Review: Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond by Henry Winkler (audio)
overcoming Dyslexia and finding the funny
Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond by Henry Winkler, narrated by the author and parts narrated by his wife, Stacy, is a memoir that explores Winkler’s early developmental years and his role as the Fonz on Happy Days, but it is more than that.
There’s something that happens when you hear a memoir read by the author themselves. At least for me, I feel more deeply connected to the story and almost like the author is telling you a secret. In this case, it is not Winkler’s struggles with dyslexia that are the secret. His secret is deeper than that - his fear of being discovered as inadequate and his inability to let people in. Those trust issues were seeded early on in his life.
His Nazi-fleeing, German parents were not the most nurturing, but in many ways, Winkler’s own inability to let his parents know why he was not doing well in school made it harder for him to really trust them or make a connection. It takes Winkler a long time in this book to understand why he can easily relate to kids and not adults, and that parallels his own realizations. When reading, it was like we were uncovering Winkler’s layers along with him. Excavators working side by side.
Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond by Henry Winkler does have a lot of Hollywood moments in it, and he is humble and amazed at his own success. I wouldn’t call it a brag book, but the best part for me was his creation of a series of kids books about dyslexia to help others, and that’s the greatest gift anyone can give - helping others.
***I listened to the audio, but my mother had the hardcover and I got to see some of the great photos included. ***
RATING: Cinquain
About the Author:
Henry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.