul of the system had to happen, and I sure hope it has. But here’s the thing: Jenny Pentland has learned how to live with her screwed up childhood and tell it like it is with humor and grace and forgiveness for her mom. I don’t know that I could say the same if I went through all she did.
Surprisingly, even though Pentland is Roseanne Barr’s daughter, she doesn’t exactly spend a lot of time talking about her mom. She talks about her dad, Tom Arnold, her siblings and others, but she’s very careful about what she says about Barr. So even though this is a very raw and honest memoir, she’s still holding back a little because she still has a relationship with her mom. Maybe, through years of therapy, she’s found it best to just let go of her mother’s failings, which is what most kids should do when it comes to their parents.
All her life, the author just wanted to get married and have kids with no grand plans beyond that. Pentland’s life growing up and early adulthood were truly messed up, and it’s clear she’s come to peace with everything that happened to her. She has a husband and FIVE boys and lives in Hawaii, not far from her mom.
Don’t pick up this memoir if you’re a fan of Roseanne Barr. Pick up this memoir because you’re a fan of a well-written memoir that just so happens to have Barr as one of the many players in Pentland’s life. Her story is worth telling.
I don’t care about Roseanne Barr one way or the other. I only watched her show once in a great while growing up. But something drew me to the memoir her daughter just published. And what a story she has to tell.
This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir is a must read, and I’m usually not one for memoirs of the unfamous. But the blurb I read was compelling, so much so that I burned an Audible credit to get the book. I was not disappointed. Pentland has led a very interesting life which she looks back on with humor and horror at the same time.
The stories Roseanne Barr crafted for her television show came straight from her home life, much to Pentland’s chagrin. When her mother moved the family to California from Colorado, she didn’t know what to expect. In a word, it was a s$%t show. Though she never specifically says it, Roseanne and her then husband were not the greatest of parents before they moved, and after their divorce and Roseanne’s marriage to comedian Tom Arnold, it got even worse.
Instead of dealing with her kids and their increasing troubles, Roseanne and Tom routinely shipped them off to fat farms, psych wards, wilderness camps and the like, to have someone else deal with the issues the kids were facing. And the things that happened to Pentland and other kids who faced a similar fate are at times shocking and unbelievable. An overhaul of the system had to happen, and I sure hope it has. But here’s the thing: Jenny Pentland has learned how to live with her screwed up childhood and tell it like it is with humor and grace and forgiveness for her mom. I don’t know that I could say the same if I went through all she did.
Surprisingly, even though Pentland is Roseanne Barr’s daughter, she doesn’t exactly spend a lot of time talking about her mom. She talks about her dad, Tom Arnold, her siblings and others, but she’s very careful about what she says about Barr. So even though this is a very raw and honest memoir, she’s still holding back a little because she still has a relationship with her mom. Maybe, through years of therapy, she’s found it best to just let go of her mother’s failings, which is what most kids should do when it comes to their parents.
All her life, the author just wanted to get married and have kids with no grand plans beyond that. Pentland’s life growing up and early adulthood were truly messed up, and it’s clear she’s come to peace with everything that happened to her. She has a husband and FIVE boys and lives in Hawaii, not far from her mom.
Don’t pick up this memoir if you’re a fan of Roseanne Barr. Pick up this memoir because you’re a fan of a well-written memoir that just so happens to have Barr as one of the many players in Pentland’s life. Her story is worth telling.
November 16, 2022
I love memoirs. It's one of my favorite genres. This one seemed very promising with the humor, celebrity-tell-all potential, and a troubled childhood. But I just failed to see any emotional growth, reflection, perspective, healing. I see a lot of blaming one individual stepfather (who is undeniably terrible) but absolutely no accountability for her actual parents who made these decisions for her and failed her when she was clearly crying out for help. She doesn't really address any of her own actions, it's kind of a big mystery about why she ended up spending a year in an inpatient mental hospital, multiple years in teen reform programs. She just kept saying that she was sent there because she was fat. I guess I just don't see the connection because her mom and Tom Arnold are also very fat so why would they send her away for being fat it just seems strange. And why would a mental hospital keep her for a year because she's fat just because she is good insurance. I guess it just all doesn't seem to make sense and while undeniably she experienced terrible abuses of power in these scenarios I also don't really see any way that she has done any healing or growth or reflection since then she seems very stunted at that point in her life and that level of maturity. I don't know, I kind of just found myself frustrated with the whole book and everybody involved.
