My Life So Far

By: Jane Fonda

Narrated by: Jane Fonda

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

She is one of the most recognizable women of our time. America knows Jane Fonda as an actress and an activist, a feminist and a wife, a workout guru and a role model. Now, in this extraordinary memoir, Fonda reveals that she is so much more. From her youth among Hollywood's elite and her early film career to the challenges and triumphs of her life today, Jane Fonda reveals intimate details and universal truths that she hopes "can provide a lens through which others can see their lives and how they can live them a little differently."

Fonda divides her "life so far" into three "acts", writing about her childhood, first films, and marriage to Roger Vadim in Act One. At once a picture emerges: a child born to the acting legend Henry Fonda and the glamorous society princess Frances Seymour. But these early years are also marked by profound sadness: her mother's mental illness and suicide when Jane is 12 years old, her father's emotional distance, and her personal struggle to find her way in the world as a young woman.

By her second act, Fonda lays the foundation for her activism, even as her career takes flight. She highlights her struggle to live consciously and authentically while remaining in the public eye as she recounts her marriages to Tom Hayden and Ted Turner, and examines her controversial and defining involvement with the Vietnam War. As her film career grows, Fonda learns to incorporate her roles into a larger vision of what matters most in her life, and in the process she wins two Academy Awards, for Klute and for Coming Home.

In Fonda's third act, she is prepared to do the work of a lifetime, to begin living consciously in a way that might inspire others who can learn from her experiences.

Surprising, candid, and wonderfully written, Jane Fonda's My Life So Far is filled with universal insights into the personal struggles of women living full and engaged lives.

Want to hear about Jane Fonda's first date with Ted Turner? She talks about that night and more in this interview with Audible's founder and CEO, Don Katz.

©2005 Jane Fonda (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Belongs alongside the memoirs of Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Marilyn French and Katharine Graham... To hold this book in your hands is to be astonished by how much living can be packed into sixty-plus years.” (Los Angeles Times)

“[A] sisterly, enveloping memoir... an intimate, haunting book that might as well be catnip from its ever controversial author.” (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

“Terrific... rich... unexpectedly quite moving.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

An Honest Look at One's Life

Some of the extremely negative reviews of "My Life So Far" were very obvious written by people who have NOT read the book. Instead, these "reviewers" are judging the author "Hanoi Jane"

Now for the book: what a read!!! Whoever would have guessed that underneath the immensely talented, strong, sensitive, beautiful, entrepeneurial Jane Fonda existed a depressed and tortured soul. And what fortitude it took to reveal the details of "the other Jane's" real life: gut-wrenching, eye-opening, tragic and hopeful. Most surprisingly, we realizing that the gutsy, joyful, healthy Jane we thought we knew is as legitimate and real as the emotional wreck we never saw.

I'm sure that money was not out of consideration as a motivating factor in writing this autobiography, but there is also an honest, palpable need to reach out to others that leaps off of every page.

The adage "never judge a book by its cover" has never applied more accurately than to Jane Fonda, in more ways than one.

Inspiring

Jane's life in Jane's voice is inspiring! It is especially timely right now, with the war in Iraq. I gained new admiration for Ms. Fonda. Loved it.

What a wonderful voice to listen to!

"My life so far" was my first audiobook. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to follow through and listen for so long and not loose track. But Jane Fonda's wonderful voice, reading her own words about her fantastic life, sharing her innermost thoughts was fantastic! I was hooked and listened and enjoyed and followed her different "acts" in life, being amazed of all the things she's done and her reflections on life and her own behaviour's cause and effect. I sure would like to know more about what will happen in her "third act"!

A MUST FOR EVERY WOMAN

Jane Fonda was a slow learner due to a childhood of pain. She has finally "gotten it right". Her book is entertaining. Her narration is beautiful. The most important thing about this book is the lesson she is teaching. Women of all ages will learn about themselves. They can grow into a period of peace through her work.

Jane Fonda: Truth Teller

I became entranced with this book. I laughed and cried and witnessed a person giving a straight story of her highly varied life. I am so grateful to Jane for being so frank about her life experiences. Her openness while being involved in becoming a person that she likes and feels comfortable with is a fine example for many of us..
Many parts of this book tease me to believe I would like to see the participants respond. Her three husbands would have views of her that would supplement in some way an understanding of Jane. Several others have inspiring presence. One other topic that has eluded me in life is why people don?t match up for the long hall-that is part of her story..

Life Isn't Easy

Jane's life hasn't been all fun and glamour. I have enjoyed her films and I found her story to be one of growth and challenge. I much prefer real life stories to fiction.

Honest and Compelling

Once I started listening it was hard to stop. It addresses what many of us experience, defining oneself, liking oneself and the path that moves us forward. It often takes a lifetime. This memoir was very honest, shared very painful memories but I was impressed with how she continued to have friendships with ex-husbands and a very special ex-stepmother, Susan Blanchard. She is very generous, perhaps because she is often quick to blame herself. There are certain sections that brought tears to my eyes and others that sounded familiar to my own life story. While a superficial look would make Fonda appear to be a child of privilege, instead we see that behind that superficial image was a child with low self-esteem who lost her mother to suicide and had a father who was emotionally distant. Her naivete got her into a lot of trouble but to me it was all forgiveable. Most of us make our own mistakes privately, not as the daughter of a film icon. Very worthwhile book for those who are not reacting to Fonda politically.

Hanoi Jane...I think not!

Jane Fonda is so candid and open that at times my gut wrenched at her revelations. Not because of what she revealed but because of how she put herself out there for all of us to see and know the most intimate details of her life. This is an amaxing woman who has come to terms with life and her role in it. A wonderful read!

Well written and narrated

Jane sure knows how to spin and tell a good yarn, I'll give her that. You won't bored listening to this book, it kept me quite riveted throughout the reading. Plus it seems like she adds a few things along the way that may or may not be in the book. You can tell that she is quite honest about what she is reading and I feel like I understand her like I never have before.
But, she is one unbelieveable person. Always searching for truth, but never finding it until she becomes humbled by some dramatic event than when she recovers, she dismisses what she admits she learned from her previous experience and goes right back doing the same errors and mistakes she did before. Truly, she is blessed with a 100 lives and she will need them all before she finally learns the truth about life and finally adheres to what she has learned.
It's a roller coaster ride with Jane! You are always kept wondering "Will she recover and learn from this experience?" Truth is: "NO!" Well maybe next time Jane!
This book should have a caution attached for overly descriptive sex/organ talking and some really foul language though.

My Life So Far

Having been a teenager during the Vietnam era and vaguely recalling Jane Fonda's involvement in the controversy surrounding her visit to Hanoi, I was thrilled to be able to listen to her own voice as she narrated her story. I also listened to a radio interview on NPR and noticed how eloquent she was. It's nice to hear her side of the story and I was able to identify with a great deal of her experiences. Her voice is soothing and articulate....a great way to 'read a book' while you're working as I do.

I've often said that young women today take for granted the freedoms that they enjoy today. My daughters can't relate to my stories of "Male Help Wanted" and "Female Help Wanted" ads. Jane's contribution to females is greater than one would think. I also believe that a lot of men could learn from her also!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I only wish I could contact her to let her know how much I admire her.