Although I’ve never seen the show Happy Days I love reading memoirs. I have seen Henry Winkler in many movies and know of him so I was excited to be able to listen to his new book. I loved him telling him how he got started and how Happy Days put him on the map. Although he became famous from that show he always felt like he was wasn’t in the cool crowd. He always felt like he was trying to prove something and that was partly due to him having dyslexia and his parents always being angry at him and making him feel stupid. He has been happily married for over 40 years and has children and grandchildren that he dotes on and I just loved hearing how he has handled fame all these years. He just really seems like a good guy.

I grew up watching The Fonz on Happy Days and have seen Henry Winkler in a number of different roles over the years. I learned so much more about him in this memoir- things I didn’t know beforehand! I enjoyed the sections where his wife jumped in to tell her side of shared experiences. It was a really unique approach!

*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook copy for review

Bottom line: You want to listen to the audio book, trust me. Hearing Winkler’s words in his own voice was like having him cozily in the room with me and telling stories from his life. Bonus: his wife Stacey also talks, and what a great idea that was. I laughed, I commiserated, I learned. I love that Henry created this book and narrated it, (along with writing the Hank Zipzer series https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/HAZ/hank-zipzer) despite his lifelong challenges with dyslexia. He talks about growing up, starting his career in the theater and improv, and the various roles he has taken — and one surprising role he declined! There are several shows and movies that I’ve got to see now, primarily HBO’s BARRY. Henry, you’re amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed your book. Highly recommended!

This book is amazing. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Henry Winkler more, I found this book. He’s done more than just acting, and it’s incredible. He brings a light to this world that we all need. I listened to this book, read by the author. It was amazing. Read or listen. This is a must have your bookshelf.

Henry Winkler is a national treasure. Most of us fell in love with him as the incredibly cool Fonzie on Happy Days, but learning about the person behind the character will make you love him even more. His autobiography demonstrates that he has remained open, humble and sincere, even in the face of incredible fame and early fortune. It is no surprise that he's had one of the longest careers in Hollywood.

Henry Winkler's "origin" story was surprising and inspiring. Not diagnosed until the age of 34, Henry had to learn how to compensate for severe dyslexia in an industry entirely reliant on learning written words. He also had a strained and difficult relationship with his parents. Because of those two things, Henry has spent much of his life feeling like the foundation under him was not stable. I found Henry's candor and self reflection refreshing and at times raw. His insecurities are profoundly relatable, and his story is a good reminder that we often don't know what is going on behind the scenes in people's lives. It was fascinating following along as Henry's acting career progressed. Through the ups and downs, Henry has remained optimistic and open to new acting, producing, and writing challenges.

Mr. Winkler is an incredible narrator, and I loved listening to the audio version of this book. I especially loved that Henry brought his wife on to share some of his story from her perspective. At the end of the book, I found myself eager to go back and watch everything that Henry has ever acted in because I will miss having his voice in my ear!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing this book to me pre-publication. My review reflects my honest impressions and review.

Being Henry
by Henry Winkler
Narrated by Henry Winkler

Oh, Henry, you are a national treasure in the TV industry. What can I say? Being Henry is the book that I needed to listen to. Oh, and I recommend listening to the audiobook, as it's read by Henry Winkler and he reads it perfectly. Of course I know who the Fonz is and have watched Happy Days a bit, as well as other shows and movies he's starred in throughout the years, but I really fell in love with Henry watching Better Late than Never, with William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman.

The story pulls you in from the beginning by learning how Henry's parents escaped Nazi Germany, albeit by his father lying to his mother about his true intentions. There is so much of Henry's story that I found captivating. Both the good parts and the bad parts. Honestly, this story kept me interested and listening from the very beginning, and I Just. Couldn't. Stop. Henry is an imperfect human, and he's the first to admit it, but really, who isn't? This memoir is filled with self-introspection and brutal honesty. There are hilarious, captivating stories and other insights that just make you shake your head. I can't emphasize how much I enjoyed listening.

If you're a fan of Henry Winkler, then this is THE audiobook that you need to listen to. Period. You won't regret it.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley, Henry Winkler, and Macmillian Audio for this ARC!

Being Henry by Henry Winkler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 10/31/23

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me an ARC of the audiobook! It was narrated by Henry Winkler and it was a perfect combination of funny and insightful! I would highly recommend!