January 11, 2022
I had no idea what to expect with this book. I was pleasantly surprised. Jennifer has lived an interesting life from the time she was relatively young. The book was sort of three fold for me. There was some focus on her life as the daughter of a celebrity. That part of the book, while interesting, paled in comparison to the experiences of her troubled younger life and the time she spent in fat camps and rehabilitative therapies. I felt for her. The extreme measures she endured seemed over the top for a someone who seemed like a normal teenager to me. Jennifer was strong and I appreciated her mental and physical endurance. I also appreciated her relationship with her siblings. While there was overt humor in the book, there was also subtle humor that was even funnier. She is a good storyteller. The third focus is on her transition into adulthood, marriage, and children. I enjoyed her evolution into a responsible wife and mother. This was a good read told from a fresh perspective.
March 8, 2022
This is an honest, hilarious and often sad memoir about growing up in very unexpected places. Including fat camp for four consecutive summers.
It's everything you might expect from the daughter of a Hollywood comedian who, as it turns out, is also quite comical.
Oh. And it's very well-written, too!
It's everything you might expect from the daughter of a Hollywood comedian who, as it turns out, is also quite comical.
Oh. And it's very well-written, too!
March 5, 2022
I felt very sad for the author. So hard to be the daughter of Roseann Barr and have her mom not be home and basically be moved around to different schools and mental institutions. Happy that her adult life seems more stable.
February 23, 2022
This was a tough read as each page led deeper into her tales of childhood trauma. And yet, the pages kept turning in hopes of some respite from the chaos. Pentland’s life was anything but dull.
March 13, 2022
A memoire by Rosanne Barr’s daughter - was pretty interesting to see what life was like for her growing up before, during and after Rosanne’s fame.
November 24, 2022
This is one of Roseanne Barr’s real-life daughters. Y’all, this upbringing was not okay. It’s wild to hear about the neglect and horrid behavior, yet Pentland doesn’t exactly seem resentful. Idk. Honestly, I wanted more on Barr; more on the national anthem crotch grab fallout, and the like. I guess what I really want now is a current-day Roseanne memoir / biography to capture all the recent wackiness.
June 19, 2022
The sitcom "Roseanne" is one of my favorite TV shows of all time - I own the complete series and rewatch the episodes repeatedly as a comfort tool. So when I saw that Roseanne Barr's daughter had written a memoir about her life during those years, I knew I had to pick it up. I came to terms long ago with the fact that Roseanne Conner the character is very different from Roseanne Barr the person, so that helped prepare me a bit for what I was about to learn.
But only a bit. Holy crap. I had previously heard that Roseanne's real daughters wanted to use a coffin as a bed, but their actual lives were way too harsh for TV. Jenny Pentland has been through some shit. All the reform schools, Weight Watchers camps, and wilderness survival camps, combined with her mother's problematic marriage and paparazzi-frenzied life, and it's astonishing to see that she got to adulthood in one piece. (Though she talks at the end of the book about her recent journey into therapy for PTSD, which thank god, cuz that was a lot of trauma to endure at such a young age.)
Jenny maintains a balance between defending and critiquing her mom's actions over the years, while she also remains pretty grounded as the daughter of a celebrity. She also gives "Roseanne" fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of the show, and it was interesting to hear her talk about real life things that happened in her family that then ended up being plot lines in the show.
But only a bit. Holy crap. I had previously heard that Roseanne's real daughters wanted to use a coffin as a bed, but their actual lives were way too harsh for TV. Jenny Pentland has been through some shit. All the reform schools, Weight Watchers camps, and wilderness survival camps, combined with her mother's problematic marriage and paparazzi-frenzied life, and it's astonishing to see that she got to adulthood in one piece. (Though she talks at the end of the book about her recent journey into therapy for PTSD, which thank god, cuz that was a lot of trauma to endure at such a young age.)
Jenny maintains a balance between defending and critiquing her mom's actions over the years, while she also remains pretty grounded as the daughter of a celebrity. She also gives "Roseanne" fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of the show, and it was interesting to hear her talk about real life things that happened in her family that then ended up being plot lines in the show.
March 5, 2022
The way she raised four children does not make you a fan of Roseanne....
June 8, 2022
This was a good book...but let me tell you how I decide on my rating. 5⭐ is a book I love, want on my shelf, and will probably read again. 4⭐i is a great book, most likely on my shelf and highly recommend, might read again. 3⭐ is a good book but not one that I would read again. 2⭐ not for me and 1⭐ is horrible.
So read this book.
So read this book.
June 3, 2022
I listened to this memoir on audiobook and again, I really enjoyed consuming it that way. I like celebrity memoirs, but this one was even a bit more interesting for me because it came from a celebrity's child. It was interesting to see how her life was, especially since we are very close to the same age. I didn't know much about her family and was fascinated by all of it. I feel bad for what she had to go through. The book had many funny parts to it and then some very serious parts and I thought that it was a good mix.
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