Listening to Henry Winkler read his own words was a delight. He has a beautiful way of putting the listener at ease as he spoke about his passion for acting and the roles he has played over the years. Having his wife narrate as well was very sweet. The writing itself seemed to be more of a list of events and people, rather than a smooth flow with alternating modern and past events as I prefer with memoirs.

Although I can't claim that I was an avid viewer of Happy Days back when tv had to be watched in realtime or not at all. But you'd have to have been living under a rock not to be aware of Henry Winkler's depiction of the iconic Fonzie. I became a fan of his later work, most notably in Barry, and admired what I heard about the person behind the personna. This audio performance, which he reads himself along with contributions by his wife of over 40 years, gives a beautifully cadenced account of a life well lived despite its drawbacks, of perseverance personified.

Henry Winkler had a rather large shadow to emerge from. Playing The Fonz made him an icon, a household name, but he didn't want to be typecast, and it took him a long time and many roles to get him to "Arrested Development," "Parks & Rec," and "Barry." Being Henry is his story of nearly a lifetime of acting and a lifetime of roles, all to show the world that he could be more than the Fonz.

This was such a great read. Winkler's joy as he reads this is palpable. I love when celebrities read their own books. I mean who better to do it right? I really enjoyed hearing about his life in Hollywood and his big big love for his wife, children, and grandchildren. Bonus, his wife reads some of her stories. One thing that kind of grated on me (and the only complaint I'll ever have about this book) is that at times it felt like it was a bunch of name dropping. I assume if you spend that long in Hollywood, you pretty much know everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Winkler was without a doubt a fantastic narrator, and I recommend this book (definitely recommend the audiobook).

Rating: 4.5 leaves out of 5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 3/5
-Writing: 4/5
Genre: History, Autobiography, Memoir
-History: 5/5
-Autobiography: 5/5
-Memoir: 5/5
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: Yeah

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

I requested this book for a challenge I was doing, which was to read a celebrity memoir. I had been dreading this prompt since I don't care much about a celebrity's life. I still don't, but it was nice to hear about Henry Winkler. I have seen him a few times growing up and seeing a book about him put me in my feels real quick.

The books was good for what it was worth. Henry seems like a funny guy, but I think he also seemingly went through a whole "artist life". Parents didn't like his career choice, he makes it big and now they seem to approve. Cookie cutter stuff, but the stuff in between was really nice to hear. Also Henry reading felt like a nice warm cup of coffee in the cold morning.

If you like him I suggest picking up the book.

Just a stellar memoir. Totally uplifting, informative, and filled with humor and heart.
I listened to the audiobook with Henry narrating and it was fantastic. He is such a humble guy, yet so accomplished in so many ways. It is refreshing to read about someone who has shirked the Hollywood stereotype and has been married for going on 50 years. I have long been a fan of Winkler and this book just solidified the reasons why.
I appreciated the look at his career and the twists and turns it took along the way. His quest to break free from the "Fonz" persona and be taken seriously as the trained actor he is. And doing all of this while experiencing dyslexia and the supreme challenges that come from that, particularly when your livelihood depends on being able to read and memorize lines quickly. Inspirational in so many ways!
Don't sleep on this one, go order it today.

I tried several times to get into this one but I just couldn’t. I felt that it jumped around a lot and I prefer more chronological biographies. I also was given an audio copy and felt like at 2x speed, my usual, that Henry Winkler was yelling at me, while at 1x, it was so slow. I tried every speed in between and there was no good pace for this book (that’s on me, I know). I found the story about his parents getting out of Europe fascinating but the rest of them were difficult to listen to (not a fan of self-deprecating humor). Fans of his might enjoy this; I am just the wrong audience for this,

Being Henry .

If you are a fan of auto biographies then this book is for you! I didn’t really know anything about Henry winkler going into this and it was an amazing read/listen I am now a fan! A great look into the life of Henry Winkler from his childhood to present day with all the highs and lows, relationships with parents, partners, wife, kids. The struggle of getting past such a famous character also other trials in his life.


Highly recommend the audiobook! It was amazing getting to hear him tell his story! Also awesome to have his wife Stacy narrate some parts! I feel like the narration to this took what was already a great book and made it amazing!


Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for this Audiobook ARC!

Being Henry
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I really enjoyed the book. I had no idea & loved learning about Henry. A super interesting life!

