Member Reviews

Henry Winkler is one of the most fascinating people in pop culture and this book was a cool look at him. His journey finding relevance at different stages of his life and showing strong appreciation in the later years makes him a great story. One of the better books looking at an acting icon from his own perspective. I love everything Henry represents as a person and he makes me appreciate his career more knowing what he put himself into. Buying this book as a gift for friends to make up for missing this review in timely fashion.

Was this review helpful?

Who doesn't love the Fonz? I am a bit young to fully remember Happy Days, but I have seen reruns as a child and this show was funny and made you feel good. I didn't know that Henry was dyslexic and all the struggles he had due to this. Overall, Henry is just a normal person like the rest of us with fears, struggles, and issues.. He seems very down to earth and real. I really enjoyed this!

Was this review helpful?

I've always love the Fonz and was excited to read more about it. He is rather different that what I imagine but this book made me like him even more. I, like so many others, have thought of Henry Winkler just as his character and reading this I couldn't have been more wrong. He was the polar opposite of his most known character, He lived in a world full of doubt, undiagnosed dyslexia that he was found out until well into his adult life. He played multiple small roles but he never got the recognition like he did for the first role that he landed which made for a great career but also one that he couldn't escape from. He is likeable and relatable and after reading this, I had so much love and admiration for him

Was this review helpful?

This was a very engaging biography.
It goes beyond Fonzie and into his personal life and history as well
Highly recommended for fans of his shows as well as hollywood biographies.

Was this review helpful?

An incredible look at an incredible life. I loved every moment of Henry Winkler’s story. Full of wonder and mischief, love and longing, victory and perseverance. He’s an incredible artist, storyteller, autobiographer, and all around human being. Will be recommending far and wide!

Was this review helpful?

An honest and beautifully written memoir, Being Henry by Henry Winkler, was enjoyable and easy to read. It was told in a conversational manner. As I read the book, I had the feeling that Henry was sitting in my living room telling story after story. As a teen, Happy Days was one of my favorite shows. Later in life, as a children’s librarian, I was familiar with his books for children. Other than that, I had not followed his career nor knew much about him. In his memoir, I learned so much about the kind and humble man that he is. He talked about his career, his difficult upbringing with immigrant parents, his insecurities, and his struggles with dyslexia. His wife, Stacey, contributed to the memoir as well, weaving in stories of her own about him. I highly recommend reading Being Henry.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a sweet and endearing book. All memoirs should be read by their author, especially if they’re as warm and friendly as Henry Winckler.

I appreciated Winckler’s candor when detailing his career, even calling out his lack of humility at certain points of his success.

Including brief moments of narration by Winckler’s wife was a huge win for me as a reader.

Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I always imagined Henry Winkler to be a kind and humble man. After reading this autobiography, I am sure that's exactly what he is. Life experiences, history of his home life as a young child, his marriage and children. Sweetly written, and told with humor and humility. Enjoyed it very much.

Was this review helpful?

What a joy to read a book in Henry Winkler’sown, distinct voice. But a lot of this book made me sad. He never seemed like he was happy, even up until now. Even with all his fame, he wasn’t happy being type-cast, he was ever striving for more, but not in a productive way. He spent so much time comparing himself to others. When he got Fonzie, he compared himself to his theater actors who he trained with. When he was no longer Fonzie, he compared himself to other bigger actors in his field. It actually answered some of my questions about how non A-lister actor feel about A-lister actors. But the saddest part is that so much of this he blames on his parents. Maybe it is their fault, but he’s in his 70s (?) now and still blaming them for his issues. He doesn’t sound like he has forgiven them at all. And that is sad. Especially for a guy that comes across so happy on the outside. M favorite part was how he supported his fellow actors on Happy Days. He refused to let the studio pit him against Ron Howard. They truly loved each other. And I think that’s probably pretty rare in the field. Overall, good book—not great—though I could have done with less about his dogs!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed reading about Winkler’s life and I learned a lot about him that I did not know. I did feel like it would go off track and lose focus at times though but overall, good book!

Was this review helpful?

This book is a great opportunity to get to know the warm, wonderful person that is Henry Winkler. I grew up watching him on Happy Days, but there's so much more to the man behind the role. It was great to read about how he became famous, and how he struggled both in his personal life as well as working as an actor. The chapters written by his wife were a nice touch. This book is a hilarious and cozy read.

Was this review helpful?

I was originally given a EBook copy of this book from #NetGalley but after about 10 chapters I heard the audiobook was done by Henry Winkler himself, so I downloaded it to hear him tell his story. So heartwarming and I love it.

