Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

If I Knew Then What I Know Now ... So What?

Rate this book
Estelle Getty (80-year-old Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls) serves up her famous wisdom and advice on everything from marriage and motherhood to Hollywood and hypochondria. "Estelle Getty is a national treasure". —Betty White

182 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1988

4 people are currently reading
392 people want to read

About the author

Estelle Getty

1 book7 followers
Estelle Getty was an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning actress (theatre and screen). She was best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo in the sitcom The Golden Girls. In her later years, she retired from acting and was battling Lewy Body dementia.

In 1988 she wrote her autobiography, with Steve Delsohn, titled If I Knew Then, What I Know Now. . . So What?

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
64 (31%)
4 stars
64 (31%)
3 stars
63 (31%)
2 stars
11 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Meg Powers.
157 reviews61 followers
May 13, 2016
Oh boy.
---------
Okay, here we go-
My last foray into reading co-authored celebrity memoirs was a year ago, when I completed Made From Scratch, Food Network star Sandra Lee's sentimental,self-centered "Footprints in the Sand"-ridden dreck. Have I learned from my past experience that ironic enjoyment of these sorts of books is near impossible? Apparently not. Yet how could I resist an angry Sophia Petrillo,haloed by a bubble of Estelle Getty-sans-get up, pointing an accusing finger at the reader? Or the ridiculous title?

Honestly, this book wasn't miserable, and the reader will be delighted to know that Estelle Getty is essentially Sophia Petrillo (and if you read her book, My First Five Husbands,Rue McClanahan reveals she is essentially Blanche Deboreuax). If I Knew Then What I Know Now... isn't an autobiography by any means-it's a lot of one liners and cheesy advice. Here's a Getty-ism: "You know the tags that say 'One Size Fits All'? I'd like to take a big red pen and write 'Like Hell!' on every one of those tags." I'm rolling on the floor with laughter, over here.

If you're like me and want to waste your time ironically reading 80s sitcom celebrity junk, this isn't a bad choice; it's really short and reads like a quarter of the Golden Girls. It doesn't hurt to read this out loud in a Sophia voice.
Profile Image for Peter.
684 reviews8 followers
March 19, 2016
Okay, so this might not have been the best book ever but I still loved it because while reading it, you could really feel the spirit of Estelle Getty. She was such a witty & talented lady who you would have never known had confidence issues at times. The book may have seemed to others a bit all over the place but hey, that's probably who she was as a person and I related to it because that's how I think in my mind too. I love The Golden Girls so much so hearing her talk about her times there (which were fewer than I wanted) were great. I had previously read Rue McClanahan & Betty White's autobiographies so hearing anecdotes and inflections from that period is just so great. Estelle Getty was such a great lady and she went way before her time. May she rest in peace knowing that future generations will always look at her portrayal of a tiny, quick witted, and sharp tongued Italian mother/grandmother/woman with great fondness.
Profile Image for Erin Cataldi.
2,521 reviews63 followers
April 30, 2020
Well..... this wasn't bad but this wasn't amazing. It's all humor, no plot, and not much of a memoir (but then again I'm not sure if it was meant to be one). It jumps all over the place and has lots of witticisms, but not a lot of "content." I think the only people who would get a huge kick out of this are Golden Girl fans and short Jewish mothers (her words not mine). She talks about acting, Hollywood, her marriage, being a mother, her friends, and what it's like being short. Nothing earth shattering. A perfectly okay book with a couple of really funny quips.
Profile Image for Alvaro Zinos-Amaro.
Author 69 books63 followers
June 14, 2025
In short, delightful.

Some years after this book was written, Getty succumbed to Lewy body dementia (which also killed comic genius Robin Williams). There are some subtle foreshadowings here, and maybe Getty intimated at the time of writing that she was starting to decline in some ways. I'm glad she worked with someone and got her funny thoughts down on paper.

I think the world would be a better place if more of us were like Estelle Getty.

I miss my mom, who died from Alzheimer's last year.

I remember how much my mom enjoyed The Golden Girls. I think she would have enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Cetoria.
149 reviews17 followers
June 12, 2023
This isn't really a memoir. It's more of an essay collection. There are some killer jokes peppered throughout, but overall there isn't much there-there. If you love Golden Girls or Estelle Getty you'll enjoy this book, but it won't change your life or give you much introspective from Getty.
Profile Image for Chris.
266 reviews24 followers
March 31, 2011
This is one of those books you read only after you've watched the show golden girls and wondered more about the actors themselves and what they are like in person. After searching all over for a copy of her out-of-print book I found one at a university fine arts library. I have to say the read is quite short when you are engrossed into the story but very fun overall. Estelle Getty is a woman who worked hard all her life to get where she was and never had any regrets for what she did. She enjoyed every moment with such joy and excitment. When I watch the show "Golden Girls" now, the character sophia is so much different now and so much more depth to who she played and where she came from. Its interesting to know that for all her time on the show, her husband lived in Florida and she lived in Hollywood. Although she has passed away, the book is a great reminder of her great love for the theatre and all the people she got to work with. Great book for anyone interested in knowing more about the actress and her special humor.
Profile Image for Tara.
56 reviews
August 12, 2020
Being out of print this book took me awhile to find but I'm SO happy I finally found it. I truly enjoyed it!!
Many reviews complain that it's not a true memoir or autobiography. Its NOT, and I truly believe the title gives that away. No where does it say story of my life. It is NOT a Hollywood tell all and in no way does she tell you everything about her life personal or professional. She does however cover multiple topics in both her personal and her professional life leading into the beginning of season 4 of The Golden Girls. She offers her opinions and insight into everything from marriage, motherhood, sex, and her short stature all the way to Hollywood and The Golden Girls show.