Growing up in the 90s I only caught Happy Days on reruns. I really knew Henry as an actor when he was on Royal Pains. Almost a 30 year gap. Crazy right? Henry also love Patrick Mahomes, which I find adorable and when I saw he was releasing a book I felt the need to read. What does Football have to do with a memoir? Well a lot when your home team has quickly became his team. The book gave a great balance of his career. He started off by talking about his childhood and college. He talked a lot about his struggles with Dyslexia, which I loved. My oldest is autistic and I enjoyed his transparency of his struggles and how he overcame them in his own way to act. He talked about his time as the Fonz on Happy Days and how his character exploded and quickly climbed to fame. I loved the story about him meeting his wife Stacey. The book was bust a great mix of his personal life and acting.

I saw Henry Winkler speak at a Founders Day celebration at a boys home in my area a number of years ago, and gained a lot of respect for him as a person, beyond his acting career. Being Henry, which I listened to as an audiobook, reinforced my impression of the caring human being this accomplished actor is in real life, as well as giving some insight into his life and career behind the public eye. I loved him as the Fonz, and continue to have great regard for the talented man who is a wonderful example of success despite learning challenges.

I recommend the audio, read by the actor himself, particularly since segments that involve his wife's perspective are read by Stacy Winkler, who has been married to Henry for more than 45 years. I enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the struggles of being married to someone who is in the acting profession, in addition to Henry's views on various aspects of his life. Winkler does not pull punches, telling the good, the bad and the ugly of various working relationships throughout his career.

I have enjoyed a number of celebrity memoirs, most in audio with the author as narrator, and my personal preference is for those that do not name names if they must tell negative stories. Mr. Winkler mostly told about wonderful colleagues and talented co-stars, and in most cases left out the identities of those he was not fond of...most of them. It made me sad to hear the bitterness he holds towards his parents in particular, and that seems to have had an understandably significant effect on him throughout his adult life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler. The opinions in this review are my own.

I didn’t grow up watching Happy Days. But I did grow up with Water Boy and Arrested Development. So I’ve always liked Henry Winkler and found him to be nice and cute! My husband and I recently finished watching the series finale of Barry and Mr. Winkler delivers a stunning performance.

The audiobook is narrated by the man himself and he does an amazing job. I could listen to him talk for hours and hours. He has such a comforting voice and the way he speaks is like you are listening to an old friend. I love that his wife also had her own opportunities to share stories. More memoirs should do that when they can.

I listened to the majority of this in one sitting because I was so compelled by the story.

Henry Winkler proves that he is a class act performer in Being Henry. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you enjoy stories of the underdog, Hollywood success, and overall kind people. Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Winkler and Macmillan Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to Being Henry. I have written this review voluntarily.

I love a memoir, especially a celebrity or political memoir…are there even others? 🤔And the audiobook must be read by the author, because, really, who else can tell the story better? Henry Winkler did an amazing job narrating this book and his wife Stacy shows up as well to give us her perspective, which was an awesome touch! When my husband saw that I was reading this, he said “You know he is nothing like The Fonz?” Being a reader-of-a-certain-age 😉that is how I was introduced to Winkler and that is how he lives in my brain. But my husband was right (don’t tell him), Henry Winkler is, of course, so much more than the leather jacket clad cool dude, Arthur Fonzarelli. We often hear of the struggles of the aging actress in Hollywood. In this memoir, Winkler shares that this struggle is not only experienced by women. Winkler has written a very vulnerable profile of himself, professionally and personally. Highly recommended read.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did!! I highly recommend listening to this book on audio. Henry is so great at reading his parents’ accents, and then you also get to hear his wife read parts as well. This book was such a delight! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

#Being Henry is a remarkable memoir that offers readers a deep and candid glimpse into the life of Hollywood icon, Henry Winkler. Winkler's storytelling is heartwarming and oh so engaging as he shares his childhood struggles, including severe dyslexia, and his journey to becoming a beloved actor.

Winkler's honesty and vulnerability shine throughout the book, making it a compelling read. His transition from the iconic role of "The Fonz" to a diverse range of roles in later years is a testament to his talent and resilience. Nothing gets me laughing like Henry as incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development!

What really sets "Being Henry" apart is the author's authenticity; his style allows his genuine kindness and humility come through in a way I hadn’t experienced thru an audio book before. Listening to Winkler's self-deprecating humor and love for his craft and fellow actors was like sitting in the same room with him.

This memoir is not just a story of stardom, but also a reflection on the power of sharing one's truth and the importance of finding fulfillment within oneself. "Being Henry" is an inspiring and heartfelt journey that reminds us that even in the world of fame, authenticity and kindness are virtues worth cherishing. Thanks to #NetGalley and #macmillanaudio for an advanced copy.

