Jeannie Out of the Bottle

A frank and warm autobiography of Barbara Eden, probably not warts and all, but enough warts to show Barbara did not have a golden life, yet fans seemed to believe she did. She did not appear to want fame of the type many of her fellow actors did, however via I Dream of Jeannie gave her a fame and television immortality.

As a kid, I grew up on the weekday afternoon repeats of I Dream of Jeannie, and easily grew to love the cute, spunky, perky, energetic Jeannie, as played by actress Barbara Eden. Years later, reading reports of how uncomfortable the set of the show was, with star Larry Hagman a drugged up egocentric mess, I felt somewhat disillusioned. Barbara Eden's new autobiography, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, brings it all back to vivid life, both the good and the bad. I chose to enjoy this title as a Book-on-CD, with Eden reading her own work. She's a fun narrator to listen to (frequently chuckling or laughing at her own text), and seems to enjoy her opportunity to share memories of her career, both pre-Jeannie and post-Jeannie. This particular book show more is fairly lightweight, but it was a joy to listen to, as she reminisces about past relationships, including ex-husband Michael Ansara, acting achievements, and the sad passing of her son as a result of drug addiction. But, for me, as for many other Jeannie fans, it is her chapters dealing with the origins of I Dream of Jeannie, and her experiences working on that 4-season series, that brought the biggest smile to my face. Her tales of Larry Hagman at his ego-maniacal worst are easily tempered by the love and friendship she still obviously feels for him after all these years. If you grew up on 1960s and early 1970s television sitcoms, you'll enjoy this one too!

Originally written for my local library's website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/srec/staffrec11-11.htm show less

Delightful, easy to read autobiography by Barbara Eden. The book covers her childhood and wish to become a singing star. Her encounters with people like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope, Tom Jones, and so many other are recounted. Working with Larry Hagman on I Dream Of Jeannie sounded like a chore. It is hard to understand why so many people put up with Hagman but Eden feels the chemistry between them made the show a success. Losing two children - one to drug addiction and the other was stillborn - was heartbreaking. Eden's mother had always told her to "rise above it" and she certainly has.

I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed this book. I started reading this early this morning and finished it in one sitting. It's really well written and an enjoyable reading as you go behind the scene to the antics and tragedies in Barbara Eden's life - from the antics of a intoxicated Hagman to the death of her son Matthew.

Well worth a read especially for those who grew up watching I dream of Jeannie.

Anyone over the age of 30 must remember I Dream of Jeannie, and with the popularity of “retro” television channels I am sure Jeannie has a whole new audience in this century as well. Ms. Eden’s autobiography is well told and entertaining. She lets us in on some behind the scenes secrets of the show, she shares her personal triumphs as well as tragedies. Ms. Eden is definitely known for her role as Jeannie, but she had such a wide and varied career that I had not idea about until reading this book.

I enjoyed the book because of its casual style, making it seem as if Ms. Eden is actually talking to the reader. She drops many names and lets the reader in on some juicy gossip but, in my opinion, she portrays herself as a little too show more clean cut. It may all be true, but still makes me go hmmm? show less

Candid story of a lovely actress

Miss Eden recalls the highs and lows of her personal and professional life in this easy read book.

The stories are mostly brief but get the points across, describing her exposure to Hollywood as a stock player, her success in I Dream of Jeannie, and her continuing career. Most enlightening are the snips about other famous actors/actresses, including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, and of course Larry Hagman.

The later chapters cover her second and third marriages, as well as the drug struggles and eventual death of her son, Matthew.

Easy to read, and ends fairly abruptly. This book might well benefit from an update, or would have been better with more details of her later years. I did enjoy the book but show more found myself wanting more. show less

The other reviews have pretty much said it. There is a lot of name dropping here but it's her story to write so whatever. My biggest disappointment was that "Harper Valley PTA" barely got a mention, and most of that mention was trashing the writers (probably deserved it but..) that show was a hit when I was 10 or 11, and I remember dressing up like her character for Halloween (of course no one knew who I was but...). She spends a lot of time trashing Larry H., so much so that I actually skipped past many pages because I was tired of reading it.

If you are a fan of Barbara Eden's give it a read. If you are a fan of biographies/autobiographies in general you can skip this one. This isn't the best autobiography/biography out there but it's show more probably your only chance to hear her story in her words (with an assistant). show less