Customer Reviews

Coffee with Groucho (Coffee with...Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was disappointing for two reasons: First, it is tiresome and not funny. It takes some well-known Groucho quotes and weaves them into an imagined interview between the author and Groucho. The second reason for the disappointment is that the author, Simon Louvish, has written an excellent appreciation of the Marx Brothers called Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of the Marx Brothers. I'd highly recommend the latter book and skip this one. Just my opinion, but people who try to write in Groucho's voice don't often do a good job of it.

The idea of this book is good: a conversation with Groucho Marx that covers his life and work. The mini-biography is very well done, and the remarks attributed to Groucho have an authentic ring, especially because many of them were actually said, or written, by him. It's not as funny as I expected it to be, which is why I only gave it four stars. The book is short enough that it can be read in one sitting, so it is a relatively entertaining way to spend a few hours with one of the funniest men of the 20th century.

When the forward of a book is the best part you're in trouble. And you're in trouble if you buy this book. I love Groucho, I know Groucho, and Simon Louvish--- you are no Groucho. Sorry, it's just not there!

Despite a promising premise, this book was a rehash of old quotes and often inaccurately retold stories. Groucho did not seem alive, but rather pathetic with contrived questions designed to illicit humorous responses, but often fails to do so.

Find a copy of Groucho And ME, and hear in his actual own words the same stories, better told and funnier by far.

This is, obviously, not a real interview with Groucho. Still, the author is a credentialed biographer of the Marx Brothers, and he knows their lives, careers and, more to the point, a lot of Groucho's quips. I found the short bibliographic explanations at the beginning of each chapter actually useful to put things into context, and the introduction is also valuable. All in all it's a fast read that gives one the flavor of Groucho, but if you'd like to check out the real thing there are, of course, plenty of much better resources out there.

Do you have an hour to spend just reading for fun? Do you like the Marx brothers and prefer smiling to sighing? Are you ready to laugh out loud at classic quips?

If so, this breezy "Coffee with Groucho" should satisfy. As a casual movie fan, I recalled a few funny scenes and learned some backstage stories. I recognized several quotes, and they still made me smile. Part biography, part entertainment history, and part silly, this light book requires disrespect and a flippant attitude. I liked it. You probably will too.

This book, however, should not be mistaken for a scholarly analysis of the Marx brothers, vaudeville, politics in Hollywood, or any other such grand project. It's just a simple, fun book filled with clever non-sense.

A great book...Frank Ferrante's beautifully written foreword makes this a collector's item that Marx Brothers fans won't want to miss.