My Life So Far (Hardcover)

For me, a film lover and Jane Fonda fan from way back, this autobiography held many surprises. My longtime image of Ms. Fonda has always been of a woman secure within herself, grounded, self-assured. Au contraire. The product of a privileged background, intelligent, creative, beautiful, talented, Jane was not as aware of her strengths as she was of her perceived weaknesses, which she really homed-in on. It is not difficult to understand the roots of her tremendous lack of self-esteem and neediness. Reading about the Fonda family, their interactions and life together while Jane and her brother, Peter, were growing up, is terribly sad. Her father was withdrawn, brooding, and distant. His lack of presence in his children's lives had a tremendous impact.For years she felt tremendous guilt for not saying a final goodbye to her mom Katherine Hepburn, who worked with both Henry and Jane in the movie, "On Golden Pond," noted the actor's extremely cold attitude toward his daughter. It appears that even at the end of Henry Fonda's life, including the evening Jane accepted the Oscar for Best Actor for him, he never gave her the approval she so longed for.

The memoir is divided into three parts, or 3 Acts, in which she chronicles her life so far in this highly readable narrative: growing up in Hollywood; student life at Vassar; Jane as Barbarella, Jane as committed political activist, with an interesting take on her controversial trip to Hanoi during the Vietnam War; her second marriage to student activist/politician Tom Hayden, her third to Ted Turner, motherhood; betrayal and infidelity, (I was more shocked by the behavior of her three husbands, than by the various menages in France, where at least Jane was invited to participate); Christianity and her religious faith; etc., etc.. This is a vital woman who has been involved in many important artistic, political, and athletic/sports events during the last fifty years. She has met some of the world's most interesting people, and even lived with a few. I admire the hard work she has done to understand herself. Therapy has obviously played a major role in her life and I really respect this. It demonstrates her commitment to growth and renewal. She is a survivor.

Her present work and energies involve the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, (G-CAPP), which she founded in 1995 and chairs. In 2002, she opened the Jane Fonda Center for Adolescent Reproductive Health at Emory University's School of Medicine.

Like some contemporary political figures, Jane Fonda seems to inspire an extreme, almost visceral reaction from people - folks seem to either love her or hate her. Few are indifferent. Whatever one's feelings, it is impossible to deny this woman's talent, intellect, complexity, dynamism and the contributions she has made to our society.

It is rumored that Ms. Fonda wrote this book herself, an oddity nowadays with so many ghost written "tell all" memoirs on the market. I don't doubt for a moment that she is the author. She has proven to be extremely talented in many areas, with a variety of endeavors, over the years. Why not writing? I highly recommend this fast paced, well written autobiography. It informs and fascinates. Kudos!
JANA