Both of Us

My Life with Farrah

By: Ryan O'Neal, Jodee Blanco, Kent Carroll

Narrated by: Ryan O'Neal

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett: He was the handsome Academy Award-nominated star of Paper Moon and the classic romance Love Story. She was the beautiful, all-American Charlie’s Angel, whose poster adorned the bedroom walls of teenage boys everywhere. One of the most storied love affairs in Hollywood history, their romance has captivated fans and media alike for more than three decades. In a tragic turn, the world lost Farrah after a tragic battle with cancer in 2009, but in his intimate memoir Both of Us, Ryan brings their relationship to vivid life.

Fans of each other from afar, Ryan and Farrah met through her husband, Lee Majors, and fell passionately in love. Soon, however, reality threatened their happiness and they struggled with some serious matters, including the disintegration of Farrah’s marriage; Ryan’s troubled relationship with his daughter, Tatum, and son, Griffin; mismatched career trajectories; and raising their young son, Redmond - all leading Ryan and Farrah to an inevitable split in 1997.

Ryan fought to create a life on his own but never stopped longing for Farrah. Eventually he realized that he had lost his true soul mate. Older and wiser, he and Farrah found their way back to each other and were excited to start a new life together. But their bliss was cut short when Farrah was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just three years later.

Ryan’s deep love for Farrah and his devotion to preserving her memory are evident in Both of Us. Drawing on decades’ worth of personal records and keepsakes, he has included never-before-seen photographs, letters exchanged between him and Farrah, and his own diaries, making this a poignant and compelling memento for her fans. Written with candor and emotional honesty, it is a true Hollywood love story.

©2012 Ryan O'Neal, Jodee Blanco, Kent Carroll (P)2012 Random House

Heartbreaking & vulnerable

Heartbreaking in so many ways, vulnerable, & transparent. I love that Ryan narrates the book himself which takes it to a different level. Shows such courage & never ending love.

Loved it

It’s worth to hear it and he was indeed an old-fashioned man who fell in love so beautifully for these modern days, yet not without true-life drama…love this story, there is sincerity to it that moved me so deeply.

Life Changing Story

This book deeply affected me. I am a cancer survivor so my perspective comes from that place. It is beyond a love story. it is a soul mate story from Ryan's perspective. Although I am sure Ryan left out most of his less than appealing moments, he included enough to get the drift of his struggles. The one thing that was and still is clear, he was madly, deeply, in love with Farrah and she with him. They went through Farrah's cancer much differently than many us who have struggled. They did not have the financial burden and that is evident in the story. Because of that, all focus and thought was on Farrah, and the ability to go anywhere at any price to save her life. He also has an interesting way with words, like each sentence is taken from a romance novel or stage play. Wherever his poetic elegance comes from, he tells the story of his love for Farrah. This is not a story of Farrah's struggle with cancer. Although it is very much a part of the story, it's from the perspective of a man deeply in love with a woman, and his inevitable knowledge that he is losing her and also the incredible struggle of addiction and its affect on the family. The story is deep, filled with happiness and sadness and everything in between. The story was so moving I'll forgive Ryan's awkward pauses throughout. I got the sense that his pauses were at places where he would have naturally ended the sentence but the book contained a few more words in those sentences that he would have to read. I give Ryan credibility in this book based on interviews with Alana Stewart, one of Farrah's best friends. She supported Ryan and believed his love for Farrah and because of that, I do as well. Thank you Ryan for touching my heart.
P.S- note to T.O. You won't get the time back but you still have today. Don't let the end be you talking to cold stone. Fix it now.

The honest account and profound soulmate ❤️

Wow. Powerful !!! Ryan shared such love with such vulnerably. A rare conveyance of a special relationship.

Raw Emotions with Unknown Stories

Ryan’s voice soothing. Honest emotion. Unknown stories. Great connections. Kept my attention throughout the book.

pretty good summer reading

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It's all from Rayan O'Neals point of view, wish Farrah had writen something

Would you recommend Both of Us to your friends? Why or why not?

yes

Could you see Both of Us being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

Any additional comments?

Easy reading one point of view,

A Beautiful Mind. Standing Ovation.