If you're a Golden Girls fan you WILL enjoy this witty book. You will even have a few good laughs with it, after all Estelle is and always will be a Golden Girl!!
Profile Image for Jo.
72 reviews
July 29, 2016
Getty was certainly an outstanding actress. Writer, not so much...even with the ghost aid. But I still found the book warm and sweet and interesting...like a letter from a good friend. I just ate up every morsel about her Golden Girls experiences...wish there had been more of that. Still, a must-read for any self-respecting GG fan.
Profile Image for Maurean.
945 reviews
November 21, 2008
Estelle Getty made me laugh!! In "If I Knew Then..." she speaks touchingly and humorously about all kinds of subjects; health, wealth, men, sex, marriage, doctors, Hollywood....It made me chuckle a few times!
A quick, fun, and entertaining read.
Profile Image for Lisa.
17 reviews
September 15, 2015
I had no idea this book existed until going through a huge box of my grandmother's books, and as a huge Sophia Petrillo fan I was very excited to discover it. A pretty simple and quick read, but quite entertaining getting to see some Estelle Getty perspective on life :)
285 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2020
I felt like I was sitting down to have a slice of cheesecake with Estelle Getty. Loved the randomness of it, and her cool life stories.
Profile Image for Elise René.
3 reviews
September 13, 2021
Estelle Getty was her character in life. I think the difference is that she was from New York and Jewish. The book is very short but it is one that I loved and even plan to reread again in the future
Profile Image for Amanda.
1 review1 follower
January 26, 2022
Sweet and funny look into an actresses life. Bit about fighting with her husband…… about where to go to dinner had me laughing.
Profile Image for Micah.
39 reviews18 followers
October 31, 2020
This short book is more a collection of humorous essays than a memoir, and the humor is quite light. It read to me like a celebrity who has had a successful first memoir and then cobbled together just enough additional material for a second 'book' to capitalize on the previous success - except in this instance, their was no first book. Getty reveals remarkably little about herself. It's all stuff she might quip about on a late night talk show. About the most scandalous tidbit is that her husband and her occasionally fight in thier happy marriage and have been to a 'shrink' before. I think the most noticeable example of just how far Getty has to stretch to achieve book length without having divulged anything private is that she starts borrowing anecdotes from old friends that are not even related to her, and she even does a bit about how men hate to ask for directions without adding anything new to the tired adage - just repeating yet again, yep - men hate to ask for directions...
Even as a Getty fan, this book is so slight it's hardly worth the effort. I'm sorry that Getty didn't feel comfortable to give us more as this effort left me feeling like she was holding back and I do not feel like I know her any better than before.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christiane.
127 reviews5 followers
March 10, 2020
This book is a delight and a quick read to boot. If you're looking for a tell-all about the Golden Girls, this isn't it (just one short chapter and she spends most of the time talking about how delightful the ladies were). If you're looking for essentially twelve comedic essays that never get too serious, this is the one for you!

The thing that comes through in this book is how relatable and humble Estelle was. She never comes off as arrogant, always noting how lucky she was to get roles and how star-struck she remained by her colleagues in Hollywood. And even if some things didn't age well (she REALLY liked Woody Allen, folks), other observations on things like marriage and homosexuality remain relevant and in some cases, ahead of their time.

