Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Anecdotes and advice from a long, happy, and fairly familiar life. The third memoir from Van Dyke covers similar ground as the previous two; now he is approaching 100 instead of 90, but before that, not much has changed. (That’s the thing about the past.) What’s new is the angle: the hundred chapters are titled for their takeaway: from “Don’t Act Your Age” and “Make Your Own Rules” to “You Can’t Protect Your Survivors” (a sad vignette about the late Gene Hackman) and “Find Your Arlene.” Van Dyke’s 46-years-younger wife, Arlene, is the sine qua non of his life and this book: “Well over three-quarters of the memories in this book were foggy in my brain but crystal clear in hers,” due to many previous retellings. These recollections include stories of shoveling ice and coal in pre–World War II Danville, Illinois, 15-cent movies, being edged out of a spot on Ed Sullivan’s show by President Harry Truman’s daughter’s tepid opera singing, and recollections from the sets ofBye Bye Birdie,Mary Poppins,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,The Dick Van Dyke Show,The New Dick Van Dyke Show, and many more. If the upbeat tone of his preceding books prompted some critical calls for more conflict, emotion, and introspection, those are answered here by stories with a darker tone. These include a phone call from Cary Grant on LSD, an anxious encounter with a possibly predatory elementary school teacher, a long-running on-set prank involving walnuts, and a 20-year toothache, as yet not fully resolved. “Remember Honestly” corrects a childhood anecdote told in the previous book with more candor about the extreme stinginess of Van Dyke’s father. “I was so intent on putting a smile on my life experiences that I nudged the little hint of darkness out of the story.” In addition to his wife, the supporting cast includes the author’s 73-year-old son, Barry, and his 41-year-old personal assistant, Jimmy, who usesthey/them pronouns and has a second career as a WWE-style wrestler—quite a breath of fresh air. Among the most poignant chapters are “You Will Not Be Alone,” which recounts the 1987 death of Van Dyke’s first grandchild at the age of 13, and “Read While You Can,” in which we learn that advanced dry macular degeneration has ended his life as a reader. Not as a writer, though! Tickled to find himself a national treasure at 99, Van Dyke takes some of his own advice: “Find Your Passion in Your Past.” Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Actor and comedian Van Dyke (Keep Moving) offers poignant reflections on aging and health in this affable memoir. In 100 short, discursive chapters with titles like “Figure Out Who You Aren’t” and “Speak Up for Your Family,” Van Dyke marries wistful recollections with folksy wisdom. “No matter our current circumstances, we all have the capacity for a joyful and purposeful life,” the 99-year-old actor writes, referring to the challenges of his short-term memory loss and vision-impairing dry macular degeneration. Between gleeful anecdotes about Van Dyke’s 2023 stint on The Masked Singer (he competed as a giant gnome) and rapturous odes to his wife (whom he credits as the primary reason he has not “withered away into a hermetic grouch”), the account makes space for more melancholy memories. For example, Van Dyke writes bluntly about his alcoholism (“Cocktails were all but essential for pushing through social anxiety and having some fun”); the deaths of his teenage granddaughter in 1987 and adult daughter in 2017; and anger at his emotionally distant father. Mostly, though, this is a winning celebration of life and laughter. Agent: Ian Kleinert, Paradigm Talent Agency. (Nov.)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Despite the title, this autobiography, written by beloved actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke as he nears his 100th birthday, does not list 100 rules on how to live. It does, however, contain anecdotes from which readers can extrapolate meaning, with even stories of hardship ending with a punch line or life lesson learned thanks to Van Dyke’s sunny disposition. Fans will of course enjoy the legend’s behind-the-scenes recollections of his most famous works, but they will also glean insights into his childhood in Danville, Illinois; Malibu Halloween party preparations; and performances with his a cappella group, the Vantastix, whom he still sings with today. As Van Dyke will tell you himself, he owes much of his late-in-life verve to his 54-year-old wife, Arlene, who dances with him in the kitchen and coordinates his public appearances on his terms. (He will not be singing pop music on The Masked Singer, thank you.) With his characteristic goofball charm, Van Dyke encourages readers to stay true to their passions and to find joy by spreading joy.