There are so many tiny stories from his life that brought endearment to him. I remember watching Happy Days with my family so many years ago and this book brought back a bunch of those memories. I loved the collection of stories and they way he told them. I recommend this to any Henry Winkler fan and anyone who just wants to hear a great story told.

Memoirs have a way of drawing me in when the author is the reader and this one did just that.

Was this review helpful?

So wonderful to feel close to the real Henry Winkler. We had the great opportunity to meet him and speak with him, and he really is that warm and wonderful in real life. This book reflects him, and it feels like the most engaging dinner party where he regales us with his stories, not shy at all, kindly funny. He really takes you back to his TV show days. I highly recommend this one, especially if you're in a time when you're not feeling your best, and people are more disappointing than you'd like. Henry is there.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. I really really enjoyed this celebrity memoir. I thoroughly took my time and enjoyed every word. This book picked up right where I left off and it was such a fun read. I loved that his wife also contributed to this book. I didn't want this book to end! Bravo!!

Was this review helpful?

Most of us know who Henry Winkler is, we know how beloved he is, his reputation for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood.
I loved one line where Winkler talked about being - famous and charming, and famously charming.

This was such a fun read showing Winkler's rise to fame, his personal struggles as well as struggles within the industry. I loved the sprinkled in chapters written by Winkler's long time wife Stacey, I thought it was such a cute and intimate look into his personal life.
I did chuckle quite a few times, he told a story about losing his car while auditioning for Barry. It was such a small little tidbit of a story, not even a full story, more like a footnote on a story, but the vision of it made me laugh. This book just felt effortlessly funny.

Definitely recommend this one for any Winkler fan, or fan or celebrity memoires in general.

Was this review helpful?

A warm and wonderful memoir from the Fonz! Whether you were a first-generation Happy Days viewer or came to enjoy the series through reruns, you know how Fonzie added that sparkling mix of rebel and true friend. Henry Winkler writes his story openly, honestly, and charmingly. I especially liked learning how he auditioned for Happy Days and his surprise at getting the part.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! I didn't know a lot about Henry before reading this book so I kinda went in blind which I kind of enjoyed. I loved reading about Henrys life and all the different life stories he had including his many run-ins with different celebrities. It was very interesting to read about his personal challenges and how he changed his mindset surrounding them.
I appreciated he kept the storyline in chronological order so it was very easy to read and I throughly enjoyed his wife perspective on many different parts of the book

Was this review helpful?

There is tremendous pathos in this charming memoir of Henry Winkler's life. There were so many obstacles he had to overcome. From his parent"s treatment of him to his dyslexia and job searches..

Absolute marvelous book and a great read for anyone!

Was this review helpful?

Like many of us, having grown up watching Happy Days and "the Fonz" - I feel a special affinity to Henry Winkler. Over the years, watching him in other roles such as in Parks and Recreation and Adam Sandler films, I am glad to see him still acting (note - I have not watched "Dexter."). Henry writes poignantly about his difficult upbringing -- his parents were German Jews who escaped the Nazi's. He was punished a lot for not being able to do his homework or focus. Later in life he was diagnosed with Dyslexia and he has been an incredible advocate for others. He writes with incredible humility, self-awareness and humor. You can't help rooting for this guy! Some of the great moments in the book include the reaction by the Yale School of Drama Dean (Henry is an alum!) upon seeing his success on TV basically said something to the effect that not only does he not applaud Henry for this, I am not sure he is doing the right thing." Funny how many other Yale Drama school students and alums reached out to Henry for work and personal connections. His tumultuous relationship with his parents has affected him his whole life - there was not unconditional love or understanding. He did not want to go to his father's funeral but his wife convinced him. He gave an eulogy at his mother's funeral, and his sister afterwards told him that this was not the mother I knew. His response was to say that she had a different experience than him and this was the mother he knew. Therapy has helped him work through layers of protective covering (he describes it as concrete) and has enabled him to listen more and be a better husband and father. There are sections in the book written by his wife, Stacey, which was a great addition -- we were able to get her perspective as well. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Was this review helpful?

You can just watch Henry Winkler act and tell he's a warm, charming person. Even when he's playing a ridiculous character, there's something that shines through letting us in on the joke.

From the remarkable story of his parents fleeing the Nazis to Henry's recent breakthroughs in therapy and all the show business struggles in between, it's all interesting. And better yet, it's told in a funny, engaging way.

I love me some Henry Winkler, but I was especially interested in reading this after reading Ron and Cliff Howard's book, The Boys. I had no idea until then how crazy Fonzimania got in the 70s, nor did I know that despite Henry accidentally stealing the spotlight from Ron, they remain close friends to this day. Being Henry did not disappoint: I got his viewpoint on all the Happy Days drama.

A good choice for fans of autobiographies and Hollywood tales.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy.

Was this review helpful?