This was an interesting look into my childhood idols’ personal and professional life. I found myself with a smile plastered on my face for easily half of the book. I enjoyed that Mr. Winkler narrated his own story. I thank Celadon Books and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook to review.

Henry Winkler is simultaneously insecure and arrogant, and he is also unbelievably selfish and oblivious. Despite these undesirable character traits, he laid his heart and soul out for all to see in this book and in his older age has become incredibly introspective and brutally honest, and I walked away from the book loving him even more for that. Hearing his story in his own voice was so special as well, especially considering the huge challenge he faced to narrate it due to his dyslexia.

Like most Winkler fans, I fell in love with the Fonz. My dad introduced me to Happy Days as a child, and I adore the show. I had no idea what a love/hate relationship Winkler had with Fonzie, and I am glad that he can look back now and appreciate how much the character meant and still means to people and acknowledge the lifestyle it allowed him and his family to afford.

Winkler has a wonderful motto: Your head knows some things, but your tummy knows everything. This is a more fun and endearing version of go with your gut instinct. I know it has served him well, and I don’t think he’d ever admit it, but I think he must have some regret about his refusal to be typecast. I was astonished to hear he turned down Grease, and I wonder how different his career trajectory might have been if he hadn’t been so against playing another 50s character.

Winkler’s wife, Stacey, tells her version of events and narrates them herself a few times throughout the book. I really enjoyed hearing things from her point of view and in her voice, and I think this woman is a saint for standing by Henry all these years and always supporting him in his career, even when it meant being left to fight breast cancer alone.

I loved the very personal look into Winkler’s life in addition to his career. He intertwines them throughout which is especially helpful in holding someone’s interest who, like me, is mostly unfamiliar with his career. I loved hearing about the different homes he lived in, his dogs and his garden. I would have loved to hear more about his children, but perhaps he didn’t go into great detail as a courtesy to their privacy.

I did become more interested in his career again towards the end of the book when he started talking about his work with Adam Sandler and Kevin James. I also grew up watching them, and I was familiar with Winkler’s characters in Waterboy, Click and Here Comes the Boom. It was nice to hear that Sandler is as cool and down to Earth as he seems to be.

The last thing I want to acknowledge is a narrative that was woven throughout the entire book: Winkler’s parents. His family history sucked me in from the very beginning. His father lied to his mother and the authorities in order to flee Nazi Germany, and had he not, we probably wouldn’t know Henry Winkler as we do today. Winkler’s parents, according to him, were oppressive, cold and unloving, but I thought it was in poor taste how many times he harped on this throughout the book. I believe a lot of parents from that generation were just very, very different parents. This doesn’t justify their behavior or minimize Winkler’s feelings, but I think they were doing the best that they could. Each generation of parents learns how to be a little bit better for their children. It’s likely Winkler’s children have some not-so-complimentary things to say about their father, and I hope for Winkler’s sake they never do so in a tell-all book that will be read for generations to come.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I so liked Henry before, and after listening to his story, I like him even more. 🩷

So if you are a person who loved Happy Days, and of course loved The Fonz, then you will very much enjoy Henry Winkler’s autobiographical sketch on his life.

A young Jewish man coming to fame when least expecting it is the theme and shows us how Henry is a vulnerable young man growing to adulthood. He is a shy, loved deprived young man, a product of German Jews who always conveyed to Henry that he was just not good enough.

Yet, through his portrayal of The Fonzie, he captured the heart and love of America. This aura followed him and yet Henry kept searching for more, a something that made him feel worthy and made him rise above the others who strove to be masters of their craft.

Henry’s story is a lesson in growing, a lesson in knowing there is more in life than acclaim and recognition. He and his beloved wife of forty-seven years share their thoughts and insights into what makes Henry a person who strives to be someone beyond The Fonz. It is a journey of self recognition, a realization that all people evolve and change that while acclamation is often wonderful, it’s not the goal of life.

If you loved Henry as the Fonz, Henry in this book would make you love him even more.

