Here We Go Again by Betty White

Here We Go Again (Here We Go Again, #1)

by Betty White

America's queen of television shares her fascinating life story! Here is Betty White -- a woman who has been on television forever! is generally how Betty White is introduced. And quite accurately, too, since she first appeared in 1949 when both she and television were rank beginners. Since then, she has had one of the most amazing careers in TV, winning five Emmy awards, creating such unforgettable characters as Sue Ann Nivens and Rose Nylund, and appearing in a host of television classics from 1952's Life with Elizabeth to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. Here We Go Again gives an overview of television's golden era, packed full of wonderful anecdotes about the many famous personalities with whom Betty has worked. It also gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at television over five decades, from her first show, Hollywood on Television which ran live five and a half hours a day six days a week (33 hours per week!), to Betty's current television work. In addition, she talks about her personal life -- how her hectic career caused strain in her relationships and how she finally found happiness with her third husband, the late talk show host Allen Ludden. As warm and funny as its author, Here We Go Again will thrill her many fans and delight all of those who are interested in the history of America's most popular form of entertainment.

Reviewed by jesstheaudiobookworm on

4 of 5 stars

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4.25★ Audiobook⎮ This was my first nonfiction audiobook (ever!) and as such, I'm not quite sure how to rate it. I've always thought of myself as a huge fan of Betty White, but listening to this memoir has made me realize that I've really only ever been a fan of her work as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, rather than Betty herself. Listening to this audiobook has changed that forever.

Here We Go Again: My Life In Television chronicles all of Betty's work in television, up to 1995, when this memoir was originally published. I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed that only 30 minutes of the three-hour audiobook were devoted to Betty's time on The Golden Girls and not much new information about it was revealed. It wasn't exactly what I was originally looking for, but I did come away with a plethora of new information about Betty's life and other work.

In particular, I was delighted to discover her great love of animals. As an animal lover myself, I appreciated that much of this memoir focused on the animals in Betty's life and how they impacted her career. Others have expressed disappointment in the fact that Betty seems to keep many personal details of her life out of this memoir, as she has a right to do, in my opinion. But discussing her deep affection for all things furry is one area she did not hold back on and her love for animals was definitely made apparent by the numerous anecdotes she shared.

This was a fast listen that could easily be heard in one sitting. It has broadened my understanding and admiration of Betty White tenfold. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about the span of her career. Devoted fans may be disappointed by the fact that this memoir only seems to skim the surface of Betty's career (chronicling 46 years in under three hours), but for someone who is just beginning to take interest in Betty outside of one area (i.e. The Golden Girls), it provides an interesting and effective survey of all that she has accomplished.

I intend on continuing my "Betty White 101" lessons by listening to If You Ask Me, a more general account Betty's many philosophies.

Narration review: Who better to narrate this memoir than Betty White herself? She comes across as laughable and lovable, just as she does on television. I believe her narration of this audiobook bore significant weight on my enjoyment of it. It enabled me to close my eyes and picture her sitting across from me, recounting stories from her life in television. Her narration was so humorous and expressive, and not at all monotone or robotic. I frequently wondered if she was going "off-script", because it didn't sound like she was reading at all, just gabbing with a friend. When beginning this audiobook, I was concerned that a nonfiction title would not be able to hold my attention. The problem ended up being that Betty wouldn't let my attention go! I started this at 11:30pm, intending to only listen for about 30 minutes before bed, and wound up having to force myself to stop listening around 2am.

Even though the print version of this book comes with color photos (of which I am jealous), I'd still recommend the audiobook over it. Betty's narration adds so much to the experience and I can't imagine anyone wanting to miss out on it! ♣︎

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  • Started reading
  • 6 September, 2016: Finished reading
  • 6 September, 2016: Reviewed