The only memoir I've listened to where the simple tone shift of the narration, put me into fits of laughter. Beautiful, ugly, structured, and bizarre events unfold around this man's life where everything is extraordinary. Nothing is "usual" or "ordinary" as he moves through it all as a force of nature.

One woman (maybe two) procreates and hands the children to him to raise, those children stab him in the back as a dedicated purpose throughout life, citing his failures with the "mother" role enforced upon him. All the while demanding more love. Becoming ruthless and violent enemies.

His biggest crime is being human. It is like a Greek tragedy. The treason is thick. Even the in-laws want in on it. As a few of the children devote themselves to inventing enemies for him. Where there is great love there can be great hate. They come to "love to hate" him.

He tries to become "ordinary" and he almost makes it for brief periods of time, but it is simply an unattainable goal. It is not possible. He is not ordinary, wasn't born or raised ordinary, by ordinary people. He was born gifted and raised by gifted people. It worked out well for him to be given freedom. It is his comfort zone. He creates good things inside of freedom. Why wouldn't he assume it could work for all of his children? Those are his people, artists, and that is his fate. It is the magic in the wind people still guess and guess at. Why do some people flourish in freedom, chance, and opportunity, and others use it as a rope to hang themselves? Or hang others.

His storytelling is musical and reveals keen insight, supernatural perceptions, monumental abilities at tolerance, no significant fear of humility, Viking-like anti-fragility, and uncanny integrity in owning his nature and identity. Also the gold mine of stories and adventures in that beautiful mind he will carry through time as his own personal wealth that no one else will ever see. It seems he grew up in Hollywood as it was being created and knew the people as his people. Possibly one source of his magical life is that he can withhold the details. He doesn't make living a burden he wants others to share with him. He does seem to care about setting some of the stories straight. And his is a universe he has secure command over with privacy.

Such a beautiful memoir. Wish this was volume 1 of 30. I would love to hear him talk about the theater, film, that industry and culture the way it was when he grew up in it. As it was created on his back. Most of us listening to these audiobooks haven't seen much theater, television or films, or even the people, mentioned in the book. Not sure current theater is an art. Reality T.V. and seasons of noise, opinion, stalking, and well, mindless natter. There is definitely a glamour period in this country that has not been recorded in history. Where people were not just physically beautiful, but beautiful influences as well. He really is a great writer with a very unique style. Very entertaining.

Poor Ryan O'Neal?

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Have someone who knows how to read narrate this book!

If you’ve listened to books by the authors before, how does this one compare?

Terrible!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Ryan O'Neal?

not sure.

Was Both of Us worth the listening time?

No

Any additional comments?

He glosses over so many events that the listener is not sure what's true. Addiction is a mental disease and one that is often hereditary. I can't believe that neither Ryan nor Farrah didn't have some issues surrounding drugs and/or alcohol.

I do not recommend this book.

Incredibly Interesting and Honest

What I really appreciate about this book is that Ryan puts his thoughts down in a very open and honest way. Of course, I raised an eyebrow at some of things he says about his children and a number of other narcissistic things he talks about but I appreciate that this is his point of view. He reveals a lot about his feelings and thoughts and puts it out there. I am not a fan, exactly, though I discovered he has been in so many movies I loved as a kid. And, while I started out thinking he is a rather unappealing jerk, as I listened to him, listened to his daughter’s book, and saw him on their reality show, I discovered that this man was a charming, charismatic force and still is, even in old age. His relationships with Tatum and Farrah are fascinating. Love him or hate him, this is a great listen!

Heartbreaking

It’s uncomfortable to provide this review given the tragic story; however, what is even more tragic is the outcome for children that grew up in a chaotic world with a very selfish and self - centered father who only thought of his own needs and not their well being during the most influential and transforming years of their lives. Throughout the story, Mr O’Neal portrays himself as a victim and defends his poor judgement, personal needs, and often blames others for his bad decisions. It’s apparent that he loved Farrah Fawcett, and yet he makes excuses for not getting married, physical violence, and his affair with Leslie. I hope that at this point in his life, and through more reflections of his current state, he recognizes and acknowledges how many lives he screwed up, including his own.