Thank you to Henry Winkler, and Net Galley for the ability to listen to this wonderful book,

Audio Book 12h Narrated by the author, Henry Winkler

Available October 31, 2023

Terrific read/listen. Actually, I highly recommend the audio book because his warmth, charm, and honesty shine forth so strongly from it. His honesty is the thing that struck me immediately. Although I was more of a Richie fan in the Happy Days era, it's easy to assume "tough guy" Fonzi, Henry's character, had it all together and was leading a charmed life. Far from it. That in itself should tell you what an excellent actor he is (Yale trained) as his life had been anything but easy. His struggles with dyslexia are largely known nowadays, including through his own co-authored series of books featuring Hank Zipper, but the emotional toil of his parents' attitude toward him left deep scars. He not only couldn't read but felt like an imposter in the Fonzi role albeit he appreciates what it did for him in the grand scheme of things.

Besides his honesty, he puts himself fully into the narration. You feel exactly the emotion he is channeling at that moment, good, bad, or indifferent. I loved his stories of some early celebrity encounters, including with Paul McCartney (complete with Paul’s very British accent) and Robin Williams. He is quick to laugh at himself, too, noting his awkwardness with the ladies and inability to be quiet when being quiet would have been his wisest move. His optimism shines through, however. I listened to much of this while driving, hence no notes, but one of the things he said that stuck with me was that you don't know what you can do until you try it.

Rather than allow his childhood to make him bitter, he vowed to be a better father to his own (then future) children. He never felt seen by his own father and he didn't want that to be the case with his own children. Since his wife of now forty-something years, who injects her vantage point thoughts occasionally, had a child when they met, he was certainly put to the test early on and to all reports excelled at bonding with his son-to-be. To-date, he has six grandchildren, too, I believe it said, and makes himself available to them.

Bottom line, Winkler bares his soul in this memoir and his honestly might change a few minds as to how easy and wonderful it is to be a "star". I like that he name-drops the countless friends and entertainment figures who have figured in his career in credit of their help and support. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm sure I knew he was pivotal in developing and producing Macgyver but simply hadn't kept up with his other roles aside from his books and award-winning role as Barry, so I learned quite a bit from this memoir.

That he treasures his continued close friendship with Ron Howard is impressive, especially given the tension that could have existed between the two when Henry's role in "Happy Days" was given more air time than that of Howard's role, which was originally the starring role. That speaks highly for both men and after reading, well, listening to this book, I wish Henry Winkler were my friend. Thanks #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for this intimate introduction to Henry Winkler the man, not the character we see on television. I liked him.

Henry Winkler is a rare celebrity who (at least to my knowledge) is uncontroversial and pretty much universally beloved. Even though I haven't seen many episodes of Happy Days, I grew up reading his Hank Zipzer books and seeing him in Holes, so he has a special place in my childhood, and I thought I might enjoy this memoir.

It was so fun to hear him narrate; it's rare to hear an author read their own audiobook. Unsurprisingly, he is a delightful narrator; his voice is charming and engaging. I especially enjoyed hearing his stories about his time in theater school and his arrival in Hollywood. He has a great sense of humor. On a less comedic note, I appreciated hearing how WInkler's painful childhood (no doubt his parents were impacted by losing so many family members to the Holocaust, but that does not excuse being so cold and exacting) made him want to do better if he became a parent himself.

I have two complaints about this memoir: disjointedness and oversharing. Sometimes the stories felt random; disconnected. Occasionally, there would be a callback to a previous story and I'd make the connection. However, there were some things I did not want to know: e.g., that his sister wanted to kiss him "for practice" when they were children, nor did I want to know the details of how he did (or did not?) lose his virginity.

Otherwise, this was an enjoyable audiobook that could appeal to a variety of people even beyond fans of Happy Days. Henry Winkler has a lot of warmth and wisdom to share.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Books; I was not required to give a positive review in exchange for listening to the audiobook for free.

A very refreshing peak into the life of a beloved entertainer. Henry is truly a pure soul. A remarkably talented individual who does not take himself too seriously. It is so good to get to know him through this book and to listen to his own voice as the narrator. Thank you for being who you are, Henry. This was an absolute joy to read.

4.5 🌟 I've always liked Henry Winkler, and I really enjoyed listening to his thoughts on acting/directing and learning to accept and like yourself. This memoir was very personal and heartfelt. Henry seems like someone I would enjoy knowing irl. I appreciated that some of his wife's perspective was included as well! I haven't read his books for children, but I might have to look them up now. If you like celebrity memoirs read by the author, I recommend picking this one up on audio!

I received an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thought I knew about Henry Winkler, but listening this audiobook, there was so much I didn't. Henry is such a great narrator and this book comes across so genuine. He has had so many roles in movies and tv and has played such iconic characters. We know him as "The Fonz", but he is so, so much more!

Thanks Netgalley for the audiobook.