Pub Date: October 31st
Macmillan Audio

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for an ALC of this charming and at times poignant memoir.

The first thing I will tell you is to not think this is a book about "The Fonz" because it is far from that. While Mr. Winkler does take the reader through getting the part and the after effects of that success, his story is so much more. With stories around both his career and his family, he shows us the difficult childhood that shaped him and caused internal struggles for years and how he works to overcome them.

His stories are witty and charming and told with an abundance of gratitude and joy. The author narrates his memoir which I always love, and his wife also has a few excerpts that she narrates.

If you want a to read a memoir that has you smiling from beginning to end, this is a perfect choice.

#beinghenry #henrywinkler #macmillanaudio #netgalley #memoir

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This one of the most lovely, delightful autobiographies I've ever listened to, read by Henry Winkler in his joyful, exuberant voice. Although there is loss and sadness, it is clear he feels blessed and truly has loved everyone who's been a part of his journey. He has nothing bad to say about anyone!!

The addition of his wife piping in on the audiobook to state her versions and opinions about certain events is a blast, I loved hearing her interpretations through her own voice!

All in all, fantastic.

I'm not one to usually read memoirs but this one was fantastic. And the narrator is Henry Winkler himself. He was great. I honestly can't say enough good about this book. It is so good. A must read/listen.

This is the story of Henry Winkler. His words and all that entails. What a life he had. From a child all the way through adulthood he is one of a kind. As a child he was not treated well by his parents. They had immigrated to the US from Berlin to escape what was happening in Germany to many Jews. They had a daughter and young Henry.

Henry had dyslexia but was not diagnosed back then. His parents thought him dumb. His father always said he was just not trying hard enough. Can you imagine how awful that had to be for a child? He tells quite a few stories in this memoir and some made me laugh. His first time with a girl. I was rolling laughing. Though he may not have found it quite as funny. Maybe.

Henry went to Yale to study acting. He gave it all he had. He did work in New York then went to California. That is where he got his big break as the Fonz. The cool dude on Happy Days. One of my favorite tv shows. And characters. He was a very lovable person all his life. Henry did a lot more than I thought. From small parts to producing. From helping other actors when they needed a break. Some of the series shows that I have enjoyed over the years were because of Henry Winkler. How did I not know this. I watched the show Barry with Henry Winkler as the acting teacher and thought it was great. I hated when it ended.

You get to know Henry Winkler in this book. The real person not just the actor. His fears. His loves. His family. Wife and children. His friends. He made lots of friends and loved them all. You hear from his wife in the audio. Her own voice. Things she went through and things she wanted. I admire Henry Winkler. He was a hard working man.

There are quite a few children's books written by Henry Winkler about Dyslexia. His aim was to help. He did such a good job with this book. The audio was great. His voice was perfect since it's his story. He has a good voice for audio. There are a lot of things you learn about his life.

I very much enjoyed listening to this book and getting to know Henry Winkler on a level beyond the Fonz.... The man he became. The man he was.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HenryWinkler, #MacmillionAudio for this ARC. This is my thoughts about this book.

Five huge stars and a high recommendation whether you listen to the audio or read the book. It's good.

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as "The Fonz" in the beloved Happy Days. He has transcended the role that made him who he is ... or did he make The Fonz as we know him ? I loved him in Royal Pains and Barry as well - he is just a great comedic actor!
Brilliant, funny, and widely regarded as an all around nice guy in Hollywood, Henry shares his start, his years as The Fonz, and all his subsequent endeavors leading up to Barrie's acting coach Cousineau. This achingly vulnerable memoir with the disheartening truth of his childhood as the kid of "lucky" but traumatized Holocaust survivors, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own and becomes an identity, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
I adored this memoir, especially as an audiobook narrated by the charming, humble, insightful, and funny Winkler. It was comprehensive, gave the listener behind-the-scenes stories, and showcased an enviable approach to life. As a bonus, Winkler's wife, Stacey, guest-narrates her passages that most definitely add to the book !
This was a fantastic celebrity memoir, I loved this book even though it is a genre I generally tend to avoid.