This isn't a very deep or long book, but it's a fun one that left me longing to hear more anecdotes and observations. Go get this if you can.
Profile Image for Ula.
281 reviews10 followers
Read
May 21, 2021
I can’t give this book a star rating. I found it overall really sad, like there’s some humor and it seems like the GG gals did really like and care for each other. It’s a bit disjointed and there’s so much written about how she hated her body and thought she was fat and ugly. I would’ve loved a bit more about her life, and some bits don’t exactly hold up (lots of fawning over woody Allen for example..). Anyway I love Estelle Getty but I have no idea how to rate this so I won’t.
2 reviews
December 5, 2023
Fun read, estelle gettys only book she’s ever written, she talks about a little bit of everything from the golden girls to airports to doctor offices and her car and other things, when i die and go to heaven i hope i can meet her there and get her autograph, i remember after estelle getty died they had rue mcclanahan on speaker phone on entertainment tonight and she said we will always have our sofia, i always remembered that.
Profile Image for Veronica-Anne.
484 reviews5 followers
May 31, 2019
What a great read. Estelle Getty is such a warm funny lady with lots of anecdotal stories. From her time on "Golden Girls" to her many other acting experiences, Estelle is not shy at all. I love her honesty especially around her down to earth ideas of life. A quick and fun read. So recommended.
Profile Image for Wendell Hennan.
1,202 reviews3 followers
July 23, 2020
Great sense of humor and despite her being under 5 ft she did play in a wide range of theatre and movies before hitting her moment of fame in Golden Girls as Sophia. Highly appreciative and complimentary of her Golden Girls co stars. Enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Sandra.
234 reviews9 followers
October 4, 2017
Estelle is just as funny as her Sophia character! I really enjoyed reading this book about her.
Profile Image for Mark.
127 reviews
December 11, 2017
just seemed like a book to ride the golden girls, more specifically Sophia's popularity. whatever... it was cute
Profile Image for Andrew ✝️.
289 reviews
January 1, 2023
It was at the public library as I perused the titles and authors in the one of the celebrity nonfic sections that I discovered that Estelle Getty had written a book. I'm not sure if many 'Golden Girls' fans are even aware of this book's existence. I tossed it into the library book basket I was using because I really wanted to read it; really wanted to know what she had to say. It's definitely not what I expected, but it's still a good book. My only negative comment, really, is that I wasn't too crazy about Getty recalling a story about a friend of hers who was a nurse who messed with a patient's memory as if it wasn't really a big deal. Granted, it was about a cup of pudding that the nurse had eaten, but the nurse shouldn't have eaten it and then told her patient a lie. The patient may have been grumpy, but that nurse perhaps shouldn't have been a nurse if she was going to be mess with a patient's memory. That is very unethical.

Aside from that, this is a charming, funny little book. Getty wrote it as if she were talking to you. There's no dirt in here and it's not a typical autobiography. She tells of numerous things, including 'The Golden Girls' and 'Torch Song Trilogy,' her sons, her husband, and her sister, just to name a few. I admit I'm not too thrilled with her feminism (which could have inspired her to supporth her nurse friend), but I do appreciate her then-controversial stance on homosexuality. Her support and staunch defense of the community actually led to better and funnier gay jokes on the Golden Girls with the script writers. She let them know she couldn't do episodes with offensive jokes because of her support for her gay friends. I do disagree with her statement that only 10% of every population is gay, though. It's more than that. Bisexuality had and still has such a stigma that most bisexuals are considered straight or gay depending on which gender they're attracted to more, thus bringing down the percentage. Plus, some people were and are still unable to even come out, so the percentage is also unrealistic because of that, but I digress. It was also refreshing to read something positive about Woody Allen for a change. She was apparently a big fan.

According to the back, Barry Manilow, Mickey Rooney, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bob Hope read this (I'm assuming before publication since they are quoted on the back, praising this book), so it's kind of surprising that this was the only book she ever wrote. I can only think that the publicity and promotion for it must have lacked something. Or she just didn't want to write another one. 🤷 Anyway, it's a good book. I give it 4 stars.
Profile Image for Jeremy.
165 reviews60 followers
February 4, 2008
I'm the type of guy that if I see an Estelle Getty memoir lying around in a free book bin, I look around uneasily, grab it, and bolt.

It is exactly what you would expect from an Estelle Getty memoir. No more, no less. It's a lot like being scolded in a lightly humorous fashion by one of your grandmother's weird elderly neighbors for about an hour and a half. I also learned that she's friends (circa 1988, at least) with Garry Shandling, and likes to make fun of his hair. Sometimes it's nice to know things like that.
Profile Image for Brandi Johnson.
791 reviews16 followers
May 4, 2013
A typical memoir written by a ghostwriter, this was entertaining in its own, scattered and silly way. You know my love for these girls. I'm sure had I not been such an Estelle fan I would have rated this book with just one star. But I lover her, and I love the things she mentions about The Golden Girls, and I love that she thinks she's "rotund." Hahahaha.
Profile Image for Benjamin Revier.
30 reviews21 followers
March 11, 2016
A very heartfelt and humorous collection of anecdotes from the beloved stage and screen actress, Estelle Getty. This is a very amiable and enjoyable read. If you're looking for a book to revisit a moment at a time, this certainly will fit the bill!
26 reviews
October 1, 2017
I loved it.
It's a great insight into the late Estelle Getty.
And her quirky mind.
It was a blast to read it was funny.
In fact it's a book you can re read again and again.
As it's rather funny if you can grab it. Please do so
It's a fun read you'll love it.
Profile Image for Rachel Swords.
433 reviews45 followers
August 13, 2011
Even though there isn't much inside info on Sophia and friends, ""Golden Girls"" fans should still read this wonderful(albeit short) look at the woman behind everyone's favorite Sicilian mom.
Profile Image for Owen.
40 reviews6 followers
January 23, 2012
I adore Estelle and the Golden Girls, but this book was just all over the place. The stories were not very entertaining or relevant to the points she tried to make.
Profile Image for Dena Morehouse.
32 reviews2 followers
May 8, 2012
My fav woman who on tv. Loved getting to know the real Estelle!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.