This was a fantastic memoir. I liked the audio book because he narrated it himself and hearing him say Aayyy after all these years made me smile. But this book is so much more than just a celebrity recalling all his big rolls and telling fun stories where they get to name drop other celebrities. It's so much more than that. You get to hear about his struggle with his parents being mean and overbearing, you get to learn about his struggle with dyslexia, and finally you get to learn about the struggle he had getting work after the end of his legendary time on Happy Days. Even if you're not familiar with Henry Winker, there could be something in here for you anyway.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copies of both the e-book and the audiobook of Henry Winkler’s outstanding memoir, Being Henry, in exchange for an honest review.

As Henry would phrase it, “OH. MY. GOD. What a book! What a story!” And I know exactly how he’d say it because I listened to the audio along with reading the print version (full disclosure - I only opened the print version to look at the photos). This is hands down one of the best memoirs I’ve ever encountered, taking us through Henry’s childhood with his emotionally unavailable German Jewish refugee parents to his struggles with dyslexia, his break as the Fonz and his fear that he’d never reach those heights again. Henry’s wife of 47 years, Stacey, makes several cameos in both the audio and print versions, which is a real treat.

As a voice actor, Winkler describes the art of narration as putting all your acting skills that you do with your body into your voice, and does he ever. I give this extraordinary memoir a ten out of five stars. Go get it now. Oh my God.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you #partners @celadonbooks
& @macmillan.audio for my #gifted copies

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗻𝘇... 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱
𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗿
𝟭𝟬/𝟯𝟭/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Most people recognize Winkler as "The Fonz" from Happy Days. But there's this whole ass person, with a whole ass life, behind that character. Being Henry lets the reader get to know Winkler as the man he was and is, as he candidly and vulnerably recounts his story.

I LOVED this! I listened along with the self-narrated audiobook and Winkler is such a lovely, charismatic storyteller. Readers will finish this book feeling like they know this man. Wonderful book!

Fun fact: this book came out the day after Winkler's 50 year anniversary of his audition for Happy Days (which also happened to be his 28th birthday).

Review posted to IG on 11/3

This book was so surprisingly good. I learned a lot about the Fonz. This was so honest and emotional. I recommend everyone to read this ! Thank you for this audio book !!

I just finished listening to Henry Winkler's autobiography. I am so glad he narrated it himself. What a treat to hear him. I loved hearing his story, he had to climb a very large figurative mountain to get to where he is today. Loved that he never gave up on himself and did the work, kept pushing. It's nice to hear when I struggle with the worry about everything too. Gives me hope to just put the fear aside and go for things. Great story and totally recommend everyone give it read/listen.

I have been a fan of Henry Winkler for most of my life, watching reruns of Happy Days and seeing interviews with him on TV. But I knew nothing about his life. His in-depth look into his childhood, his struggles with dyslexia, learning to feel like he was deserving of his success made me see Winkler through new eyes. This is a wonderful read for anyone wanting to learn more about his life, career and learning that he is so deserving of the love people around the world feel for him.

I grew up a huge fan of The Fonz! Ehhh! My sister, our best friends, and I would play Happy Days, and I was always whatever girl he was dating at the time in the show! Yes, I’m aging myself, but that is such a fond memory and started my love of Henry Winkler.

When Celadon Books offered to send me a copy of Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond I was stoked. Then I got an advanced copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio which is narrated by Henry Winkler, and I couldn’t have been happier.

When listening to Henry narrate this book I loved hearing all about his life from his childhood and the struggles he went through in school, how his father didn’t support his acting career, and all of the roles he had besides The Fonz. I enjoyed learning about his later life, how he met his wife, and how supportive they are of their children. This was a well written memoir, and I really loved Henry’s narration.

I remember watching Henry Winkler as "The Fonz" when I was a kid growing up and thinking he was just wonderful! I think I like Henry Winkler as himself even better.

This autobiography is authentic and raw, self-deprecating and humble. Yet Henry doesn't come across as a pushover in it. He's passionate (and even angry) about certain aspects of his life, and it seems it's with justification. But that also helped shape who he is now, and it seemed like he understood that as well.

While he's a lot more neurotic than I ever realized, so much of what he said about wanting to be accepted resonated with me.

I truly enjoyed how he took the things that he struggled with in life and made them positives. When he finally learned he was dyslexic, it explained so many earlier problems that he had, and rather than just saying, "Oh, now that makes sense," he set out to make sure that people like him knew it was okay and that they weren't stupid.

I have a totally different impression of him after reading his book than before it, but a new appreciation of him as well.

Thank you to Henry Winkler, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.